Trip Details

Support the sustainable development of schools, churches, health care centres, and more in a small Ugandan village through construction and renovation work!

Volunteers will be working in a village that receives minimal support from the government to maintain its infrastructure. Your tasks here will vary depending on the needs at the time, giving you the opportunity to take part in community development and other improvement efforts.
Rural communities away from large cities often lack support from the government in terms of infrastructure development and maintenance. Most families only have enough to feed themselves with what they grow but are still affected by occasional food shortages and malnourishment. House repairs are not common as the priority is working the farms in order for their children to have food to eat.

Local communities rarely receive funding from the government which oftentimes means that there is limited support in schools, healthcare centers, village halls, churches, etc.

During this project, you will be assisting with simple construction and renovation at these locations. Your tasks will be assigned depending on the current needs, which may include building sinks, water tanks, repairing chairs, planting flower beds, painting or repairing walls, etc.

In addition, you may also get the opportunity to assist with a feeding/nutrition project aimed at enriching the health and well-being of local schoolchildren.

Aims & Objectives

  • Support the community and promote sustainable development in the village
  • Give you a sense of achievement through light construction and renovation projects
  • Assist the effort with extra hands

Trip Itinerary

Mandatory Orientation Day
On the Monday of your first week at this location, you will join our orientation day, to familiarize you with the surroundings as well as local culture. Your program will continue as usual from Tuesday onward throughout the rest of the week.

Schedule

  • After breakfast, we will have an Introduction meeting, House rules, Setting Expectations, Health and Safety Advice and handling of documents.
  • Ugandan Do’s and Don’ts, Culture introduction and country history and Swahili Language Lessons.
  • Tour around the compound and local area; where to find local shops, and arrange a sim-card if necessary.
  • After lunch, continue with the tour around the area and get familiarised with the surroundings.
  • In the evening, Special dinner to welcome you to Uganda!

Weekly Schedule

Monday

  • Breakfast
  • Introduction
  • Lunch
  • Introduction
  • Dinner

You will be working for 4-5 hours on construction/renovation and anything that may be needed at the time. Below is what a typical day might look like:

Tuesday to Friday

  • Breakfast
  • Construction/Renovation Volunteering
  • Lunch
  • Construction/Renovation Volunteering
  • Free Time
  • Dinner

Please note:

This schedule can be changed depending on weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

 

Trip Accommodation

Location
Enjoy the local life in this rural township in central Uganda. Your accommodation location provides you with a great opportunity to see and experience Uganda on an authentic, local scale.

About the Accommodation
You will either be staying at our homestay or in our rural accommodation centre. The homestay is a bit more comfortable with the family setting, but on our farm accommodation itself is quite basic and authentic. All volunteers are expected to be environmentally aware and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper, and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and organized. There is no WIFI in either location and you will need to purchase a local SIM card in order to access the internet. Rooms are dorm style with 2-6 people sharing on a single-gender basis.

Food Arrangements
Food will be Ugandan-style, which means lots of vegetables, potatoes, bananas, bread, and pancakes. Some dishes may have meat, but if you are vegetarian just let your coordinator know, and  separate vegetarian meals will be provided.

Facilities
There are many shops located near our homestay, all within 10-15 minutes walking distance.

Transportation to Kampala is available from the homestay. Local transport from Farm accommodation is much less frequent, but arrangements can be made and/or information provided to assist you with getting to Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Sights & Surroundings

Kampala
There are many things to see and do in Kampala, the Ugandan capital. It is located within a 30-90 minute drive from our centre and is filled with culture and history.

 

Trip Country Info

Uganda

Country Information

For a small country, Uganda has everything an adventurer could wish for. It has everything and more than its neighbouring countries do, including the famous “Big Five” must see animals of Africa. More than that, the country is home to the tallest mountain range and largest lake in Africa. Half the remaining mountain gorillas in the world reside in this country, making wildlife watching a unique experience!

Climate

Uganda boasts a tropical climate across most of its surface area, except in the mountainous regions (which can get quite cold and some even receive a bit of snow). Temperatures range from 21-25°C (70-77°F), with the hottest months from December to February. The wet months occur from March to May as well as October and November. The dry season occurs between January and February as well as June to September.

Culture

Uganda’s culture is made of up many ethnic groups making it difficult to generalize. For example, Lango and Acholi people dominate the north, while the Iteso and Karamojong people rule in the east. Moreover, Pygmies can be found living in isolated rainforest regions in western Uganda.

At least 40 languages are spoken in Uganda, with Luganda language being the most common despite English being considered the official language. In fact, English is barely spoken. Swahili is also widely used.

Uganda has a conservative Muslim and Christian society. This means that it is often not acceptable to wear clothes displaying too much skin. There are exceptions to this rule such as Kampala, however, it is advised to dress as locals do in order to blend in and be taken seriously outside tourist hotspots. Another important thing worth noting is that you should never criticize religion in presence of a Ugandan, as this is taken seriously and can be of great offense.

Gastronomy

Ugandan cuisine has been heavily influenced by English, Arab and Indian dishes. The most common ingredients used are vegetables, potatoes, yams, bananas, chicken, pork, fish, beef, goat and mutton.

Transportation

Boda-Boda

Boda-Bodas are motorcycles or scooters, which are a fun and inexpensive way to get around in big cities such as Kampala.

Buses

In Uganda, there are two classes of buses “matutus” which are minibuses with fixed routes, and coaches which run less frequently (i.e. they only leave Kampala in the morning). These two options run between major cities. Note that neither of these modes of transport run on fixed schedules and usually depart when they are full up.

Participant Criteria & Requirements

Standard Requirements

MUST have a yellow fever vaccination and must obtain a certificate as proof
Travel Insurance
Under 18, Parental Consent

Additional Requirements

No requirements have been provided.

What's included

  • 24/7 support in case of emergencies
  • Accommodation
  • Airport Pick up
  • English speaking coordinator
  • Meals
  • Orientation

What's not included

  • Airport drop off
  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Vaccination
  • Visa