There is so much to talk about when it
comes to traditional African culture and it has taken some adjustment for me! They are a nation of tradition, family
and religion - and nothing is more important than the people in their lives.
I had such an amazing first week staying in
my friend Prossy’s house with her family. She lives across the main road from
the hospital, behind the market in a lovely cosy home with her son Kaka and
housemaid Claudia. The house has four cement walls with two bedrooms and a
bathroom so it was sheer luxury compared to the standard home here! Most
families in Gulu live in small round one-roomed homes made from home-made clay
bricks and a thatched roof. They build
these mud houses in clusters, close to other family members, and women often
spend the day sitting out in the sun or shade preparing food or opening up
groundnuts watching the children playing. There could easily be four
generations living in one cluster, with dozens of children around.
They have
such a strong sense of family, that a girl told me she would be very offended
if her cousin called her ‘cousin’ instead of ‘sister’. There is no distinction between
siblings, cousins and second cousins, and children and young adults pay utmost
respect to their elders, whether it be their parent or not. When Prossy’s
sister was in her later stages of pregnancy, a younger cousin came to stay with
her from Kampala to help out for a few months – this is a closely observed
tradition and although she was happy to go, it was certainly an expectation
that the cousin would dedicate these few months to family, because quite simply
family is more important than anything else.
There is such a relaxed pace of life here,
it is as if someone actually removed the accelerator gene from the population. There
is never any urgency or rush. I have no idea what time work actually starts at
in the hospital and I don’t think anyone else does either... I haven’t seen too
many emergency situations yet but I can’t imagine anyone breaking a sweat at
any point. In some ways maybe they have the right mentality – the work gets
done eventually but I find it really hard to justify delays when it can end in
a worse patient outcome. This is something I am beginning to accept because I
know my powers of persuasion definitely will not stretch to changing a lifelong
culture! In the village, the housewives will spend all day pottering around
doing a bit of cleaning and cooking, chatting together and maybe popping up to
the market to get a few things. The trip to the market could take an hour or
two despite the short distance, because you’re likely to meet several people
you know and will stop and chat for a while. Most of the time it doesn’t matter
what time of the day it is, because there are rarely specific engagements at
specific times (except mass!) so nobody really wears a watch and I have rarely
seen a clock. Most women who work outside the home will have a maid to do the
cooking and cleaning – usually a young girl from a neighbouring village who
lives in-house. It is actually your duty and responsibility to the community to
employ a maid/security if you have the means, and to not do so would be
incredibly stingy.
There is also a great culture of visiting
here in Uganda. Neighbours, family and friends will stop by unannounced and may
sit for hours talking and catching up. There is particularly a strong culture
of visiting elderly people, who are greatly respected in the community. I had
such a great day last Saturday when Prossy’s mum and I went to visit her
grandmother, and she was so welcoming she even gave me a live chicken to take
home! (Eaten for dinner on Sunday!) It really reminds me of the way neighbours
used to call in on my grandparents every day in Tipperary just for a chat and a
cup of tea, and there are many ways the culture in Uganda today bears some
resemblance to old Ireland - the religion, the big families, the strong sense
of community, tradition and stories. They also have great superstitions and a
pretty strong pagan culture here, which isn’t a million miles from stories of
Banshees and devils of Irish folklore. Village people, especially older people
often still choose the witch doctor before the hospital, and though I haven’t
had the pleasure yet I am dying to meet a witch doctor and see what they do.
From what I’ve heard they wear the traditional garb with feathers and facepaint
and the works and there is a lot of chanting and shouting! 
One great aspect of this close-knit
community culture is that there is never anyone complaining of loneliness. Interestingly
despite this, Uganda still has reportedly high levels of depression, maybe more
of a reflection of the particularly tragic and violent history here over the
last fifty years. Personal space really doesn’t exist much here - people
honestly find it so strange when I choose to do go to town alone or do anything
at all by myself. Someone will happily sit beside you for hours in silence
while you read or listen to music – and lots of people simply cannot believe
I’ve come halfway across the world on my own. Prossy’s mum is very keen to find
a Ugandan husband for me so I can stay here forever – I have explained to her
that the culture of polygamy, which is commonplace here could be a major
problem for me but she seems undeterred. For the moment my priority is to make the most of my time here so I’m going to try to slow
my walking pace so I fit in a bit easier, enjoy the company of friends and take
off my watch.
Winner winner chicken dinner!
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