In late March 2012 I changed my freezing motherland Estonia for nine months with Ugandan capital Kampala. I left with a goal which some called "Siisi´s mission impossible": to open a small cafè which provides first job experience to the youth with special needs.

2012 a märtsi lõpus vahetasin ma karge Tallinna Uganda pealinna Kampala vastu. Ma sõitsin üheksaks kuuks Kampalasse, et viia ellu plaan, mida mõned kutsuvad "Siisi mission impossible"-ks: käivitada Kampalas väike kohvik, mis pakub esmast töökogemust erivajadustega noortele.

Jul 11, 2012

Teretulemast keskklassi / Welcome to the middle class

Oleme tõusnud ühiskonna sotsiaalmajanduslikul redelil kõrgemale. Kolisime Nansana külakesest ümber Kampalasse pisikesse majakesse, millel on ümber kõrge kiviaed ja väravas vahest valvurgi. Kuulume nüüd keskklassi. Naabritel on autod ja puha. Aga mida see keskklass üleüldse tähendab ja kui palju ugandalasi võib end keskklassi kuuluvaks pidada? Aafrika keskklass on üks keeruline termin, aga minu jaoks väga oluline termin, sest justnimelt seda sama kesklassi ootan kohviku kliendiks. Kesklass on ülikooli haridusega ning sellest tulenevalt avatuma ja solidaarsema maailmavaatega. Teisisõnu võib loota, et keskklassi seas on eelarvamused erivajadustega inimeste suhtes väiksemad kui muidu Uganda ühiskonnas. Lisaks on kesklassil ostujõudu, et käia kohvikutes ja kodust väljas lõunatada.

„Kesklass“ sõnana viitab sellele, et tegu peaks olema ühiskonnagrupiga, kes esindab enamust – keskpärast. Päris nii see siiski pole. Aafrika Arengupanga seatud kriteeriumide järgi, mille on omaks võtnud ka Uganda Rahandusministeerium, kuuluvad keskklassi inimesed, kes kulutavad päevas enam kui 2 dollarit. Uganda Rahandusministeeriumi raporti kohaselt on selliseid inimesi Ugandas u 10 miljonit, s.o. ligi kolmandik elanikkonnast.

Paraku on aga reaalsus selline, et kahe dollariga päevas endale kuigi palju lubada ei saa – kohvikus käimist päris kindlasti mitte (tass kohvi maksab keskmiselt 1,7 dollarit!). Ugandalased ise seavad keskklassi kuulumisele oluliselt kõrgemad standardid – majanduslik stabiilsus, auto olemasolu, haritus, väike perekond, heades koolides käivad lapsed jne jne. Elades Kampala kesklinnast u viie km kaugusel kuluvad need kaks dollarit päevas puhtalt ühistranspordiga tööle ja kojusõiduks. Linnas maksab korralik lõuna 10-15 dollarit. Lisaks tuleb maksta renti, koolitada lapsi, osta kõneaega, ravimeid, autosse bensiini jne jne. Sellise elustandardi lubamiseks peab teenima kuus vähemalt 1000 dollarit. Väga raske on hinnata, kui palju inimesi niiviisi defineeritud keskklassi kuulub. Mõnda ma tunnen.

Meenutuseks ja võrdluseks siia, et õpetaja keskmine palk on 100 dollarit kuus, ettekandja oma 75!. Siiski, siiski, ka mitte suurem enamus ülikondades ja tikkkontsadel kontorihoonete vahel ringi liikuvaid mehi ja naisi ei näe oma igakuisel palgatšekil tuhandeid dollareid. Tekib küsimus, et kust see raha siis tuleb? Sest ometigi kohvikutesse kliente jagub, ostukeskustessegi ning Kampala liikus on pidevalt suurtest era (või valitsusele kuuluvatest) autodest umbes! Keegi pole seda kinnitanud, aga mulle tundub praeguste vaatluste põhjal, et suurem osa asjalikke kontoriinimesi kindlustab oma tulevikku samaaegselt mitmeid eraärisid ajades – nt ostes-müües maad, vahendades teenuseid jne jne. Juba enne päikesetõusu (s.o. kell 7.00) helisema hakkavad telefonid, teedel vuravad autod ja kontorihoonete vahel edasi-tagasi ruttavad inimesed on pannud minu küll mõtlema, et kust see laisa aafriklase stereotüüp küll pärit on?

Kolimine. Minu uus tuba
Shifting. My new room
Foto: Kullar Viimne

Soolaleivapidu uues kodus
Housewarming at our new house
Foto: Kullar Viimne

Welcome to the middle class!

We have made a jump at Ugandan socio-economic ladder. We left the guesthouse in Nansana and have settled at our small house among Kampala´s middle class. The house has a wall around it and most times even a guard at the gate. Neighbours have even cars! But what does this middle class mean and how many Ugandans consider themselves belonging to this group? African middle class is a controversial concept, yet an important one for me, because it is the middle class who I am expecting to see as customers in the Pop Up. Middle class has higher education and is thereby more driven by solidarity. In other words, they are supposed to have less stereotypical and stigmatizing view on people with disabilities. Furthermore, middle class has money to spend on cafeterias and lunches out of home.

„Middle class“ as a term might ideally refer to the most representative group of society – to those who are in the middle, to those who are biggest in the number. It´s quite not like this in reality. African Development Bank has defined middle class starting from the people who spend at least 2 dollars a day. Ugandan Ministry of Finance, who has adopted the definition, has released a report claiming that there are about 10 million Ugandans belonging to this group – i.e. approx one third of the population.

However, in reality one can afford almost nothing in Kampala with 2 dollars a day (spending it in cafeterias surely not – a cup of coffee costs approximately 1,7 dollars!). Ugandans themselves have set higher standards to consider someone belonging to the middle class – economic security, ownership of a car, internet access, good education, small families, children attending good schools etc etc. One living more than five kilometres from the centre of Kampala spends his 2 dollars a day barely on public transport to move to his workplace and back home. A proper lunch in the centre might cost 10-15 dollars. In addition, one needs to pay rent, educate children, pay for airtime, medication, fuel his car etc etc. In order to keep this kind of lifestyle one has to earn at least 1000 dollars in a month. It is very difficult to say how many Ugandans can afford belonging to the middle class defined like this. I have met a few.

As a remainder, average teacher´s salary is about 100 dollars, waitress’s 75. However, not even most of the smartly dressed office workers can boast with thousands of dollars on their pay checks. From where is this money then coming, if not from salaries? Because the cafés are full of clients, so do shopping malls; and the roads in Kampala are constantly congested with big and fancy vehicles. Nobody has confirmed it, but so far I have an impression that a great number of active office workers is in addition to their main jobs involved in private businesses – buying-selling land, mediating services etc, etc – in order to keep up with the life standard which their profession requires but might not provide. Uninterrupted phone calls, hectic traffic and rushing people characterize Kampala already at early morning hours before the sunrise. This has left me wondering from where this stereotype of lazy African is coming from....