A few thoughts.....
on Volunteers Abroad (Uganda), 22/Mar/2009 15:35, 34 days ago
A couple of cultural differences....One of the cultural differences between the west and Uganda is that women are shocked to learn that my husband does all the cooking. I was told today by our neighbour's wife that men in this culture do not and should not do the cooking. Previously, another wife had told me that it would be shameful for a Ugandan husband to do the cooking and implied that I should be ashamed. I got the impression from both of them that they thought we would suddenly change this routine to comply with the Ugandan way. Ummm......no.Another cultural difference must be the result of how Ugandans are taught English. A polite request is often made to sound like a command. An example is that a neighbour of ours wanted to borrow some DVD's to play for his family. However, what he said was 'give me some DVD's'. Not please, not may I, not would you. He didn't realize that in other cultures this would be extremely impolite and would be met with sarcasm, anger or a refusal.Other volunteers....It is very important for volunteers/partners to get support from fellow volunteers. A solid support network can make a difference between someone deciding to complete their placement and becoming disillusioned and leaving early. Volunteers have something major in common which can be a basis for bonding and creating long-term friendships. This is not to say that all volunteers get along with each other, because this is not the case. However, Danny and I have made some good friends here and plan to keep in touch after leaving Uganda.