Islamic University of Uganda

So I'm starting this entry from within the mosque @ IU, waiting for the noon prayer .  

I made a promise to myself that I'd check out the Islamic University of Uganda for many reasons. One,  the main campus is in Mbale and it's a large and comprehensive University. Two , while I don't claim to be stellar example of a devout Muslim, I am one none the less and I view masjids/mosques as homes / places that ought to be visited abroad . I know Big K (my dad) would check it out as well and well this apple doesn't fall  too far from the tree. 

Their website: http://www.iuiu.ac.ug/

First, getting there. I spoke with one of our Casa friends , James who told me that its not really a practical hike. Im used  to 30-40 minute walks to most places i needed to be, so I asked him what he suggested. He told me to take a bodaboda (motorcycle)  and pay 1000shillings (4 bucks) one way and 500 on the return. Now, I've avoided bodabodas as our attending, dr jan told us a horror story of a staff member who fell off one and sustain a head bleed plus one of ashleys friends also sustained a nasty burn to one of her legs getting ofd a bodaboda so with all this in mind i was hesitant. So i walked a little way into town and i spotted a muslim bodaboda driver (could tell by his hat/garb) . Now, i figure (logically or illogically, take your pick) that if i were to perish on a bodaboda , best to do it on one driven by a Muslim guy on the way to an Islamic University ;)

So I made it in one piece. Who knows what i looked like on that bodaboda . This brown mazunga boy with one hand clutching the back of his seat and my Kenneth Cole messenger bag slung around my neck speeding across town.

No matter.

The University is quite expansive and nice . There are schools of law,  nursing , science. I basically walked around for a bit looking at buildings, computer labs, biology labs, dorms , etc.  Students are all around campus, sitting under trees, desks , benches. There's many clubs and notices throughout the campus. At one part, they had laid out many photographs on some mats , I'm guessing from an event ? The student body is very diverse. The women wear the traditional hijab . The men wear anything from traditional long gown-type clothing / kurtas or jubbas or long pants and a shirt/ t shirt of some sort. While predominately African, there are many different shades of skin and shapes of faces but most everyone I observed were happy and busy about their day. 

A very nice experience , stayed for noon prayers and took a bodaboda back to down.

Had coffee @ Cafe Arabica 

Then the GI distress began and lasted the night :(