Local traditions and culture in Uganda

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Primary school kids are probably very much alike all over the world, joyfull and playfull whenever stepping out of the classes. Spending much of times out in a fresh air and teaching about the environment, nature and life should be the best school programe for them. This kids from different schools and places came on a day trip to Entebbe, the same day when I was visiting Animal Orphanage. It was pleasant meeting them there.

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Maybe kids aren't more curious than adults are but kids showing it openly and without a hesitations. I was the only white who stayed in Naalya and later on some adults told me that I was the first white ever whom some kids have seen in live.
Swahili isn't widely speaking in Uganda, as it is in Kenya or Tanzania, but most people using swahili term of "mzungu" when mentioning whites. I was in Kenya before visiting Uganda and word mzungu wasn't strange to me at all.
At first kids were shy and reserved but very inquisitive. Smile could break all barriers and soon we become pals, I was welcomed and felt accepted. Not much of them do speak english and the communication wasn't very easy but we managed to overcome it with the help of mimics.
Although poor and in lack of almost everything, this kids have shown pride and never have ask anything from me. One day I bought a football ball in the town and gave it to this kids as a gift and in that very moment they probably were the happiest kids in the world. I had even to play soccer with them and some adults joined us too.
The next day I got a letter from the local priest with the invitation to join to the congregation since now I am a part of the community. I was very moved and have preserved that letter as a dear memory.
Ugandans might be poor but they have big open hearts, very friendly people indeed.

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Before my visiting there I had very wrong perception about Uganda! There are so many predjudices regarding Africa and its landscapes, I was almost convinced it is dry country and mostly covered by the desert areas. Uganda, surprisingly, is extremelly green country and has a very rich soil. It has very huge potentials in the agriculture, especially in cultivating fruits and vegetables.

This game is very popular among locals but unfortunatelly I didn't catch the name of it. It is game played by men exclusevely, never saw any women to play it. Guys usually play it around the market place and are followed by a crowd who support one or other player. Players are very skillfull and playing this game very fast. They told me it's the best way to shorten the time.

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Don't be surprised if girl is approaching to you when alone out on the streets, offering to show you around. Majority of them are ordinary girls, mostly students at the local univesity, whos idea is to get free lunch or small pocket money. They are usually very polite and kind and never crossing the line of good behaving. If company was enjoyable they could ask or admit to join you in some pub or nightclub.
There are, however, other kind of girls gathering in the certain clubs all over the city, Rock Garden and Al's are the most notorious. Most of the girls, one could meet there, are pro's although they don't have the same approach as street hookers or nightclub's birds in Europe.
Besides local girls, in such a places operating girls from Ruanda who, as I was awarned, are more or less all HIV positive. AIDS is huge problem in Uganda because of very low standard of the protections. Keep it in mind if willing to have more fun with both local girls and boys.

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This car, although droven by its owner, were violently pushed from the middle of the street and crashed into another car parked aside the street. The owner complained to the people around that was blamed by the police for causing this accident, although it was evident that he had nothing to do with it!
When the police officer saw me with my camera was asked if I took any photo? My camera was almost confiscated and I was said to leave the spot immediatelly.

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The first armoured police vehicle smashed this pick-up truck. According to the round standing eye witnesses and their comments, the police car drove fast and in a very arrogant way although it is a market place full of people and parked cars. I couldn't understand what they were talking about but the police officers were extremelly harsh blaming all passengers and parked cars which "disturbed" their demonstration of violence behaving towards the own citizens.

I didn't follow tv program in Uganda, cannot say wheter this accident was news of a day on a local network, however, have read newspapers the next day. Belive it or not, there was short article on a front page with no details about the accident and, without any picture.
Why I am telling this? While I was taking this pictures a guy dressed in a normal suit approached to me asking to see what I did snaped. I pretended not to speak english answering him in my Croatian language. He insisted to see what did I snaped about the accident but I switched memory cards (have two type of cards in my Sony R1) displayed pictures I took the other day.