by Paul Heney
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Sun July 15, 2018
The country of Uganda gets a fair amount of press in the West as one of the most homophobic countries in the world. Several years ago, the award-winning documentary, God Loves Uganda, even detailed how American fundamentalist evangelicals are trying to spread lies and intolerance for the LGBTQ community in that country. The country, like many in Africa, outlaws homosexual activity, and a 2014 law (since annulled) mandated a lifetime sentence as punishment.
We recently caught up with Michael Kajubi, founder of McBern Tours and Travel, a Ugandan company that helps members of the queer community there, as well as the elderly.
TP: Tell us about the genesis of McBern Tours and Travel. What inspired you to start it up?
MK: I lost my mother in 2007-she suffered from Rheumatoid arthritis for 28 years. She was being taken care of by my grandmother when I was young, but after high school, I took responsibility for caring for her fully. After her passing on (when I was 21), I took care of my grandmother. A few years later, she passed on. I felt like there was no meaning to life anymore because I had lost the people I loved and who were most important in my life.
But I knew there were other vulnerable elderly and sick people who were in similar situations and who needed help. I started the McBern Foundation and I looked out for them and started helping them out with my small salary-but it was not enough.
So, with my love of travel, I took out a loan to buy a car. I could rent it out to tourists and in this way, I could raise funds to help out with the elderly. But shortly after I acquired the vehicle, I was forced to resign from my job on suspicions I was gay. It was then that I realized that it might be hard for me to find a job as a gay man. I decided that instead of just hiring out the car, I could use it to start a tour company to support the McBern Foundation. When tourists use our company, the proceeds help the elderly.
Secondly, after losing my job, I knew that there were other people like me who lose their jobs because of their sexuality. Starting McBern Tours was partly also to provide employment to the youth who are rejected by their families and community because of their sexuality.
TP: Can you describe some of the sample tours you conduct?
MK: We do different tours and many of them are tailor-made, depending on the clients' specific requests. But we have a guide that helps the clients to tailor their tours. For example:
4-day Gorilla Safari (starting at $2,900, based on a group of 6 people in a double to twin room)
Day 1: Arrival
Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi National Park
Day 3: Gorilla trekking
Day 4: Transfer to Kampala and Departure
12-day Uganda Safari (starting from $6,900 based on a group of 6 persons in a double or twin room. Sample tours are based on 4-star accommodations.)
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Day 2: Ngamba Island Chimp sanctuary/Rest day
Day 3: Source of the Nile and Community visit
Day 4: Transfer to Fort portal
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 7: Game Drive and boat ride on Kazinga Channel
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi NP
Day 9: Gorilla trekking
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 11: Transfer to Kampala
Day 12: Departure
TP: You recently attended the IGLTA Convention in Toronto and gave a talk there on travel in Uganda. You also received a scholarship from the IGLTA Foundation. What did that mean to you? And what were your personal takeaways from the event?
MK: First of all, I am so thankful to the IGLTA Foundation for having awarded me the scholarship. It was such an honor. Otherwise; I would not have been able to attend the convention.
Secondly, I am still thankful that I was given an opportunity to speak at one of the general audiences. This was my first-ever convention to attend in my life and it was my first time traveling to North America. It was so well organized and was a place of opportunity to showcase what different destinations from all over the world have to offer-especially for emerging LGBTQ destinations, Uganda being one of them.
I learned quite a lot about business in general, about the tourism industry in particular, and especially LGBTQ tourism … and what needs to be done to boost and grow the business.
I met wonderful people and I really felt at home. I can say, the IGLTA is not only a travel association but a family-and I am proud to be part of the IGLTA family. I do believe that with collective efforts from all over the world, we can together change the world to be more welcoming.
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