Jinja, Uganda, a place where my mother recalled memories of an innocent childhood, full of happiness, "the simple life without mobiles & internet.
Jinja, Uganda, is the place that makes my mother's face light up with pride in her birthplace and a home she misses dearly.
Jinja, Uganda, is a reference point when meeting others, where we could be in any country in the world, and my mother would happen to bump into another Jinja-born Indian Ugandan with familiar stories, and instantly a conversation with a stranger is filled with smiles and laughter.
Jinja, Uganda, a place my family was forced to flee due to political unrest.
Jinja, Uganda; a place I got to visit for the first time in May this year with my mother, who was returning after 48 years.
At the end of a two-week trip, @anishaparmarlondon met up with her mother who hadn't visited her homeland since 1971.
“I feel for many Ugandan-born British Indians, the excitement of returning to Uganda is something they have dreamt of since the day they left. They exude with pride when talking about the memories created in Uganda and Uganda itself.
Having visited more of Uganda than my mother ever had the chance to during her time living in the country, I can now say that I feel that same pride.
The pride of the most welcoming, happy, and loving people.
The sweet-smelling Ugandan air
The deep red land against the luscious green fields.
The sounds of fleeting music as we drive through the village streets.
The animated waves of young children.
The vibrancy of pattern and color all around.
The memories of my mother and the country I have truly fallen in love with.
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