STREETS OF KAMPALA

Words and Images by Nema Etebar

I have spent a little over a month in Kampala, Uganda and what grabs me about the people are their smiles. When Ugandans smile, it comes from the soul. They are always ready to talk and share. I’ve met grandmothers who’ve invited me into their home and kids who just want hugs and attention. I've played Mos Def for the local street boys and Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye for a sixty-something grandmother while we made a dance floor out of the kitchen, smiling and rocking to the beat.

Uganda is a country full of culture, but corruption limits opportunity here. The smiles are warm, but you can feel the cold reality of oppression and desire for more liberation. Since Idi Amin ruled Uganda in the 1970s, this country has been plagued with negative press and a haunted by its own reputation. The current president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has held office for 30 years, and most Ugandans want him to step down.

Weekly there have been riots breaking out downtown. I was warned with all seriousness to stay away from the rioting because it gets very violent and out of control fast: locals rebelling against the police and government, fighting for change. Recently I found out firsthand how downtown Kampala can quickly turn chaotic: many trucks packed with police carrying massive guns speeding past me, stopping one block away, and then loud cracks echoing around the city buildings, tear gas everywhere, people running, store owners hurrying to lock their doors, unconscious bodies being carried away. This lasted about one hour and then everything was back to "normal."

When it comes to development, Kampala is something like 20-30 years behind the U.S. Its resources are fruitful but it struggles from a lack of infrastructure and government support. It's a green country where the sun shines one minute and it rains the next, and when it rains, it pours-- literally. Poor drainage systems result in massive potholes, broken pavement and muddy roads. Motorcycles overrun the sidewalks, driving the wrong way or over anything that stops them from moving forward, a very dangerous means of transportation but cheap and highly used.

I am here as part of a philanthropic effort to document the lives of Ugandans and raise awareness about their struggles and living conditions. When I'm not working with non-governmental organizations as part of this effort, I look for markets and neighborhoods, walking and exchanging conversation with the locals. There are many markets, where people sell any and everything imaginable. Pineapples flying through the air, butchers selling live chickens and scores of loud intercoms blasting music and the same announcements, over and over again. Kampala is a city that lives off second, third and fourth-hand products: used clothes, cars, materials of every sort, recycled, used and used again. The United Nations is located here, so you have a heavy ex-pat influence. The night life is very busy and people party until 6am strong. At the pubs, people watching is priceless.

Ugandans believe America is paradise and has no social issues. No homelessness, violence or HIV. It's interesting showing Ugandans photos that I've taken back in the streets of Philly and NYC. They can't believe it's America.

Everyday I walk and meet many different faces, some more friendly then others. In any country it's hard to trust people. Trusting people invites room for error. I meet the kindest smiles and then eyes that look hungry to take my lunch. I hear the craziest sh@# every day.

Take me to your country.

We’re poor, give me money.

Will you marry me?

Obama.

You Camera Man!

For the most part, Ugandans are extremely welcoming and very intrigued by outsiders. It is a culture that is very curious; people are ready to shake hands and talk for hours. When you hear the stories and see the living conditions it is hard to compare them to your own life or even say you understand their struggles. These experiences have filled me full of questions about reason, religion, life and God – a lot of whys and questions with no real answers.

Every country and neighborhood around the world has it's drunk old-head or street boys that want to test you. You have your haters and players anywhere you travel. I embrace every moment, trying to share and introduce myself with respect, realness and honesty.

I hold a camera in hand for a many reasons. I find my passion in photography, but it's tightly connected to conversations and stories : walking the streets, meeting people from all over the globe, sharing energy. I do my absolute best to print these images 4x6 and return photo copies back to the people I meet and photograph. This is something that is very important to me as a photographer; it's also a personal challenge to remember the faces and locations. I call it "sharing smiles." Something about a smile can change another person’s day. It’s a simple gesture, but it can get lost in the distractions and everyday stress of life.

Uganda : When you smile, I smile, we smile together.