Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Important Information for XXIII SCECSAL Delegates

Final Programme
The National Organsing Committee (NOC) XXIII SCECSAL 2018 is proud to announce the release of the final conference programme for the XXIII SCECSAL  due in Entebbe next week.  Over fifty library and information experts are expected to present papers and posters as well as participate in the expert panel discussions at the conference. You can now find a copy of the final program on the ULIA and SCECSAL websites. 

Weather in Entebbe and Uganda
The country is currently experiencing heavy rainfall and the weather is expected to be more cloudy than sunny for the next three weeks. You are kindly advised to carry less light clothes and more heavy clothes especially for outdoor activities like cultural gala, excursions and evening walks. Entebbe is very cold at night because of the great Lake Victoria. 

Visas
By now, delegates should have applied and received their visas or about to receive them for delegates who are required to have Ugandan visas before boarding the plane. Those who are eligible to obtaining visas on arrival should ensure that they possess the necessary paperwork to allow them enter Uganda. These include a valid passport, yellow fever vaccination card, return air ticket, invitation letter from ULIA, proof of residence (Hotel Booking) extra. These may vary according on your country of origin but you are strongly advised to carry along all and others. 

Cultural evening and related events
The cultural evening is the opportunity given to showcase cultural presentations from the participating countries. Every country is invited to present  a 5 minutes performance giving a sample of their culture (dance, song, etc.). We take your attention on the timing due to the quantity of countries performing. Delegates are advised to come well prepared with their traditional presentations. Come fired up to challenge the reigning champion Lesotho. 
The hosts have organized a number of tours for delegates on Wednesday, 25 April 2018. The tours, classified into two categories, will include visits to the Namugongo Martrys' Shrines, Uganda Museum and Buganda Kingdom Kasubi tombs, all under Category I; and to the Source of the Nile and Sezibwa Falls and the Crocodile Village – Buwam, under Category II. The cost per person, to be paid to ULIA, is US$20 for Category I tours and US$40 for Category II. Conference delegates planning to go on any of the tours should indicate their preference to secretariat@ulia.org.ug not later than 20 April 2018.

SCANUL-ECS 2018 Pre conference 
The customary pre- conference is co-hosted by NLU and CUUL. The hosts are working in close partnership with the organizers of the Twenty-Third Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL XXIII). SCANUL-ECS will be held on Sunday 22nd April at Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe. The pre-conference will ride on the theme: Positioning National and University Libraries to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The delegates’ fee for this pre-conference is 50USD per delegate.  Contact haumban@gmail.com, or akatungisa@yahoo.com/akutungisa@nlu.go.ug for details of this pre-conference. 
N.B. The fees (50 USD) paid at the SCANUL-ECS are NOT in any way part of the fees paid for SCECSAL. 
      
Culture and Atmosphere around Entebbe
Entebbe is a town on a peninsula in Lake Victoria, in Central Uganda about 38 kilometers away from the capital city. The town is relatively quiet during the day and extremely quite during the night save for the sporadic echoes of aircrafts landing and taking off from the main airport in the area.  The area is endowed with busy beaches and  so many gorgeous features to view as well as the lakeside Uganda Wildlife Education Centre which protects native animals in wetlands, forest and savanna habitats. Nearby, Entebbe Botanical Garden has diverse plants, birds and monkeys. Also close by is the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which protects orphaned chimps. Come ready to view all the above and more. Entebbe has a pleasant climate for you to enjoy – it is on Lake Victoria and you can reach various choice destinations from here, most of them a short drive, or boat ride, now even  by plane or helicopter.  Don’t miss out on what Entebbe and the surrounding area has to offer .

Power Sockets
In Uganda, type G sockets are used for electricity connections. They are commonly and cheaply available on the local market.  The standard voltage in Uganda is 240 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Uganda, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 - 240 V.

Airport pickups and Mode of transport. 
Our visitors who will safari Uganda have got variety of transport means which you can use when you are in the country. These include local motorcycle transporters  commonly known as “Boda-Boda”, Commuter Taxis, Special Hire vehicles, passenger buses and Uber. Foreign  delegates are advised to seek advice from their local counterparts on which mode of transport to use while in Uganda. Boda Bodas are fun to use and explore but you are highly advised to use it only if you are wearing a head gear (Helmet). 

Food. 
Meat or chicken stews are popular in Uganda served with rice, chapatti, ugali (a stiff maize porridge) or matoke (a cooked plantain/banana mash). For a sweet dish, locals enjoy a type of doughnut called mandazi. With Uganda's many lakes and rivers, fish are an important food. However, almost all the hotels in Uganda offer continental cuisines ranging from 5 to 20 USD.

Airport Pick and Drop
The Organizers of SCECSAL 2018 are offering complementary airport pick and drop for delegates arriving from 21st of April before 10 pm. Delegates who are interested in this service should send their flight details to Mr. Jospert Chelangat email: jochelangat@gmail.com and hotel of  residence. Most hotels offer complimentary pick and drop. Find out from the hotel you booked or else, give us your itinerary and we shall pick you from the airport upon arrival. A team of volunteers and officials will be stationed at the Airport Arrival Terminal with the huge Poster marked “SCECSAL 2018”. Kindly introduce yourself to that team on arrival at Entebbe International Airport and they will give you the necessary assistance.

On behalf of ULIA and the SCECSAL 2018 National Organizing Committee, we look forward to warmly receiving you in Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. . 

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