Uganda

The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa, bordered on the east by Kenya, the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, within which it shares borders with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala.

Rushere is situated in South West Uganda, in the Ankole region, near to the Equator.

Ankole Kingdom

The Ankole culture

Rushere Community Hospital is in the kingdom of Ankole – one of the oldest kingdoms of Uganda. The culture of the Ankole district of Uganda is very rich with traditions that go back centuries.

Long Horned Ankole cattle

For many Banyankole people, life in this part of Uganda centres on cattle. Long Horned Ankole cattle have the longest horns in the world, and a Bahima family (traditional cattle herders) will care for large herds, each cow with its own name. The cattle are not only used for milk, but also as gifts, in particular for marriages.
Increasingly Friesian cows are being bred or crossed with the traditional cattle as they yield more milk, and Rushere has its own herd of cattle, including both friesian and indigenous cows.

Traditional Bahima houses include a milk hut where milk pots are kept. Milk pots can also be stored on an Omugamba.

Food in South West Uganda

We eat a variety of foods, including:
Matoke – a staple made from bananas
Millet – used in porridge and bread
Cassava
Sweet potatoes
Peanuts – often made into delicious peanut sauce
Chicken
Beef
Pinapples
Bananas of all sizes, including red bananas which are particularly sweet