Volunteering Projects in Uganda

Uganda is a land locked country in East Africa whose land area of 241,139 sq. km shares borders with Sudan to its north, Kenya to the east, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south. 40 ethnic groups make up the 21 million people of Uganda, 90% of which live in the rural areas, undertaking subsistence agricultural activities. Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water body in the world, provides for the small-scale fish industry in the south and south-eastern region. In the drier northern region of the country, millet and sorghum are the staple foods, whereas the south and the western region feed mainly on plantain (matooke) and cassava.
Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world, with per capita income at US$ 276 and a life expectancy of 47 years for men and 50 years for women which is expected to worsen as a consequence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. There are 9.1 million children under 18 years of age of which 1.9 million are orphans. The under five mortality rate is 156 children per 1,000 live births and 38.3% of every new born gets stunted due to malnutrition. For more information I suggest you purchase the Lonely Planet’s guide to East Africa.

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Meals provided at the project site will be local Ugandan foods. Breakfast is generally tea, coffee, bread, egg (boiled or scrambled). Lunch is typically posho (cornbread) and beans which does not include meat. For dinner you will mostly end up eating rice and beans. Vegetarian options are available.

Meals at the wildlife safari park are not included. Drinks are not included.

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Unfortunately, this program is unable to accept families due to limited placements in the program. If you would like to volunteer with your family you may like to consider one of our programs which allows this.

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The rainy season takes place between March-June. December-February and June-July are the driest times, when things can even be a bit dusty. Although the country lies astride the equator, most of Uganda is on a plateau 3,600-6,000 ft/900-1,830 m above sea level.

Temperatures in some parts of the country can be quite cool owing to the country’s high altitude, despite its position on the equator. The mountain areas become much cooler, and the top of Mount Elgon is often covered with snow. Other parts of the country are much warmer.

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Volunteers in this program will be working at one of our school projects to help build a clinic. Work will include assisting the local building crew with general construction activities such as mixing cement, digging foundations, laying bricks, roofing and plastering.

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No, you can volunteer through the Global Volunteer Network from any where in the world.

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You must be 18 years old and above. There is no upper limit however you must be in good health and able to participate in physical construction activities.

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Yes it would be helpful if you speak English. You may have English as your second language and that is also fine. While there are many local languages spoken in Uganda, many of the people speak English. In the villages where the program is located, the commonly spoken languages are Luganda (Mukono District), and Lusoga (Jinja District). It will help you to learn a few phrases in this language while you are there.

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You will need to schedule to arrive on the 29th April 2012. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to your accommodation ready to begin the program the next day.

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• Diphtheria and tetanus
• Polio
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Yellow fever - a certificate proving you have had this should be shown at the airport on arrival
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis
• Malaria (needs to be closely discussed with doctor)

Some of these can be taken in oral form so please do discuss all options with your doctor to see what is best for you. Some people can be affected quite differently to others by medication.

A Yellow fever vaccination is legally required to enter Uganda if coming from an at-risk area and you will need to provide a certificate to prove you have had it to obtain a Visa.

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For the volunteering portion of the tour, volunteers will stay on-site at the project. Accommodation while at the project site is shared, with 2-3 people per room. There is cold running water for showers and a porcelain squat type (flushing) toilet. At the national park during the safari, accommodation will be shared, with 2 people per safari tent. Again, communal cold showers and western flushing toilets are available.

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The Hope for Africa Children's Village, where volunteers will be working, is located in the village of Lugazi. Lugazi is located along the main east/west highway running through Uganda, right in between Mukono Town and Jinja Town (Uganda’s main tourist spot). There are supermarkets, an ATM machine, internet cafés, restaurants and even a swimming pool in Mukono. In Jinja, there are internet cafes, resorts, white water rafting, as well as the famous Source of the Nile River.

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We work very hard to ensure you are placed in safe environments while volunteering. Uganda has a democratic electoral process and a stable economy. You should use common sense as you would anywhere, particularly in the cities, but generally the Ugandan people are very warm and friendly towards foreigners, so you will be well looked after.

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There will be no more than 10 participants in this tour, giving volunteers the opportunity to get to know their peers and hosts well.

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You will organize your Visa through your travel agent or independently. For citizens of most countries, you can do this at the airport when you arrive or before you get to Uganda. Also our detailed program guide includes links to Uganda Embassies through out the world.

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All GVN Volunteers must have insurance. You are free to take out insurance cover through any provider of your choice. However, as some policies do not cover volunteering, we recommend you check you are covered during your volunteer placement.

For your convenience we have arranged a comprehensive package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as “loss of deposits” cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc. If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/insurance/

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Your application fee secures your place on the program (remember this is fully transferable to a later date or different program if you decide not to take part in the program, subject to the terms of service). Your program fee is payable to Global Volunteer Network 10 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer. Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program fee are at the volunteer’s expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Eighty percent (80%) of your program fee is refundable until two calendar months before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. Refer to GVN's legal terms of service for full details.

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Each GVN program has different criteria depending on our partner's requirements. Every application is reviewed to ensure that the minimum requirements (as set out on the program page) are met. Next we look to see what skills or experience you have that relate specifically to the program. We are also interested in any previous volunteer experience you may have (either local or international), travel experience, and your particular interest in the program.

After reviewing your application, should we require any further information from you, we will email you to request this.

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