A large part of my time in Uganda has been centered around the longest river in the world, whose source is found in Jinja, Uganda. Some of my favorite memories of this country are going to a music festival on the banks of the Nile, and a relaxing boat ride with all of my friends to see the source of this famous river. Rivers have always been important to me and being able to spend so much time on the Nile has been a truly incredible experience.
Since I was eight years old my love of rivers has been grounded in my favorite sport, whitewater kayaking. The White Nile is generally considered to be one of the best rivers for kayaking in the world, and the best whitewater on it happens to be conveniently located right outside of Jinja. I spent the last week kayaking with some locals and some old friends of mine from Canada that I ran into here. The rapids are massive and the wave, Nile Special, is definitely worth the fame it has. I finally got the adrenaline rush that I've been missing in Uganda, and it was definitely my favorite week so far in this country.
Other than beautiful days spent on the Nile, it is also a big part of my academic life here. Part of my program includes a six week independent study project on a topic that you find interesting. Naturally, I wanted to incorporate the Nile into mine, so my project is officially on the geopolitical relations of the Riparian states around the development and use of the River Nile, using Uganda as a case study. Doing research on the river by conducting document analysis and having interviews with officials from places like the Ministry of Water and Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided me with unique opportunities to understand the importance of the Nile.
Whether it is through adventure or academics, the Nile has been one of my favorite parts of Uganda. It has been good to see how rivers have the power to bring people together all over the world, and I'm glad they have been such a big part of my life.