19/10/2022
Ricardo who paid us a visit as voluntere from WorkAway.
13/12/2020
Feedback left by Workawayer (RICARDO) for you
What can I say, this was an amazing experience! I am eager to come back in harvesting season!
Yes, the permanent staff speaks limited or no English
Yes, you won't be proactively informed or offered coffee
Yes, this is not the "family-style" European farm. But why should it be? Are you expecting things to be your way?
BUT
Yes, it is an amazingly beautiful and priviledged place to be
Yes, the staff: Gard, Benzo, Seth, Moses and Michael will open up to you if you go with the flow and open up to them. Leave your expectations aside, this is local people that have their own ways and have never left this place. It is up to you to read between the lines and cross the cultural barrier by embracing their way. Michael speaks good English, Gard speaks a decent level and you can communicate. Benzo, Seth and Moses don't speak English beyond the very basic stuff. Yet, you can communicate through gestures, food, work, and smiling :)
Yes, you will learn about coffee and be offered if you care to insist to ask. You have to go for it! And they will respond with care. I had the most amazing cup of black coffee on my last day as a nice treasure for a farewell. And that's how it should be I think. We milled it, cleaned it, roasted, grounded, then made it. All of us together.
Yes, the included food is basic BUT VERY DELICIOUS. I had the best gut health I have had in a LONG TIME by eating the farm's very natural and mostly vegetarian (although I am not vegetarian) diet: posho, beans, matooke, and avocado. You can easily and very cheaply buy more vegetable and spices in Butogota town and they can spice up things for you if you want more variety, they will happily do so. Buy some oil and they will make you fried cassava and fried aubergines. Buy some chicken and rice and share it with them, they will make it delicious. The most buttery and delicious avocados are 8 euro cents here! Yes, you read right. So with little money you can supplement the base dishes and it will be amazing. Ask them to bring some PIRI PIRI chili right fresh from the garden if you like your food fire hot.
Yes, I got invited to Michael's (the farm's Manager) to the baptism of his first-born child. It as an awesome experience and I am very honored and thankful. Then I had the richest meal at his place.
Yes, Trine was not in the farm, that's not a problem. She informed me about this beforehand, no issues.
If you need more boiled water, they will boil it for you. If you need more hot water for showering, they will set up another fire at the boiler. These hot showers right in front of that lush thick jungle it's just priceless.
You will sleep and awake to the sound of red-tailed and Black-and-white colobus monkeys.
I encourage you to come here with no expectations, and let yourself be amazed by the natural beauty of the place and the simplicity of their lifestyle.
If you come from Kampala, prepare to take a 11-15 hour bus ride from Kisenyi bus station to Butogota. The company is called Highway coaches. You take the bust that goes here. Price per seat is 35k, they "make you" take 2 seats so you're more comfortable and you take your own stuff with you and don't have to worry about it being lost down in the luggage compartment. So you pay 70k which is about 20 USD$. Expect very basic stuff and open to it. The bus will stop frequently to onload/offload passengers, and the travel time will depend on road conditions, whether the bus breaks down or not, etc. Then in Butogota you will have to get a 20min boda boda (moto taxi) to take you nearer to the farm, if the road is good, they will take you to the farm itself. But if it rained, they will usually take you near and you will hike for about 10-15min to get to the farm. Talk to Michael, he will arrange everything and most likely the good guy Harbert will pick you, he's a boda boda driver that lives nearby.
Thanks Michael, Gard, Benzo, Seth and Moses! And of course, Trine for opening up this place to the community!
