u/Fit-Replacement-551

First off: I am not telling you what to do. I am not telling you to panic. I am also not a doctor so feel free to cross check what I am saying.

I am not rich. I can't afford a hospital. When I fall sick I search my symptoms online (malaria, infection, typhoid etc) and then go to a local pharmacy and self medicate. I have done this for the last 3-4 years.

Now I remember how Covid started. It was 2020. I had just started campus in Jan. There was an Arab girl I liked who used to sit at the front of the class. We used to exchange looks.

Would attend Church multiple times a week. Prayed, Worshipped listened to Gospel. I thought everything was perfect. After years of being a drop out it felt like life was finally begging to turn out well.

I remember the news faintly. I think it was March. Just some random disease in some random tropical place. The experts came on TV and told us similar things they are saying now. Talking about how they were monitoring the situation. They said it was under control until it wasn't.

In just a few days we went from total freedom to being chased by LDUs while trying to buy an evening Rolex.

Since 2022, I started smoking, drinking, being immoral and after a few years 2022-now I have sugar, heart and lung problems.

I quit drinking end of February (70 days alcohol free) cut down on smoking from 2 packs a day to around 12-16 sticks most days. Also (19 days)PMO free.

I feel like God is helping give me strength to quit finally.

To be honest with you. I don't fear the virus. I don't fear bodily death. You can point a gun on my head and I would not care.

I worry what another lockdown will do to billions of people.

My worst nightmare. The thought that shakes me to my core is the fear of Jesus telling me "depart from me you worker of iniquity."

I don't even fear the government or torture I am terrified of the wrath of God.

Hi guys, I am currently learning French. Already have Swahili and English. After French, I was debating between Arabic, Chinese Mandarin or German.

My rationale is simple. English, French, Swahili and Arabic are the most spoken languages in Africa and they would be good to be fluent for work opportunities or business.

But there is also Chinese Mandarin or German which could open up further business opportunities.

The thing is i learn by total immersion. If it's French then I watch French Series, Listen to French podcasts and Talkshows (with captions), word of the day, Duolingo, PDFs etc.

The problem is you start to notice the difference between the taught language and how people speak it on the day to day

Trigger Warning: Includes mentions of recreational drug use and mild violence.

I am not writing this to judge people who smoke weed or drink or party etc. I am just sharing my experience.

Part 1: Nobody can stop reggae

I (m29) started smoking and drinking at 13. I thought it would help me fit in. Of course it started as just something I would do socially but not seriously.

In highschool in Kenya I was formally introduced to what is called drug and party culture.

By 2016 It became part of me. I could not go a day without a joint. I had was an expert at drug smuggling into school. Earning me the nickname Pusha.

Sometimes bush, sometimes high grade, dip (tobacco), alcohol, lean etc.

I felt like a star in my own movie. Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick, Schoolboy Q etc were on repeat just as Bob Marley and Lucky Dube were as well.

I remember singing Young Wild & Free, We Dem Boyz, Reefer Party etc and life was looking good. Would graduate highschool, go abroad for Uni, have my Amsterdam Cafe Experience and fly the Ugandan flag at Tomorrowland.

As the saying goes "nobody can stop reggae".

So how did I end up facing lake victoria, hands behind my head, on my knees in a Kampala swamp with a freshly cleaned AK-47 being cocked behind my head?

"On your knees, face the lake, If you turn around, we shall shoot you" - Afande Ordered while cocking his gun. The unmistakeable sound of a bullet entering the chamber sending vibrations down my spine.

That day all the wiz khalifa, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube etc left my body. It has been 10 years but it will never be the same.

My friend Jack turning around and receiving a slap or hit was a blur but if they were trying to send a message. I received it well.

"What is this?" they barked as they search our car and found weed, rolling papers and some cigarrettes.

"Are you trying to kill the General?" That is when I realised why this misfortune had befallen us. It was not that we were idle youth smoking weed. It is that we were in Munyonyo, our tinted car parked suspiciously one murram side road away from a UPDF General's house during a contested political campaign season.

In hindsight, the FDC in 2016 had this horrible habit of pissing off government big wigs. if you remember the besigye song "toka kwa barabara". Now every evening their music truck and mega speakers would pass by this general's house playing that song.

Maybe that pissed these gaurds off but how were supposed to know. Now that I mention it. This was our third visit. On the second visit to that road some guy in civilian clothes tried to tell us to leave but not giving any details.

we thought it was just some random guy trying to stop our fun and we could not even hear him over the music.

All I know is on this day. It seemed the music finally stopped. And in the space of a few seconds my life would change forever.

They asked for our names and IDs. My friends who had theirs produced but I had left mine at home. I told them my name was Duncan Opio.

"On your knees crawl in a line". Till today I have those marks on my knees because I was wearing shorts. My knees scraped across the murram and rocks.

"look at me, this is not my face, next time you will see me with a different face" - one guy told us

Till today I cant even remember that guys face.

Then it was off to each parents house. All the parents said take them to jail so they loaded us onto the tinted suv but around Hass Petroleum in Bunga they stopped and told us.

"we are releasing you but don't do it again. The penalty for Marijuana is 7 years imprisonment".

At home I was under lockdown. Cut off from friends and weed I spiralled. the combination of isolation and drug withdrawal symptoms led me to develop a drug induced psychosis (schizophrenia), which led to me dropping out of A-Level, being hospitalized and being shipped to the village for the first time in my life.

Let me know if you would like to hear part 2 and how my life has totally changed for the better and how I went from A-Level drop out to speaking to World Leaders and changing the lives of millions of people.

It's painful because I see the pain on my loved ones faces. Working for a full month to lose it in minutes.

I can't blame anyone but myself.

Now here I am. Another month in debt. Another month of scraping buy on the tiny bit I have left knowing half my salary is going to debt repayment.

How much do you have and enjawulo culture is ruining this country for me and I am actually starting to shop through online shops with clear prices.

I go to a pharmacy or clinic looking for treatment or meds and the person boldly says "how much do you have?"

From that moment on whether i say 20-50-100k or even 1m, they will inflate their price to match my wallet.

Yes I know there are medicines that cost different amounts for the same function but why dont you tell me the prices before and I choose? Better yet, why dont you have prices marked on a system?

Ok I know Ugandan customers also love bargaining and squeezing sellers but some of us hate bargaining. I also know maybe you dont want your competition to know but if you are sure of your product, its quality or the service you provide then why would you need to be worried?

The worst thing is they are normalising this in other sectors. The good thing about fixed prices is that there is no room for bargaining.

Maybe I am a different type of customer but honestly I am now ordering most of my stuff online (Jumia, Glovo or Insta) from shops with their prices clearly marked.