We will send you a pre-departure pack with joining instructions, suggestions of what to pack, health awareness and preparations, traveling tips et.
Don't hesitate to get in touch!
We are keen to answer any questions that you or your family may have, so please give us a call or email us at any time.
Speak to former Volunteers on Facebook
Successful applicants are invited to our "past, present and prospective volunteers" Facebook group, a community of 200+ former volunteers where you can ask for any advice and link up with people you will be volunteering with.
Community Orientation & Local Language Lessons
Orientation and Induction
By visiting the various Volunteer Uganda projects, volunteers are able to contextualise their work in Bwindi and their contribution to the community. Numerous visits to schools (Teaching Placements) and local businesses (Research and Enterprise Placements) leave volunteers with a firm understanding of the area in which they will be working.
Teaching volunteers will get to observe Ugandan lessons in order to get to grips with current educational practice, The result of this is that our volunteers are able to hit the ground running in the second week of their placements.
Will I learn the local language?
All of the teaching at the schools is done in English and all pupils speak it reasonably well. It is not necessary for you to learn the local language, Rukiga, but picking up some of the basics is valuable and enriches the experience of visiting rural Africa. During the first week our team give local language lessons including basic greetings, phrases, numbers etc. This is followed up by optional weekly lessons over the next month.
Limited Resources Teacher Training
As part of the first week in Uganda, all of our volunteers receive comprehensive teacher training from our UK and Ugandan teaching team. Our certificated Limited Resources Teacher Training (LRTT) is highly progressive by international standards and was created in partnership with a team of teachers from the UK education charity Teach First.
Is experience required?
Due to the thorough nature of LRTT, no previous teaching experience is required to apply for our main volunteering project. For many volunteers, this will be their first experience of teaching! Our intensive training ensures that by the end of the first week, volunteers are well equipped to provide fun, interactive and informative lessons.
What will LRTT do for my CV?
Not only does LRTT ensure that our volunteers become effective teachers, making an invaluable contribution to the Bwindi community, volunteers return home having learnt a range of transferrable skills which can be applied in their own careers.
How is LRTT different to TEFL?
As opposed to alternative intensive teacher training courses, LRTT concentrates on practical teaching strategies in a limited resource environment; ensuring volunteers first have a solid understanding of learning theory. From there, LRTT equips our volunteers with a toolkit of strategies and activities that enable them to teach in a fun, interactive and effective way in the rural African classroom. By the end of the LRTT course, volunteers will be familiar with the content of their teaching sessions, and will have had ample opportunity to practice their lesson delivery in front of their peers, and received constructive feedback from our UK and Ugandan team. Over the course of the week, volunteers grow in confidence and ability so that by the time they enter the classroom, they are already comfortable teaching.
What about the HIV/AIDS Outreach Project?
Our induction week also includes training sessions in preparation of Health Education Programme. Volunteers learn about the health related challenges Uganda faces and are trained to present the high impact HIV Prevention talks which are part of our programme. We work alongside our partner charity Mend The Broken Hearts Of Uganda to maximise our impact in this area and it has consistently proven to be a highlight for volunteers.
Personal Support & Mentoring
Volunteer Uganda’s projects are designed by people who remember their own volunteering experiences. We therefore understand the need for a sound support structure in order for our volunteers to make the most of their placements. Both British and Ugandan members of staff live at the lodge meaning there is always someone experienced around to offer volunteers assistance. Our British group leaders are former volunteers who have stayed involved with VU and gone on to train as in country staff members. They can offer valuable insights, as well as using their own understanding of the area and familiarity with our programmes to support volunteers throughout their trip. On top of this many of our Ugandan team are former teachers and are thus able to pass on their experience of the Ugandan education system to our volunteers.
Support In Teaching Projects
Within each school, a Ugandan member of staff is allocated the role of volunteer mentor. Mentors introduce volunteers to the school culture, show them the content which will be taught and observe the first few lessons to give volunteers support and constructive feedback on teaching style. Our British staff will also sit in on volunteers’ lessons, giving guidance and support to help them become the most inspirational and effective teacher they can be.
Support In Research & Enterprise Projects
Participants of Research Uganda & Enterprise Uganda are able to draw upon a healthy pool of British and Ugandan experts both prior to departure and upon arrival in Uganda. Regular meetings with our UK Team & partners at SIFE Birmingham will guarantee that Enterprise & Research Uganda participants are thoroughly prepared for their projects before leaving for Uganda. Whilst in country, both projects are supported by our group leaders, Ugandan staff and local business experts. We understand the local needs and are therefore able to ensure that both projects’ participants are able to make a real contribution.
Sponsoring a child is a direct and personal way to make a difference to their life. Without the help of their sponsor, the children would not be able to attend the school.
Everything we do at Volunteer Uganda has two aims - to make a difference today and to take one more step towards sustainable transformation of a community. And education is at the heart of what is needed to allow the people of rural Uganda to attain their potential.
Your sponsorship will help a specific child and you will be given their name and progress reports - even letters from the child from time to time. Please don't expect an instant response because things take a little longer than they would here.
The sponsorship money will go towards the child's school fees and to ensure they get three meals per day. The child's family still has to make a contribution towards the fees because we believe this is important.
Our regular visitors to Uganda comment on the difference in the whole community between villages with sponsored schools and villages that have to rely on the local resources.
The sponsorship options are:
£75 per year to sponsor a child (living close enough to have lunch at home)
£150 per year to sponsor a child (including lunch at school)
Please click here to print off a sponsorship form with gift aid and standing order. Thanks.
Making a donation is the simplest thing you can do to help. There is no long-term commitment (but you can always visit the site another time and make another gift!)
How much of my donation will be spent on projects in Uganda?
Unlike giant charities we spend 100% of donations in Uganda.
What will our donation be spent on?
When you donate, we will tell you what is needed next and a few months later you will see how your gift has changed lives more step to transforming a community.
What is the current focus?
The current project building classrooms to cater for the next year cohort at the new High School. Here is how you can help:
We will send you a pre-departure pack with joining instructions, suggestions of what to pack, health awareness and preparations, traveling tips et. 
Orientation and Induction
Volunteer Uganda’s projects are designed by people who remember their own volunteering experiences. We therefore understand the need for a sound support structure in order for our volunteers to make the most of their placements. Both British and Ugandan members of staff live at the lodge meaning there is always someone experienced around to offer volunteers assistance. Our British group leaders are former volunteers who have stayed involved with VU and gone on to train as in country staff members. They can offer valuable insights, as well as using their own understanding of the area and familiarity with our programmes to support volunteers throughout their trip. On top of this many of our Ugandan team are former teachers and are thus able to pass on their experience of the Ugandan education system to our volunteers.
Participants of Research Uganda & Enterprise Uganda are able to draw upon a healthy pool of British and Ugandan experts both prior to departure and upon arrival in Uganda. Regular meetings with our UK Team & partners at SIFE Birmingham will guarantee that Enterprise & Research Uganda participants are thoroughly prepared for their projects before leaving for Uganda. Whilst in country, both projects are supported by our group leaders, Ugandan staff and local business experts. We understand the local needs and are therefore able to ensure that both projects’ participants are able to make a real contribution.
