I spent a little over a month living in a village about an hour outside Kampala, the capital of Uganda. I spent most of my time volunteering at the local hospital, but my favorite thing to do was play with the children. There is this stereotype of children in Africa that leaves people picturing them as sad, lonely, and poor. They don’t show the positive often. Especially in the children of Uganda, where Kony destroyed and killed families many years ago.
Although the kids I met were sometimes dirty (because they play so much) and some were orphans, they were HAPPY. You cannot have desire for things you don’t know exist. Some people call it blissful ignorance and it’s intensified in children anywhere in the world.
Don’t you wish you could have a little of that back? Hope you enjoy these cute kids’ photos!
my favorite photo of all my Ugandan ones. All these boys fought and yelled over being in the photo, and the only little girl stood on a bucket to be taller (girls really are smarter!)
this sort of makes me want to steal one of them. (they both were dirty from playing in soot and coal)
My little neighbors, always ready for a photoshoot and to play with the camera
Reason # 123984 why I can’t be a teacher: I pick favorites. THIS one was my favorite. Do you notice the chicken (it’s blending in), he was not afraid at all! Every day the babysitter would hand him over to me and walk away and he’d be mine for a few hours
ignore me in this picture, this little girl was so cute she took me home to meet her mom and have tea!
These two were the youngest I would see around with no parents. Not because of lack of parents, but because kids play a lot more freely in Uganda that parents would be cool with in America
She was smiling until I came closer. Pretty skeptical of me…
It never failed- as soon as I bathed and came outside for the day, these kids would come and jump all over me covering me in red dirt again
Like mother like daughter- these two look so much alike!
Do you think this kid knows he’s wearing a snow suit? nope!
Shopping with these happy girls for new school clothes
“In America, there are two types of travel: first class and with children” -Robert Benchley.
Ok, so that’s not spot-on, but it does make a good point. I see loads of families traveling with kids, even here in India, and I don’t know how they do it! I could not do this “glamorous travel” with a kid, so for now (and the next ten years), I will live vicariously through all the adorable kiddos of the world.
ahh love these photos, these kids are so cute!
they will steal your heart Stef!
nice photos, make me miss home dearly! I’m Ugandan but have been living in Europe for way too long!!! Thinking about going home for 1-3 months and doing some volunteer work. Which hospital where you volunteering in? I’m a nurse too :)
you should do that then! i was in luganda, just 30 min outside of kampala ! uganda is such a cool place
The pictures from your uganda trip are still my favorite. You need to post more of them. I remember thinking they could have been in national geo! Just remember your blog does more than give travel trips to those who might go where you have been, you take some of us that will never travel to all ends of the earth along for the ride! You really make me see it like I am right there! Love!
I literally just mentioned you (not by name) in an interview on another travel blog b/c they asked what is a “traveler” and I said I had a friend with a child with medical probs that can’t travel, but loves learning about other places and is a traveler at heart!
These photos are fantastic. Did you just travel around Uganda or did you work/volunteer there? :)
Thanks Ceri, I didn’t get to travel much because the world cup bombings had just happened and many random buses were being bombed. I did go up north to Jinja to raft the nile and bungee though, on a safe tourist bus!