I came to Uganda for a total of six months (minus one day), of which I spent over four months at Window of Life.
In Masindi, everything seemed the same as what I was used to, and yet completely different.
If I told someone without context what my daily routine looked like, they wouldn’t guess I was in Uganda. It would only become clear when I explained how I carried out that routine. That daily dishwashing took place outside in basins, not under running water, that cooking in the kitchen was done over an open fire, not on a gas stove, that clothes were washed by hand, not in a washing machine, or even that bananas were taken from the garden, not from a store.
In Masindi, my main task was teaching the children how to use computers. With the younger ones, we mainly played various games, so they didn’t even realize when they started to understand the keyboard and mouse, and I introduced the older ones to the MS Office suite and the potential benefits for them from skillful internet use.
Throughout my stay at Window of Life, I felt at home. From the beginning, I was treated like one of their own. Luckily, the aunties were understanding and tolerated the blunders I repeatedly made due to my unfamiliarity with local customs.
Between activities at the home, I also had plenty of time to get to know Masindi and Uganda in general. Throughout the six months, I never got tired of trips to the local market, riding boda-bodas, or conversations with the very friendly Mr. Mansur – Window of Life’s neighbor.
This change of perspective and spending time with the children is a period I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
I recommend that anyone who has the opportunity should experience this for themselves
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