Your chance for life-changing personal development

As well as making a contribution to the host community and having a fantastic experience, most volunteers return home having learnt a lot about the world and about themselves.

The Volunteer Uganda programme is designed by people who remember their own volunteering experiences and how to make the most of them. We also understand the local need and how you can make a real contribution.

Our UK and Uganda Teams help you throughout your experience:

• Preparation and planning before your trip
• Induction programme when you arrive in Uganda
• Support and mentoring throughout your stay
• Keep in touch after you return home

We hope and expect that, like most volunteers, you will find it a positive life-changing experience you will never forget.

Employers and admissions value the experience and maturity you will gain and there will certainly be plenty to add to your c.v.

Before your trip

Our UK team is ready to help you prepare for your trip. We understand that everybody has different needs: some volunteers have experience of independent world travel and, for others, this is a first visit to an undeveloped region. Whatever your questions, you are encouraged to phone and email us before you travel to help with your planning and, if you want, to answer any questions your family may have.

We will send you a pre-departure pack with joining instructions, suggestions of what to pack, health awareness and preparations, travelling tips etc.

Some volunteers complete an optional 40-hour distance learning TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification before their trip. This is an internationally recognised qualification which gives good foundations for your teaching skills. The course includes modules on lesson planning, class management and teaching techniques that can be applied widely. These skills will be useful for many aspects of life after Volunteer Uganda, whether directly in teaching or as part of a totally different career.

Induction week

The first week in Kinkizi is an induction and training 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 induction week includes:

• School visits for orientation and insight
• Lesson Observation in Schools
• Talks on local culture, religion, education, health & Uganda's wildlife
• Introduction to the local language (Rukiga)
• Structured seminars on teaching methods and lesson planning.
• Content familiarisation Sessions
• Practice lesson delivery and feedback sessions
• Talks on Health Challenges in Uganda from "Mend the Broken Hearts of Uganda"
• A great barbecue and welcome party at the end of it all!!!

Volunteers grow in confidence over the induction week so when you start teaching you are already quite comfortable teaching.

Personal support & mentoring

You will have support from the Volunteer Uganda team throughout your stay, including a personal mentor assigned to guide you and help deal with any problems that arise during your trip.

The group leader and the head of volunteering live on site to help you make the best impact possible.

Our group leaders are graduates who have taught in the local schools prior to leading groups. They can offer valuable insights as well as using their own understanding of the area and familiarity with our programme to support you in your placement and throughout your trip.

In each school, a member of staff is allocated the role of volunteer mentor. They introduce you to the school culture, show you the content you will be teaching as well as observing your first few lessons to give you support and constructive feedback on your teaching style. Our staff also sit in on volunteers lessons giving you guidance and support to help you become the most inspirational and effective teacher you can be.

So, as well as your colleagues at the school, you will have an experienced support team around you.

When you get home

There is a great community of volunteers from UK, Germany and USA who have visited our projects in Kinkizi over the last ten years. They include students, graduates, voluntary workers, teachers, A-Level students and tourists. Many of them stay closely in touch with each other and some continue to visit Uganda whenever they can.

We hope to repeat the Volunteer Uganda conference, held in September 2009, when the visitors from five countries met in North London to discuss their experiences and help plan our future aims and activities.

We hope that on your return, inspired by your experience you will continue to build the Volunteer Uganda community. You can come to the charities open meetings to give your insights. We also encourage former volunteers to support Volunteer Uganda charities through fundraising and by encouraging friends and family to sponsor.

Meet the local community

Most local people have never spoken to a westerner and many children have never seen a non-African. This means that local people and particularly children are very excited, enthusiastic and fascinated by visitors. It makes teaching both inspiring and rewarding. Combined with the fact that education is not taken for granted, this means that pupils are keen to learn and relish the opportunity of having a westerner teaching them.

Volunteers receive enthusiastic and appreciative support from teachers and staff working full time with the charities.

There are two to four volunteers at each school and sometimes invite volunteers to dinner at their homes. This is a very fulfilling experience which we encourage as we think it gives even greater insight into how people live in rural communities in Africa. We encourage it by offering once a month to pay for the food for a different teacher from each school to invite the volunteers teaching at their school to join them for a family meal.