I have now been in Uganda for 3 weeks and can’t believe how quick it has gone. It has definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions so far. It’s made me realise that even though I have experience living and working in Zambia, all countries are different in their own ways. They do have their similarities which has helped me to settle in but there are new difficulties that I have come across.

It hit me as soon as I arrived on the first day. It had been a long journey with having to have 24 hours in Doha as I missed my connecting flight due to the Iran air strikes and then a 6 hour car journey from the airport to where I would be living. When I arrived at the house it was not as I was expecting and definitely made me realise I had it good in Zambia! The house wasn’t very clean and very basic.

There is no TV, no proper living area and my bedroom is so small I’m currently living out of my suitcases. The kitchen is a whole other issue with minimal cooking facilities and the cupboards are not suitable to really put food in. So definitely going to have to get used to a new way of living for the next 6 months. It was upsetting at first but now I’m accepting that it’s just another way to live and actually will be good for me to appreciate the things I do have and the way of life in the UK.

The house wasn’t the only surprise. We were taken into town to buy some food etc. I was expecting a proper supermarket like they had in Zambia and like we have in the UK but I was soon to find out that their supermarkets are just small shops and don’t have a lot of options. Also some of the food is quite expensive when I’m only receiving £300 a month. I was told this would be enough to live on in Uganda but I’m not convinced! There are a couple of restaurants but no takeaways like Hungry lion and pizza shops! Think I will struggle a bit with the food. The past 3 weeks I’ve mostly lived off rice and beans/peas, chapatis and super noodles! Not very nutritious so going to have to work something out. The meat is so bad I think I’ve turned vegetarian!

As for working at the hospital, this is going really well. My experience in Zambia has definitely prepared me well. I have seen some upsetting things but I have been able to deal with them well. I have settled into the team well and already have a new project to get stuck into so watch this space!! I’ve always been interested in research so this will be a great experience.

So overall things are good but a lot to get used to. The friends I have made so far will surely help me to settle and enjoy my time here.