Ten reasons to choose Volunteer Uganda

1. Long-term development

Over the last ten years, Volunteer Uganda's partner CHIFCOD has built and now runs four primary schools (Kirima Parents, Nyakabungo, Nyamarama and Rutenga) one high school (Great Lakes High school) and a college (Great Lakes College). Generous giving from the UK, Germany and the USA sponsors over half of the pupils at these schools. Funding has also helped built health centers, irrigated land and put in place various other community programs otherwise impossible.

The four directors of Volunteer Uganda gap year have all been heavily involved in the development work for a number of years. Paul Huckstep and Simon Graffy both taught in Kirima parents in 2007 and have remained involved in CHIFCOD's UK running while Mark Rogers and his Wife Karen has been a long-term supporter of the developments. John Rutherford having pursued a career in the Travel and international freight industries has been voluntarily serving as CHIFCOD's structural and financial advisor regularly travelling to Uganda and mentoring CHIFCOD officials.

The directors have never been paid for their contributions and have heavily supported CHIFCOD's development. John Rutherford and Mark Rogers are both Trustees in the charities that support these projects.

2. The projects are needed

Q: What came first, the volunteering projects or the volunteers? A: The Projects

Unlike most gap year & volunteering organizations, Volunteer Uganda came after longstanding charitable giving and development. Volunteer Uganda's program was put in place because the developments in the education structure in Kinkizi has paved the way for a volunteering program be very beneficial to the area.

Volunteer Uganda has in place a strong and organized network, which means that there is a strong relationship with the schools that volunteers teach in. As well as this, Volunteer Uganda has a recognized position in the area as a very positive influence that improves the lives of local people. This means that Volunteer Uganda is a respected and appreciated organization rather than being seen to take more than it gives, as is the case with many "Gap year experiences".

3. Profits reinvested

Nearly all the money you pay to Volunteer Uganda is used to build and operate the gap year project.

A sum of £50 is given to each volunteer in cash for them to spend on projects to develop the school within which they are working.

Any surplus is used to repay the interest-free loans that make possible the development of Volunteer Uganda's beautiful site or are reinvested in further developing the gap year operation and the other Volunteer Uganda projects.

4. Partnership with Great Lakes College

Great Lakes College is a higher education institution that was built by CHIFCOD helped by generous donation from the UK. The College owns the land next to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Volunteer Uganda took on the responsibility of developing that site for a sustainable tourist infrastructure. At times of year when Volunteer Uganda does not have groups of volunteers staying at the site, the College will use the land to generate money through tourism.

Volunteer Uganda will pay the college for each person / night spent at the site, thus generating capital that can aid the College in realizing CHIFCOD and Volunteer Uganda's vision of it become a university over 5 years. Volunteers also teach basic IT proficiency to small groups of students at the college as well as providing a cultural exchange.

5. Teaching & health education

The majority of volunteering organizations focus the energy of their volunteers towards manual labor and the digging of foundations, pit toilets and the building of classrooms. The structures produced are of value and there is a certain amount of personal growth of character that comes from hard graft physical work.

Paul and Simon have both volunteered building in Kenya and teaching at the CHIFCOD schools in Uganda. It is their firm belief, and that of the rest of the Volunteer Uganda team, that teaching is the most valuable form of Volunteering. Put simply, this is because the UK and other developed countries have very strong and refined education systems which, when compared to Uganda's, produce very well educated people. Meanwhile, people from the UK are generally unequipped with the skills required to be a good builder. In this way, volunteer's talents are often wasted by physical labor projects and the benefits to the local communities are also limited. The Volunteer Uganda ethos is that volunteers who are teaching can really transfer their knowledge and provide a cultural exchange, which greatly impacts the lives of many.

6. Induction & mentoring

For most volunteers, it is their first experience of teaching. Volunteer Uganda's team has spent a lot of time to design a program to ensure that volunteers are not just thrown in at the deep end without essential preparation.

Prior to departure, volunteers are encouraged to complete a 40-hour distance learning TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification. This is an internationally recognized qualification and lays firm foundations in the basic principles of teaching English. The course also includes modules focused on lesson planning, class management and basic teaching techniques that can be applied widely.

Upon arrival in Kinkizi, the first week is an induction week. Each day we hold structured discussions on teaching methods and at the end of the week each person plans and gives a mini lesson. The idea is that once you can stand up in front of a group of your peers, you will be able to do the same with pupils. The induction week also includes a series of talks on Education, Health, Uganda's wildlife, Religion, and local culture. During the induction week volunteers will also have basic local language lessons.

From here, volunteers are allocated to their schools in small where they begin their time teaching. They will be supported and guided in what to teach by the schools employed teaching staff. Both Andrew (the Camp manager and an experienced teacher) and Simon (the group leader) will take turns to spend the day at the different schools serving as mentors to volunteers. If the volunteers wish to raise any issues they can do so with Simon or Andrew back a lodge in the evening. The above system means that volunteers can be very effective teachers, learning throughout and really enjoying the experience.

7. Wildlife & adventure

Uganda has some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world.

Rafting

Soon after arriving in Kampala we travel to Jinja where we stay for a night in a beautiful Rafters Lodge over the Nile River. The next day we go Rafting with a longstanding Australian rafting company called Nile River Explorers; they have an exemplary safety record. Each boat has a guide and support boats that go ahead to help the boats regroup after each rapid.

Lake Victoria is the source of the Nile. Comparable to the Zambezi, the White Nile in Jinja is one of the best rivers in the world for White water Rafting. The Rapids vary between grade 1 and 5. Our excuse for including the Rafting in our itinerary is that it serves as a day of "Team Building". The reality is that although this purpose may be served we go rafting because it is AMAZING! After the day of rafting back at the rafters lodge everyone who has rafted that day has a big barbecue over the then conquered river.

Rafting is included in the Safari package and optional in the Adventure package

Safari

The wildlife viewing opportunities in Uganda are some of the best anywhere in the world. The best Safari park is Queen Elizabeth National Park. This park is around 35 kilometers from our site. An area called Ishasha sector is the only place in the world where Lions climb trees and whole prides are easily sighted during the day. There are many other species of animals including Elephants, Hippos, Buffalo, Leopards and Bushbucks, as well as a wide range of monkeys and Antelopes. The birdlife is also an attraction to bird fanatics from all over the world.

The safari is included in the Safari package and optional in the Adventure package

Chimp Tracking

There is a region in the North of Queen Elizabeth NP where the dense Maramagambo forests are home to one of the largest Chimpanzee populations in Africa. These can be Tracked and this is included as part of the Safari. The probability of successfully finding a troop of Chimps is very high at approximately 85% and once located, you can get as close as 5 meters to them.

Chimp Tracking is an optional excursion

Gorilla Tracking

Bwindi Impenetrable forest is on our doorstep; our site looks straight out at it. Andrew recently saw a Chimpanzee from our site! Bwindi is home to 300 of the worlds estimated 600 remaining mountain gorillas. These gentle giants are the largest living primates and Can weigh 220Kgs. can only be viewed here in Bwindi or in Rwanda. Every year thousands of people come to Uganda to visit Bwindi's beautiful but critically endangered gorillas. It was in these Forests where the talismanic documentary "Gorillas in the Mist" was filmed and where David Attenborough famously snuggled with a family of gorillas.

Mountain Gorillas are vulnerable to human borne diseases and tracking them is closely controlled. In Bwindi there are 3 troops of Gorillas that are regularly. Tracking success is more or less guaranteed as the rangers keep tabs on their positions and once you find them you can get very close with a limit of 5 meters but their curious nature means that the younger gorillas will often playfully approach tracking groups.

The revenue generated by the tracking of Gorillas is the only thing that has prevents their extinction. Gorilla tracking permits cost 500 dollars for a day both in Bwindi and Rwanda and forms the cornerstone of Uganda's tourist economy. The money generated from the 18 permits given each day in Bwindi keeps Uganda's national parks open. I write from experience in saying that tracking the Bwindi Mountain Gorillas is the most beautiful of natural spectacles. It is not cheap but well worth it and truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Gorilla Tracking is an optional excursion

8. Local People

The local communities are primarily proud Christians. Poverty is rife and HIV is not uncommon. Nonetheless, Ugandans are generally humble people and the welcome we volunteers receive is very apparent. Volunteers quickly get used to being constantly asked, "how are you?" by young children. When we pass young children excitedly call out "Mzungu! Mzungu!" (White person, White person) and beam with pride if they are granted a handshake or a "how are you" in which case they quickly reply "I am fine, sir!"

Kinkizi district is an inspiring place to be and it is very natural to get attached to its kind hearted humble people.

9. Security

Uganda's crime rate is one of the lowest in Africa. In the rural southwest the soil is fertile the community is predominantly Christian so it is a safe place to be. Nonetheless we take security very seriously and at the site where volunteers stay we have firm security 24 hours a day combining a guard with police from the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. It is important to understand that this security is not a necessity but a precaution.

10. Where we stay

The Site of our Lodge is on a hillside overlooking Bwindi Impenetrable forest and the views are breathtaking. It is the perfect location for relaxing in the evenings, with a beer and a barbecue on the go, alongside friends after an inspiring day of teaching.