By Kefa Senoga

After grabbing a bite in the university cafeteria, I looked around for a place to sit. My eyes landed on two African ladies seated together, enjoying their meal and deep in discussion. I walked over and asked if I could join them. They happily said yes.

Being Africans in a European country like Norway makes us a minority, so we naturally look out for each other. There’s that brotherhood and sisterhood even when you are walking on the streets and spot a fellow Black person, the first thing you do is nod, smile, sometimes even chat a bit. Like the Ghanaian gentleman who saw me from afar in the supermarket. His face lit up with excitement; he came straight over and asked, “Are you Ghanaian?” I told him I was Ugandan. You could see the disappointment but he recovered quickly and remained colourful. He asked how long I had been in Norway, and we joked about the weather, “my brother, just hold on until summer”, and even shared coping tips. He has lived here for more than two decades and still complains about the cold, so what about me who came with only enthusiasm and a few sweaters?

Norwegians, by the way, are incredibly kind but very reserved. They don’t talk “fwaaa”. They stay indoors either in school, at work, or in their homes. My only previous experience with that level of quiet was during lockdown. So yes, the silence triggered my sanitizer reflex, social distancing instincts and a slight panic, wondering if I had accidentally walked into a Ham Mukasa library instead of a country.

“Uganda again!”

Back to the African ladies in the cafeteria. I later got to know them as Stacy from Zimbabwe and Lucy from Ghana. After introducing myself as Ugandan, they laughed, “Ooh, Uganda again!” meaning that at this university in Norway (NLA), many Ugandans have come for the exchange program over the years. Stacy is in her second year doing a full master’s here, so she has witnessed different Ugandan students come, go, and return again through these exchange programs. In fact, in her master’s class of global journalism, there is also a former UCU mass communication student who was recommended by the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication for a full master’s scholarship. As for Lucy, she was also new to the university, but she mentioned that her friends who had been in the programme had already told her that Uganda always sends students.

It’s evident in our class of about 16 international students, Uganda and Germany top the list with three students each. Among African countries, Uganda has the biggest representation. Ghana and Ethiopia follow with one each. The others are from the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kosovo, Spain and Georgia.

UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication has had a formal partnership with NLA since 2013 under the NORHED Programme, a collaboration that supports staff exchanges, student mobility, research, and even scholarships. So “Uganda again” simply means the partnership is working.

A Country Built on Trust (Tillit)

Their comment got me thinking about something that defines Norway: trust, or tillit, as the Norwegians call it.

Let me give you a small example. A fellow international student once lost her purse containing her credit card, phone, Air Pods, and cash. In Uganda, that would have been a testimony “I survived!” But here? They looked for her with the determination of a money lender hunting down a defaulter in Kampala. And guess what? They found her and she was handed her property intact.

That’s tillit. It is practically hard to mention the word mufeere (conman) in the same sentence as Norway.

Meanwhile, the Weather

Trust aside, Norway’s weather can humble even the strongest African. On my first night, I wore six sweaters to sleep, five trousers, six pairs of socks, and a head sock. If I had a mask, I would have worn it too. Why? I couldn’t find the tiny hidden heater button in my room. Not that I am a villager, but that ka-button was sneaky. That was the coldest longest night. Blessedly, the nights are warm now. No wonder some Norwegian guy told me their weather is basically “bi-polar”.

Here comes Vitamin D

Before I forget, can you imagine we swallow Vitamin D here? You buy tablets and swallow them. In Uganda, you simply step outside and the sun charges you like a solar panel.

In the first week, a Ugandan colleague advised, “Buy some, or you will feel weak.” The strong African blood in me refused “Nah, I’m good, I have strong African blood,” I told myself, besides, I did not want to spend money on something the sun gives us for free at home. I thought it would even come off as being extravagant. My body disagreed. Within days I was losing energy. Weak. Finished. I swallowed my pride, then swallowed Vitamin D.

Still Pushing

Despite the weather, the tablets, and the heater hiding from me, I am surviving with my colleagues Kasango Yasiri, and Victoria Businge; all UCU exchange students courtesy.

Thanks to Uganda Christian University for building a trustworthy (tillit) relationship with NLA for over a decade, from which many of us have benefitted and many more will.

The writer is a Master’s student in Journalism and Strategic Communication at Uganda Christian University, currently on an exchange program at NLA University College in Norway.