This is a grass roots, life changing experience living and working with the caring, dedicated staff of a school in beautiful rural Uganda, where the emphasis is on volunteer fulfilment and enjoyment as well as benefit to the project. Help is needed to teach and play with the children, many of whom are orphans, and to repair and build much needed resources. Volunteers are offered a wide range of roles working with and for the children of this very poor subsistence community. There are also opportunities for working with the parents and local community. Volunteer fees are very low. All fees go straight to benefit and develop the school.
The staff and children of the school are wonderful. They are shy at first but quickly form a relationship with you and you can have a lot of fun together. The best gift you give them is the experience that someone from that wealthy world that they know exists out there, cares about them. You can become involved in a range of programs that appeal to your personal interests and skills.
After you have settled into your accommodation, Robinah the volunteer Director and Head Mistress will discuss all this with you to ensure that you do the things with which you are comfortable, so that the children and staff benefit and you enjoy your time at the school as much as possible. This is an environment where the happiness and well being of the volunteer is considered paramount. If there any problems at any time, the Project Manager, Head Mistress and other staff will always be there to help you. We want you to be happy, safe and have a good experience.
When emailing the Project Manager, Moses Owino, please remember that he can only get to a computer about once a week and also to make sure that your volunteer time falls during a term time. Community and catch up learners work is available outside term time.
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Please note this once a week email access does not apply to volunteers who may access their emails at any time via facilities at Bujagali Falls – one mile away from the school.
Website: www.volunteerugandaschool.com
Many children at the school are orphans living with extended family. There are children living alone with siblings and where the head of the family is the oldest child.Children range in age from 6 - 17 as it often takes them that long to complete primary school, if they ever do. Lack of money and the pressures on time of subsistence farming can be insurmountable problems.The children need help to express themselves on paper in English and you can use that as a platform for English language development and understanding English with a non African accent working with groups of up to 10 using shared writing as a medium as it's less threatening than doing it alone. That can come later. Products of writing sessions to be made into reading books for use with younger children in the school for learning to read English - products become resources, then.
Other valuable things volunteers can do with the children are reading stories, hearing children read, art work, football, netball, hockey, music. In fact task creativity/innovation from the volunteers is welcomed. Just relating to and playing with the children is valuable. Teachers don't have time to teach more peripheral subjects due to curriculum pressures. Music and singing with the children would be a wonderful, life enhancing treat for them as would teaching them new games to play. There is repair work and possibly construction work at the school which badly needs a secure store so anyone with building experience would be valued. The school doesn't have any goalposts another potential volunteer task. Carpentry, glazing...... the possibilities are endless and you will soon discover them when you're there. Staff are very open to ideas. Volunteers usually undertake the following activities, but the Project is always open to new ideas:- * Work with groups (4 or 10) of children out of class providing much needed writing, reading and spoken language tuition. Teachers are unable to give this level of attention to children due to the huge class sizes.
* Produce written and illustrated books with the older children for use with the younger children at the school who are just learning English
*Support the children and teacher by assisting in class.
* Teach art to groups of children children almost NEVER have the opportunity to draw and paint.
* Teach music and singing to groups or classes of children. If you choose to do it with the whole class, a teacher at the school will support you.
* Demonstrate science experiments and teach the children that science is fun. Research this before you come!
* Teach maths in groups or in class
* Organize games after school. Football, netball, rounders. Simply teach the children any games you know. They are sure to be new to these children.
* Self esteem work, hygiene and self care
* Teach children polite ways to speak and relate they are often culturally unaware of western manners which can disadvantage them when they are relating to westerners.
* Organize and/or help at a homework club. Most children don't have the opportunity for studying at home
* Visit children's homes and liaise with parents concerning any difficulties/needs
*Carry out renovation work at the school. There is a need for repair work involving carpentry skills.
*Building work, repair to paths, plaster work etc.
* There is a need for building work such as building a secure store room for resources when they eventually earn enough to buy some. You could work with members of the local community doing this or similar building projects. Highlights: - Living with an extended Ugandan family thus ensuring that you are never lonely and have an experience of the real Africa.
- Full participation in family life, including any weekend activities and going to Church if you choose. There is not pressure for you to do this.
- The possibilities of leisure activities at Bujagali Falls and in Jinja town. Quad biking, white water rafting, bungee jumping, discos, restaurants not even the most expensive is expensive by European standards.
- You can organize tours of the capital, Kampala
- You can go on a safari or two! The end of a placement is often a good time to do this.
- Other sightseeing trips there are many possibilitiesQualifications: Volunteers need to be 18 years old at the time of application. There is no upper limit. No qualifications are needed. We just want anyone who is ready to offer his or her time serving the children of the school and the local community in an open hearted, generous and understanding way.
Languages: English
Cost in US$: $400 a month
Cost Includes Description:
Accommodation with the Project Manager and his family in the newly built and furnished volunteer accommodation. Breakfast and lunch included each day. Dinner is for a very small extra fee by request the day before – this is to leave volunteers free to go out and have fun in the evenings with other volunteers they will meet.
Experience Required: no
Typical Volunteer: Someone with an open heart, who is keen to have a real experience of Africa, who realizes that they will gain as much, if not more, than they will give.
Age Range: 18+ with no upper limitThis Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals
Typical Living Arrangements:
Home stay in new, purpose built accommodation with the Project Manager and his lovely family - or alternative accommodation nearby, but the latter is not included in the project fee.
Participants Travel to Uganda Independently
Typically Participants Work Independently or in small Groups
Application Process Involves:
- A Simple Written Application which may be sent by email.
Post Services Include:
- Exit Debriefing Abroad - if the volunteer would like this.
Contact: The Project Manager: Moses Owino
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Phone number +256782460012
Please don’t be put off if Moses takes up to a week to reply this is due to his teaching and family commitments as well as to his running the project and looking after the volunteers already there. (Volunteers can access email daily at a facility one mile from the school.)
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