Friday 14 May 2010

Uganda: Bump, Bump, Bumpy

From Uganda Photos 2010
The Uganda team now knows well where the words to a verse in “the wheels on a bus” came from … the people on our bus definitely go up and down with each bump.

Certainly a challenging part of our trip is travelling from site to site. There are few paved roads and when we do take them we are likely to get into the “jam” (traffic backups) or encounter potholes so frequently and so deep that it often feels like we are in a slalmon course.
As we depart from the paved roads and venture to the red dirt roads of Uganda, we really get to experience the Ugandan travel experience. The dirt roads have been particularly bumpy this year due to the rains. With little or no storm water management infrastructure, they are compromised by extensive erosion. Our distribution sites have been planned closer to the main road this year in order to enable access for our bus and the lorry that carries the bedkits.

We share the road not only with people and vehicles but also with livestock (cattle and goats). It is an amazing site to see children shepherding their flock along some main roads. Quite often it is with a smile and intense concentration.

As with all roads in Uganda there is always constant movement. Whether this movement be cars, lorries, people walking or riding, the people here are definitely “on the move” regardless of the absence of a smooth ride.

SCAW Team Uganda 2010

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