On 20/12/2025 Elie Cirhuza set foot on Ugandan soil again, four months after his first stay on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi. Passionate about tourism and cultural diversity in the region, this Congolese Friendship Camper returned as a volunteer with us.
Elie was driven by the desire to improve his English and sharpen his multimedia skills, but one detail escaped him: travelling can quickly become an ordeal.
Reality caught up with him at the Cyanika border crossing. He took a motorcycle to Kisoro, then squeezed into a car meant for four passengers; they ended up being ten. The only foreigner on board, he kept to himself, silently praying.
Inexperienced, he was sold a Lyca SIM card in Kabale. It worked in town, but its coverage vanished as soon as he reached the hills of Bunyonyi. Still, that was nothing compared to what happened on 13/1/2026.
Elie and his colleague Milan Verdonk were in the middle of journalistic work when everything suddenly went dark. Wi-Fi, mobile data, all of it! The government had ordered a nationwide internet shutdown until the end of the presidential vote.
Elie says: “This scenario should have been familiar to me. During the 2025 elections in Tanzania my friend Nickel was there. His sudden online disappearance made us seriously worried. In DR Congo we had a similar experience during the 2018–2019 elections, when the shutdown plunged the country into panic. Despite all that experience, I wasn’t mentally prepared.”
So when Uganda went offline, Elie saw it as another silent tragedy. For young people, journalists and remote workers, the consequences were severe: anxiety among families, professional paralysis and total isolation.
Yet the week offline also gave him something else: time. Time to read, to cook with the Edirisa team, to watch birds on the lake and to catch the smiles of children.
“My advice to young people in the region is simple: avoid travelling during electoral periods. And if you have no choice, plan ahead. Inform your loved ones, prepare alternatives and install a VPN in advance,” says Elie.
He completes his volunteering tomorrow in Rwanda’s Musanze, with a rich collection of videos, photos and stories under his belt.
🖋️ text and 📸 photography by:
Elie Cirhuza is a freelance journalist and digital communication consultant who works on the Gorilla Highlands Experts media team. A 2025 winner of the Jinsia Kwa Amani competition in DR Congo, Elie is UNICEF’s U-Reporter who participates in community outreach about fighting ebola and similar diseases. His current post is Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda. [bio updated: 2026-06]
Milan Verdonk was a budget tours creator and article writer at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi in 2025–26, on a six-month Gorilla Highlands Experts internship with UCLL from Belgium. Growing up, he played gymnastics and football, and after completing three internships in social work, decided to explore the tourism potential of our region. Inspired by both its stunning nature and welcoming people, Milan will soon be back! In the meantime, you will find him in Lommel, Belgium. [bio updated: 2026-05]