Connecting you to free and low fee Volunteer Abroad Opportunities

Volunteering in Rural Villages – Uganda (Fee)

September 7, 2011 by 2 Comments

Mzungu a charity working to provide quality volunteer travel opportunities in Uganda. We focus on displaced children, education, and community development in villages and rural areas around Uganda. We offer the volunteer the ability to provide these villages and people a much needed service at a very affordable price.

Our Charity was established to link like-minded travelers looking to make a difference in African villages where the need is greatest in Uganda while at the same time enjoying some thrilling adventure experiences while they are here.

Our volunteers can experience and take part in life changing service programs where the local staff and communities benefit from the volunteers as well as the financial assistance provided to them by means of supporting rural families and local projects.

Volunteer in Uganda in Kampala, Jinja or Kabale. There are many activities available to you as a volunteer including spending time at a our orphanage taking care of the children, teaching in rural schools, working on building and renovation projects for both schools and safe water, feeding children in a nearby village, and working on farming projects available all year around.

All of the people we work with face a variety of challenges in their lives; from education to health care for their children to safety as well as obtaining secure housing and healthy food. Like all people, they face these challenges with hope and joy as well as dissapointment and sadness. As a volunteer, you will face these and other issues together. You will be asked to challenge yourself and step outside of your comfort zone in many, many ways.

Volunteer Program Costs: We strive hard to keep costs low and offer you the lowest prices with professional services to volunteer abroad.

Secure your place with a one-time donation of $200 to register with Mzungu Volunteers.

Program Fee Uganda Volunteering- (Prices in USD)
1 wk | 2 wks | 3 wks | 4wks | 5 wks | 6 wks | Extra
120 |250    | 350     | 450     | 650   | 750    | 100
This small donation covers the volunteer’s food and accommodation during their stay with us. We look forward to having you and giving you this experience for a lifetime!

  • Accommodations

    Mzungu Volunteers Accommodations,modern and traditional homes .You will be sharing room with other volunteers (we have twin and four bed roomed rooms and outside safari tents).

  • Prerequisites

    Volunteers must be 17 years or older at the beginning of the program. Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference.

  • To Apply, Please contact Kennedy at kennedy@mzunguvolunteers.org or visit www.mzunguvolunteers.org

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How to overcome home sickness while volunteering abroad

December 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Home sickness is defined as distress caused by separation from a specific home environment. Students who join universities and colleges or those who go abroad are affected by homesickness. As they are exposed to different environments and new people they are sometimes overcome by homesickness. Some students don’t get homesick, but there are others who are overwhelmed by the new experience. The main signs and symptoms of homesickness are: Nostalgia, grief, depression, anxiety, topophilia, adjustment disorders, withdrawal, sadness, claustrophobia, and agoraphobia. Homesickness is felt more by the people who are furthest from home for example international volunteers, international students, international workers and expats. Homesickness can strike at any moment, one week into the volunteer abroad work or a month later. It’s natural for volunteers to become homesick as they are many miles away from home and they can’t go back as soon as they want. Here are a couple of remedies to homesickness:

Keep in touch

Keeping in touch with family and old friends who are at home, is one of way of keeping homesickness at bay. The volunteers can use the following to keep in touch: emails, Skype, Facebook, Tweeter, calling and texting. Most of these resources are available in many parts of the world unless the volunteer is in remote areas. The quality of the resources varies depending on the location of the volunteer for example the speed and availability of internet. When feeling lonely and homesick the volunteer could try and communicate with those who are back at home. Talking to them will lift up the spirits of the volunteers. Finding out things that are going on at home will help the volunteer feel connected to their families. Although talking to family and friends is great it should be done to a minimum as too much communication with them will lead the volunteer to feel more homesick. Keeping in touch should be done less and less until the volunteer is used to the new place.

Carry something from home

Carrying something from home could help the volunteer overcome homesickness. Carry things that have some sentimental value and could remind the volunteer of home. The volunteer can carry developed photos, a pillow from home, perfume or cologne of a loved one, favorite movies, music, stuffed animals and an old scrapbook. Having these familiar things will make the place where the volunteer is staying more comfortable. These small mementos remind the volunteers about home and make him or her happy.

Make friends

Making new friends is a great way to get over homesickness. While the volunteer is abroad, s/he should make friends with the local people and other volunteers. As there will be other volunteers working with them, they will help to adjust to the new environment. The other volunteers will help to form a support network whereby they will help solve common problems. The volunteer will be able to talk about his or her feelings about missing home and the others will help them. The other volunteers will cheer up the homesick volunteer. Constantly meeting new people will take the volunteers mind away from home and help to embrace the new environment. Meeting new people will help to fit into the new culture. Spending time with other people cures homesickness.

Keep busy

Volunteers feel homesick the most when they are idle. When they feel homesick the volunteer should look for activities to keep their minds engaged. The volunteers should focus on the volunteer abroad work and look for ways to be more productive. They could stick to a schedule that keeps their minds occupied. When the volunteers are not working, they look for other interests and hobbies that will keep them busy. They should try to keep up with their hobbies while they are abroad. They should take this opportunity to make the most of their stay by visiting new places and finding out new experiences. The busier the volunteer is the less time s/he will be feel homesick.

For more information and great deals on volunteering in Kenya visit http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org

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Volunteer abroad programs for teenagers

December 1, 2010 by 2 Comments

Volunteer abroad programs for teenagers

There are teenagers who want to give back to the society and some want to travel abroad to help those with needs. Teenagers who want to volunteer abroad could be the age of 13 to 19 years. Teenagers bring incredible energy and enthusiasm to the volunteer abroad programs. There are many volunteer abroad programs which include: teaching, orphanage work, HIV/AIDS work, Community development, health or medical programs. Many of these programs don’t require any qualifications and anyone can apply for them. Choosing a program depends on the volunteer likes, skills, qualifications and strengths.  Although there are various options available for the teens there are some which are best suited for them. Here are a couple of programs that are popular volunteer abroad programs for teenagers:

Volunteer sports programs

Depending on the country they are going to, there are a number of volunteer sports programs. In the sports programs the volunteer could be expected to teach various sports to the participants. The participants are normally kids and other teens. The sports include football, rugby, extreme sports, basketball, tennis and other sports. . The main role for the volunteers will be acting as a coach, and they will be responsible for teaching the rules of the sports. Other roles will include: preparing and implementing sports camps, planning sports lessons, fostering local talents and preparing tournaments. Anyone can volunteer in these programs, but athletic ones and those who love sports are the ones who are better placed for such programs.

Volunteer teaching programs

Volunteers will teach public schools, orphanages and community schools.. The volunteer will be involved in teaching English, Math, Science, Music, social Studies and physical education.  The volunteers will partner with local teachers and other volunteers to provide proper education to the children. The teens who are best suited for this program are the ones who like kids; enjoy teaching, and prefer certain subjects. The roles and responsibilities include: Spending time with the kids; Work as a teaching assistant; Work as a social worker with the Administrator; Help in cooking and cleaning; Help in sports activities; and Playing with the kids

Volunteer orphanage work

Volunteer orphanage work involves working with kids who have lost their parents or have a single parent but the parent can’t support the family. The kids in the orphanage range between the ages of 3 to 18 years. The volunteer will be expected to help out in the orphanage. Most of the work that will be done will be early in the mornings and in the afternoons, during the day the children in the orphanage will be in school. The main roles and responsibilities include: taking care of the kids, feeding the children, playing with the kids, washing them, helping out with their homework and mentoring the children. The volunteers who do this work are the ones who love kids, patient and fun loving.

Wildlife programs

Wildlife conservation programs deals with a host of animals. The programs could include land animals and marine life. The programs are in the animals habitats meaning in some programs the volunteers will be working in a jungle, in the ocean, game parks and deserts. The main roles and responsibilities include rescuing animals, help in making censuses, researching on the wild animals, prevention of poaching, rehabilitation of the animals, study behavioral patterns of animals. These programs are for volunteers who love working with animals; don’t mind basic conditions and can stay in the wild for long periods of time.

For more information and great deals on volunteering in Africa programs visit http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org

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Choosing the best time to volunteer abroad

November 16, 2010 by 1 Comment

One overlooked item when planning to volunteer abroad is time. Many volunteers look at project location, program, project duration and cost. Many of them don’t factor in the best time to of the year to volunteer abroad. As with travelling abroad, time of the year to volunteer overseas is influenced by many factors. Some of these factors include, season, weather, peak, and off peak .Finding the best time to volunteer has many advantages as you can make most of budget deals and volunteer work. Although predicting when is the best time to volunteer overseas or travel abroad is not an exact science volunteers should make the most of the advice available. Not planning when to volunteer abroad leads to many participants being disappointed and frustrated. In order to avoid being disappointed volunteers should choose the best time to volunteer abroad by considering the following:

Volunteer abroad program

There are numerous programs being offered to potential volunteers, but some are time sensitive. For example volunteer conservation projects which involve animals and marine life. This is because most animals migrate from one region and move to other regions. For example wildebeest migration from Kenya to Tanzania occurs between March to July, in the following months there will be few wildebeest left in Kenya until the months of August and September. The migration patterns are not easy to predict and one should be careful when planning short volunteer programs. Apart from wildlife and marine programs, there are others like Volunteer teaching whereby they are not available. During certain months the schools are closed and the programs cannot go on.  As volunteer, one should work with the school calendar and migration patterns in order not to miss out.

Holidays

When leaving home for another country the volunteers should consider public holidays of the countries they are going to. Most public holidays are only a day and in those days many government offices and some public institutions are closed. Others are much longer and meaning accessing the government offices are closed. Apart from national holidays there are religious holidays like Christmas, Ramadan, Easter, Lent, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Hanukkah, and Boxing Day. Other holidays include Labor Day, New years day which are celebrated in different days of the year depending on the country. These days will affect your volunteer vacation as most people will not be working in those days. Knowing significant holidays on the country the volunteering helps you to plan on the best days to visit. Some volunteers go to certain countries in order to see how they celebrate their national holidays for example many people go to see bull fighting in Spain.

Budgets

Visiting countries during the high seasons or peak seasons things are very expensive. Hotels and hostel, airfares and restaurants are very highly priced during this period. Not planning when to volunteer abroad leads to many participants being disappointed and frustrated. Peak and off peak seasons vary according to where the volunteer is, in s/he is at home it could be off peak but it could be peak to where they are going. To take advantage of budget deals the volunteers should constantly look at airline websites and to find out which is the best time to buy airline tickets. The best time for any volunteer to travel is normally during the shoulder seasons, this is normally during the high and low season. This is when airlines, hotels and hostels offer the best deals on the seasons. Also during this time other volunteers will be available. During the off-peak season there are normally fewer volunteers and foreigners. Sometimes with volunteer will be the only foreigner and could be very lonely.

Season

Lastly, volunteers should consider in which season they are travelling. They should consider the season of the destination country rather than their own. In certain seasons it’s not practical to volunteer due to weather patterns. In Florida for example during the months of June to September is tornado season and it is normally difficult for volunteers. Also in certain parts of Africa, especially in rural areas due to heavy rainfall there is normally flash flooding and the rivers burst their banks. With the flooding it is hard to access basic resources and moving around is very difficult. In other parts of the world there are typhoon seasons in which the volunteer should try and avoid. In certain seasons there is a high prevalent of diseases for example Malaria infection is highest during the rainy seasons.

For more information on volunteering in Africa visit http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/kenya.aspx

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Lessons learnt while volunteering abroad

November 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment
“You are not in Kansas anymore.” Is a famous quote from the story the wizard of Oz. It’s the same feeling most international volunteers feel when they are volunteering abroad. However much a person has travelled and places a person has been to, there are always new experiences and new lessons to be learnt while you are abroad. At home we get used to the way things are and how they should be. When we go abroad everything changes, for example if you are used to eating using forks and knives, there are other places like in Africa where they mostly use their hands to eat. In Japan and china people use mostly chopsticks for their meals.  As an international volunteer you will see how people do things differently and since you can’t change them you will have to change yourself and adjust to the new conditions. Here are a couple of lessons you will learn while you volunteer abroad
About yourself
When you are volunteering abroad, you will get to have a new cultural experience and see how that part of the world is. You will see their traditions, customs and their beliefs. When you are exposed to their virtues, values and vices you get to appreciate your culture more. You will see how different your culture is from theirs. While you are abroad, you will learn new things about yourself that you didn’t know. You will find out how you don’t so many things. You will learn to be more flexible, and it will be easier for you to adjust to new conditions. You will learn how to get by with less and make the most of what you have. You will be able to come up with creative solutions and out of the box like thinking to solve problems. At the end of your volunteer work you will be more mature and more adept to understanding situations. Generally you will become a better human being and learn to be patient in order to get along with people
Languages
If you want to learn a language properly, going to a country that speaks the language will be the fastest way to do it. If you want to speak Spanish, going to Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries will help you grasp the language faster. Being there will give you a chance to learn and practice the language. When you are in third world countries you will be able to pick up other local languages that are spoken. For example in Kenya they official language is English but they also speak Kiswahili and when you volunteer in Kenya you will be able to pick up the Kiswahili language as well. Learning to speak various languages will put you in a better position and you will be able to work anywhere while at the same time travel to any part of the world.
Safety
While you volunteer abroad you will always be conscience of your safety. You would have known how to keep your important things safe from being stolen and how to keep yourself from harm. You will also know how to avoid problems that could comprise your safety. For example as a lady you will know it’s not advisable not to wear too much jewelry as they will attract negative attention. Also you would know which clothes that would offend the local people. Being abroad teaches you how to interact with local without leading to disputes and also helps you in problem solving.
Days
There will always be good and bad days wherever you are. Good days are awesome especially in a new place. Bad days are much worse while you are abroad because you don’t know how to react in such situations. A bad day could be like when you lose important documents or have a bad encounter with one of the locals. In such occasions you will learn ways to solve your problems and moving on. One of my favorite ways is stepping back, laugh at the situation then you will be able to come up with a solution. Smiling with people also helps to solve problems that you could be having with people. As foreigners travelling in a country it is best to stay positive even though our situation could be dire.
Document your experience
Volunteers keep blogs, websites, journals, photos and videos to document their travel experience. Later on in life many past volunteer wish that they took more photos or wrote more to remind them of their experience. Doing all this will be great especially if you are telling your friend s about your trip abroad.

“You are not in Kansas anymore.” Is a famous quote from the story the wizard of Oz. It’s the same feeling most international volunteers feel when they are volunteering abroad. However much a person has travelled and places a person has been to, there are always new experiences and new lessons to be learnt while you are abroad. At home we get used to the way things are and how they should be. When we go abroad everything changes, for example if you are used to eating using forks and knives, there are other places like in Africa where they mostly use their hands to eat. In Japan and china people use mostly chopsticks for their meals.  As an international volunteer you will see how people do things differently and since you can’t change them you will have to change yourself and adjust to the new conditions. Here are a couple of lessons you will learn while you volunteer abroad

About yourself
When you are volunteering abroad, you will get to have a new cultural experience and see how that part of the world is. You will see their traditions, customs and their beliefs. When you are exposed to their virtues, values and vices you get to appreciate your culture more. You will see how different your culture is from theirs. While you are abroad, you will learn new things about yourself that you didn’t know. You will find out how you don’t so many things. You will learn to be more flexible, and it will be easier for you to adjust to new conditions. You will learn how to get by with less and make the most of what you have. You will be able to come up with creative solutions and out of the box like thinking to solve problems. At the end of your volunteer work you will be more mature and more adept to understanding situations. Generally you will become a better human being and learn to be patient in order to get along with people

Languages
If you want to learn a language properly, going to a country that speaks the language will be the fastest way to do it. If you want to speak Spanish, going to Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries will help you grasp the language faster. Being there will give you a chance to learn and practice the language. When you are in third world countries you will be able to pick up other local languages that are spoken. For example in Kenya they official language is English but they also speak Kiswahili and when you volunteer in Kenya you will be able to pick up the Kiswahili language as well. Learning to speak various languages will put you in a better position and you will be able to work anywhere while at the same time travel to any part of the world.

Safety
While you volunteer abroad you will always be conscience of your safety. You would have known how to keep your important things safe from being stolen and how to keep yourself from harm. You will also know how to avoid problems that could comprise your safety. For example as a lady you will know it’s not advisable not to wear too much jewelry as they will attract negative attention. Also you would know which clothes that would offend the local people. Being abroad teaches you how to interact with local without leading to disputes and also helps you in problem solving.

Days
There will always be good and bad days wherever you are. Good days are awesome especially in a new place. Bad days are much worse while you are abroad because you don’t know how to react in such situations. A bad day could be like when you lose important documents or have a bad encounter with one of the locals. In such occasions you will learn ways to solve your problems and moving on. One of my favorite ways is stepping back, laugh at the situation then you will be able to come up with a solution. Smiling with people also helps to solve problems that you could be having with people. As foreigners travelling in a country it is best to stay positive even though our situation could be dire.
Document your experience
Volunteers keep blogs, websites, journals, photos and videos to document their travel experience. Later on in life many past volunteer wish that they took more photos or wrote more to remind them of their experience. Doing all this will be great especially if you are telling your friend s about your trip abroad.

For more information and great deals on volunteering in Africa visit http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org/kenya.aspx

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