Mount Elgon

We have (finally!) launched the Mount Elgon website: http://mountelgon.net

Mount Elgon forms a graceful and inspiring backdrop in Buhugu. Tourism is not well developed in this part of Uganda and not many people have even heard of the mountain.

After much consultation with elders and volunteers in Buhugu, the staff at the Mount Elgon National Park and also people involved in the tourism sector in Budadiri (one of the bases for summit treks), we decided to launch an unofficial website featuring information about the mountain aimed at travellers.

It's a work in progress and hopefully will grow in to a comprehensive resource over time.

"The mesmerising beauty of the peaks in the early morning light, the rainbows after the rains, the bird songs, gorgeous sunsets, the glittering night sky, the Milky Way, the fireflies... At times it felt like we had stumbled upon a secret, and perhaps it was better to keep it that way." More on the about page.

Talking Fish and Crops

Mzei Ndugu is a prominent member of the community and is much loved. His name is Mr. Wamala Samuel, but people affectionately calls him Mzei Ndugu (Mzei being a term of respect and Ndugu loosely meaning brother).

A headmaster, having worked at a number of schools in various parts of Uganda, he is now settled in Buhugu. He works on a number of projects in the community, ranging from education to agriculture.

He is also an I Buhugu volunteer and is on the advisory committee. He refers to himself as the "senior volunteer" - a joke on his age.

During Nicole's visit to Buhugu, she spent a day with Mzei Ndugu looking at the various agricultural activities that he coordinates. She took a camcorder along, and here's part 1 of what she filmed.



Thank you to Pradeep for lending us the camcorder that has allowed us to bring all the video clips so far.

"A Wordy But True Tale"

During Jeanne's visit to Buhugu some months back, she and Simon could often be seen at the library together. They connected over their love for literature and out of that came a story that was recently published in a magazine in South Africa (where Jeanne is based).

"Before I traveled to Uganda at the beginning of this winter (in south-eastern Uganda the end of the first of two annual rainy seasons) I did not suspect that there was anything as established as Ugandan English. That people speaking English in Uganda erred in definable ways, along marked pathways. Did not err, in fact. Ugandan English was something that Ugandans spoke well."

So the story begins. We have shared a version of the story here.