As an American traveling abroad, it is always interesting (especially after a new president takes office) to hear people’s take on American politics. I was in Malawi in 2009, just 6 months after President Obama had taken office and Malawians were obsessed with Obama. His face featured on fabric and aprons and hats and flags throughout the market.
When I was driving from Kampala to Kiwoko, one of the first questions my taxi driver asked me was where I’m from. After stating that I’m from the U.S., he immediately embarked on a tirade against President Trump and his Muslim ban, which had just been ordered two days before. The Europeans at Kiwoko have also had questions about how Americans (especially American Christians) perceive Trump and the executive orders that have recently gone into effect.
Regardless of where you stand politically, it has been interesting for me to see the wide effects of American politics (and humbling as folks tend to be so informed about politics in my country, while I am rarely as well informed about politics in the UK and know little about politics in Uganda). With global development and aid already relatively poorly funded in the U.S., time will tell the effects that the new administration will have on the world’s poorest people.