Free Volunteer Opportunity in Uganda

Program Description

Highlights

Things to know!

Health and Safety

We are currently located in Eastern Uganda in a small village only a 10 minute drive from Jinja town center. The area is very safe to walk around any time of day or night, crime rates are very low. However, like most places, caution should however be taken at night if walking around alone. Specific caution should be taken when walking on the roads at night as lighting is minimal and there are no pedestrian footpaths.

There are a number of common diseases here in Uganda that are foreign to our volunteers. We recommend that volunteers be fully aware of all health precautions before entering Uganda and that they have the correct vaccinations and medication from their doctors. Hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies are available in Jinja if medical attention is required.

Transport

Two of the most common forms of day-by-day transport include the boda-boda or shared taxis. The boda-bodas are motor cycle taxis which normally take two passengers and cost approximately 2000-5000 Ugandan shillings for a 10 minute ride to Jinja. The shared taxis are in the form of mini vans and can hold up to 18 passengers. The cost is normally 500-1000 Ugandan shillings for a 20 minute ride to Jinja.

Additional expenses

Below are some of the additional expenses you may encounter during your stay in Uganda. The prices indicated are only approximate.

• SIM card and phone credit – 8,000 Ugandan shillings (note: phone connection is fine where we live)
• Internet dongle with 2GB for one month – 60,000 Ugandan shillings (note: the internet connection where we live is slow but still works normally. In Jinja the connection is much faster)
• Transport into town – Refer to transport section of this document
• Water (5L bottles) – 3500 Ugandan shillings

Tourist activities:

• Safari – 400USD
• White water rafting – 125USD
• Quad biking – 90USD

Additional things to know about Uganda

Be flexible! In Uganda more often than not things change at the last minute or things take a lot longer than you might be used to. Remember that Uganda is a third world county and try to be open-minded and adjust to the way things operate here.

Try new things! While you are in Uganda, why not try to immerse yourself in the Ugandan culture properly. Maybe try to learn to cook the way we cook, or try to learn to wash your own clothes. Try ride on a boda-boda, or get your hair braided. Maybe go with the kids one day to fetch water, or try to learn to balance things on your head. At the end of the day this experience may be a once in a lifetime one for you, so why not try to make the most of it and have fun at the same time.

Qualifications

Volunteers need not have any qualifications. We do need an openness of heart and mind while having the flexibility to serve as the need arises. We have a number of opportunities for volunteers from all parts of the world. Our short term volunteers stay with us for a period of one week to 3 Months.

For those willing to serve long term, we have opportunities that run for a period of between six months to 12 months (one year). We are glad to host any of the two categories that are willing to come and serve.

Volunteer Types

• AIDS
• Building maintenance
• Building/construction projects
• Childcare/children
• Community development
• Community health
• Community organizing
• Computer training
• Counseling
• Dental volunteering
• Digging
• Economic development
• Education
• Elderly
• English teaching
• Food
• Gardening
• Gender issues
• Grassroots organization
• Health
• Home visit
• Income-generation
• Music
• Organizational development
• Recreation
• Women
• Youth

What`s Included

Accommodation and food

1. Accommodation

There are two options for volunteer accommodation:

The first is for the volunteer to stay in a private room at the project itself. There is electricity but limited power points in the house. There is no running water, but water is available from the nearby wells. Baths are bucket baths and toilets are drop down toilets.

The second option is a rental room in a property only a short walk from the orphanage. The property has running water and electricity, with western style showers (with cold water) and flush toilets.

2. Food

Three meals per day will be provided for volunteers at the orphanage. Please inform us in advance if you have any specific diet requirements.

Most meals will be traditional Ugandan food including: beans, rice, posho, mashed banana, potatoes, chepati, vegetables, chicken and fruit.