Orientations, Weddings & Gulu

My first few days in Kampala were great. I had a couple of days of orientation in the national office to try to begin to understand the structure of World Vision Uganda, which is a very large organisation with many regional offices.  This was invaluable as I would not be able to be effective at the local level in Gulu where I will be working without this understanding of the operation as a whole. 

The weekend however was the highlight, when Emily and Rhoda from the national office, very kindly invited me to a wedding. This was a great experience to see how Ugandans get married. (My inability to dance at weddings transcends borders it turns out!). I was also taken to a show organised by one of Rhoda’s family, showcasing traditional dancing from around Uganda.  On the whole blown away by the hospitality I have been shown.

Gulu, Northern Uganda

I travelled up to Gulu on Tuesday 21st to begin work for real.  The next day I was introduced to the finance team,  Sarah, Joseph and Sylvi who I would be working with, and after a couple of meetings to discuss the scope of work I got stuck into the processes that I am asked to look at first. The first week is largely about understanding better the operation of the finance function, how it works and who does what.

Starting of looking at the banking functions, payments process and staff advances, it feels that I am doing proper work finally after the period of orientation last week. By the end of the week I have been able to provide some simple things that can be introduced to save time, and have taught myself some excel to produce a spread sheet to monitor a process that currently is very manual driven from paper records, I am hoping this will save a lot of time for the accountants in the long run. (No matter how far you run you can’t escape spreadsheets!).

I finish the week very optimistic about what I can do to assist the accounting team during my time here, again having been made to feel very welcome.  I have also developed a minor addiction to a local dish of roast pork, which may well require a sustained period of rehab when I leave Uganda.

Off to Kampala, Sept 15

 

Right, So I’m off to Africa till the spring.  I have had manic few weeks of finishing off my work in Manchester, (where I have been given a 6 month Sabbatical), rushing around the country visiting friends and family, followed by manically trying to organise the trip, cancel bills and all the other tedious things like that, alongside saying goodbyes to loved ones.

All this activity has meant that the gravity of upping sticks has not had time to sink in. After saying my goodbyes, before a painfully early morning flight to Entebbe. I arrived in Uganda and headed to a hotel cum campsite near the airport, after a flight sat next to a lady telling me horror stories from Gulu, where I am headed.

 

But all the same, feeling very positive and excited about the next few months, (no doubt I am due a further sinking in still!) The next morning Martin from World Vision Uganda was there to pick me up and take me to the World Vision Uganda offices.  After finding a hotel in Kampala, with the help of Robert another of the World Vision team.  I began a 3 day induction in Kampala, before I head up to Gulu in the North.
 

First impressions of Uganda