My neighbours in Kampala

Before I came to Uganda I wondered what it would be like living alone in Africa. In Rwanda in 2007 I was with Mal and in 2011 with Sue. 

I'm really pleased to say that it has been an extra bonus living alone. Because there is no-one at home I tend to visit more. And I think the neighbours visit me more because they don't really understand a person living on their own and maybe they feel sorry for me!

Whatever the case I have really enjoyed my experience of living alone in Africa this time round.

The shopowner across the road and I have become friends. His name is Martin. When I leave and return each day we greet each other.

  

Whenever I am purchasing something he gives me local prices plus extra peanuts or bananas or whatever I am buying.

 

One day he thought I looked tired and so he dusted off the bench out the front and suggested I sit for a while. I did.

  

Sometimes I buy something small just to interact with Martin. 

Today I bought a small packet of local chips for that very reason. 

He was pleased to see me because he had a gift for me. It was a HUGE avocado, perfect and ready to eat. Someone had given it to him and he had kept it especially for me because he knows I like them and buy them often. How cool is that!

In my building I have neighbours from a  number of different nations - Sudan, South Sudan, Malawai and Uganda. 

My Sudanese neighbours invited me to their Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan. As usual,  the women ate in the kitchen. They were such a lovely bunch of women.

 The following night it was their 4 year old's birthday party 

and I was included, of course.

In the unit beneath mine a new family has recently moved in and they are from Malawi. We have just begun to connect.

One Sunday afternoon recently I went to visit the neighbours downstairs. They are from Uganda and South Sudan. The only person home was 16 year old Joanne. She was watching the movie ‘The Life of Jesus Christ’. We watched it together and had a lot of fun trying to race each other to complete the scriptures that were part of the script. 

I have taken lots of photos of neighbours from my compound and they love it when I print them and give them when I visit. Often as I come in the gate now, the little ones come running and say: “You photo me”.

Perhaps some of those photos will be good for a blog post in the near future. 

The power has gone out again tonight and so I will finish this before my computer battery shuts down.