A Spotlight on Uganda
by Kay Lane
Uganda Flag by filo from Getty Images Signature
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Have you ever eaten fried ants? Everett Segner, eighth grader at North Star, said it was the weirdest food he has eaten in Uganda.
Uganda is a country located in central Africa, and it is the size of Great Britain. Bordered by South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, it is comprised of many different cultures, languages and religions. Uganda is populated by dozens of ethnic groups. The two most common are the Nilotic and the Bantu. There are 32 different languages, and both English and Swahili are the official language; Luganda is widely spoken across Uganda. The main religion is Christianity, but Islam and other traditional religions are also present.
Sophia Shelton, a tenth grader at North Star, says that Uganda is home to her, but has gone to a boarding school in Kenya.When on stateside she goes to Arkansas, though her parents are from Texas
The Segners, Everret, an eight grader, and Karson, a ninth grader, have lived in Uganda for eight years. They both were born in Texas and what they both like the most about Uganda are how friendly the people are.
The Van Rooyens, Joshua and Hanno, an eleventh and tenth grader, have lived in Uganda for six and a half years. They are South African, and both born in South Africa. Joshua is fluent in Afrikaans, English, and is learning French. Hanno is busy learning Spanish, but is fluent in Afrikaans, and knows a bit of Luganda. “What I like most about Uganda is the freedom,” says Hanno.
From the perspectives of these NSA students, the most important holidays in Uganda are Christmas, Ramadan, and Independence Day. A lot of the holidays are dependent on the religion, for example a Muslim wouldn’t celebrate Christmas, and a Christian wouldn’t celebrate Ramadan. Independence Day is celebrated by almost everyone on October 9.
“They literally don’t have American foods, and a lot of the supermarkets are run by Indians,” Sophia stated. There are a lot of open-air markets, which have fresh products. Some of the foods they have are chickens, cheese, spices, and a lot of the basic stuff like flour, sugar, and oil. Some of the weirdest foods these TCKs have eaten are fish eyeballs, (fried) grasshoppers, and (fried) white ants.
“Culture is the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a people,” Karson Segner said after he looked it up on the internet. Ugandan culture is very unique compared to western culture. In the countryside the year is filled with festivals, religious holidays, weddings, and many other holidays. The agricultural year is marked by the different holidays and festivals. There is a lot of worshiping spirits, witchcraft, and many other kinds of worship. About four-fifths of the population are Christians. Culturally women and men are not treated equally, but nowadays the cities are more modern and that is changing.
What do you think of Uganda? Did this article help you better understand what life is like in Uganda? Never mind my first question, the question I should be asking is would you eat fried ants? I for sure wouldn’t.
Kay Lane is a journalist for The Navigator. She currently resides in the Middle East with her family. Kay is in the seventh grade, and this is her first year at NSA. Her hobbies are archery, painting, and she plays soccer. She also loves Star Wars.