From the Impenetrable Rainforest of Bwindi to fast-growing modern cities, this country in the heart of Africa is delightful and thought provoking for the managing partner of Studio Saar
The great Impenetrable Rainforest of Bwindi – even the name itself it conjures a thrill, a magic, a visceral feeling of the deep jungle. It takes us from our safe, climate-controlled and internet-enabled lives to a world that almost seems alien. Yet, it feels strangely comfortable out here, as if we were meant to be living under its great unending canopy. Doubts creep in at the mention of fire-ants; maybe we are better off in our homes after all, and instead let Sir David Attenborough bring this slice of verdant heaven to us through our screens.
Uganda is a hidden gem, quietly creating a culture of sustainable and ecotourism for its people and biodiverse regions. Lodges serve locally sourced and well-made food with a smile, and brilliantly mixed cool drinks that are just what you need after trekking in the humid realms of the gorilla kings, a day of bouncing around finding leopards slurping water, or lions lounging in trees. The rangers are friendly and knowledgeable. They genuinely care for the wildlife they are introducing us to. Their enthusiasm for telling the stories of all the creatures and ecosystems is palpable.
The country’s major cities are growing at a breathtaking pace and great infrastructure projects rub shoulders with tiny cabins inhabitated by entire families. There is so much potential here – a potential to create a post-colonial identity and to build a modern and vibrant country that is proudly African. The lodges we visited gave tantalising glimpses of a future of the built form. Local materials thoughtfully imbue the structures’ simple forms with textures, sound and a tangible sense of the craft involved in their making.
The smaller towns and villages are a cacophony of small concrete structures, crinkly tin sheds and mud huts. They creep like vines along roads upgraded by the government . It is hard not to feel guilty for the inequality we represent, or wonder whether we will have a positive impact on these people and places.
As the country grows and develops, we are struck by the unbelievable optimism. We dance to the beats of drums with children from a local orphanage, listen to the stories of their lives, their plans and their dreams. I realise our responsibility to make the world better for them and for us all.
Ananya Singhal is managing partner at Studio Saar
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