Profiles of our Lay Missionaries

Gabrielle Farren - Uganda

Reflection on my first six months as a lay missionary in Kampala.

When I arrived back in Kampala, in June of last year (2010), it was very different to my first arrival, in October 2008. I knew the city and I knew the area that I was going to work in (Nsambya Parish)

Fr Gerard the Parish Priest and I had being communicating while I was in Dublin as I prepared for my return. He and Rose, the parish secretary met me at the airport, so that was good for me. We did not go straight to my new living accommodation. We did a trip around the houses and called on ‘important people’ of the Arch Diocese whom they thought I should meet. While this was a nice jester I just wanted to go to bed and sleep for a week if allowed!
We had lunch back in the priest’s dining hall. Then I was taken to my new home where I got rid of my suitcases; I discovered that there was no mattress on the new bed. So a mattress had to be bought before I could get some sleep. We went on a shopping trip….

When I finally got home and had a proper look around the one bedroom house that was to be my home for two years, I discovered to my horror that the ‘kitchen’ was an empty room with no sink. I phoned Fr Gerard straight away. The next day I did some shopping for the usual household items. I had left a ‘carpenter ‘s helper’ in the house to put netting on all the ventilation boxes to keep the mosquitoes out.
I felt that I would have a sink and a few presses in my kitchen within a few weeks. Life in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda does not work like that. I was told that it should take about 10 days work. Well people kept telling me that ‘this is Africa’ . It took six weeks to do the work and it was completed in November, five months after I arrived in Kampala. One piece of advice for any lay volunteer coming to Africa - you will have to be patient. Rome was not built in a day!

The project is good; those first six months were for adjusting and finding my feet. Having been in Kampala before has made a big difference - I already had made some friends.

I became aware of outside influences that I did not notice the last time. It is as if I went around with my eyes shut. You do not get a straight answer most of the time. It means that the people do not know but will never want to say that.
My advice is do not bring any gold or silver jewellery with you, as it will be stolen or taken from you in seconds.

Take no chances at night, it is not worth the risk. Build a support circle as you will need it - you cannot live in isolation.

I am enjoying life and I have got used to the slower pace which is no bad thing. The people here have very little and can still smile. They are well dressed and it is hard to believe the conditions of the housing. Power can go off without notice - I am trying to finish this as the light went out about 30 minutes ago!

Uganda - Country Profile

Uganda - Stephen Burke

Profiles of Viatores Christi volunteers