Education/Teaching Assistant
For education and learning project we place volunteers in Nursery, primary, secondary
and vocational schools. This is for both children, teenagers and youth groups.
Volunteers on the Teaching project are placed in the local Schools where they work
alongside local teachers. Typical subjects include English, Maths, Sports, arts, Music
etc. Students can range in age from 3 to 18 years. As volunteers work with the support
of GNUVF’s local team and placement staff, they do not need to be qualified or
experienced t eachers to participate. However, we encourage volunteers to come
prepared by completing some relevant training, like a teaching English as a foreign
language Schools
Sustainable Farming / Agriculture
This is for those who love spending time in nature and getting their hands dirty, they will
do farming/ agriculture, plant some seeds and trees etc. Empower communities to
practice sustainable agriculture. They will help alleviate poverty and hunger through
their efforts in agricultural development or support the conservation of ancient practices.
Organic gardening, ploughing the field with the help of hoes.
This will be a hands-on experience where they will be helping with tasks such as:
Crop farming
Planting and Weeding trees.
Animal farming
Fertilizing
Teaching techniques to the community
Making chicken coops
Compost stations
Seedling boxed and station
Tree planting
Certain projects focus on sustainability and being self-sufficient. This will involve the
volunteer to help with daily task and increase awareness. It gives volunteers the chance
to learn sustainable habits and take them home with them. By joining one of these
projects, you are supporting the community by taking part and lessening the load. They
will also be contributing to the conservation of some of the oldest agricultural practices.
Other agriculture volunteer projects are set up to support communities that are lacking
agricultural skills and know how. The task of the volunteer is to teach agricultural
practices and help communities become self-sufficient. Volunteers for agriculture help
increase the quality of life within the local community. Some of the things they will be
teaching during a project focused on agricultural development are:
Efficient use of the land
Natural pest control
Soil conservation
Income generation from agriculture
Volunteers for agriculture learn how crucial it is to humankind. Learn invaluable
(organic) farming techniques and take the opportunity to connect with the local
community while helping them grow.
Community development
Participants in this project work with vulnerable grass root communities focused on
improving the quality of life through a wide variety of community development initiatives,
including agriculture, adult education programs, income-generation activities, such as
poultry and livestock rearing, construction projects in school and communities, and
more. Volunteers with this project must be open minded, creative and adapt to the
realities of everyday life in rural Ugandan communities.
Water, Sanitation and hygiene
WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Due to their
interdependent nature, these three core issues are grouped together to represent a
growing sector. While each a separate field of work, each is dependent on the presence
of the other. For example, without toilets, water sources become contaminated; without
clean water, basic hygiene practices are not possible.
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) entails the provision of safe water for
drinking and other domestic use, the safe disposal of waste (toilet and other waste) and
health promotion activities to encourage protective healthy behavioral practices
amongst the population. Nearly 90 percent of Uganda’s 37 million people live in small
towns and rural areas, and roughly two thirds of them lack access to safe water.
What will a volunteer do?
As mentioned above, the main traditional sources of water in most part of rural Uganda
are small ponds and unprotected wells, both of which are easily polluted, causing
disease and ill-health. The ultimate goal of volunteering effort is to be able to help these
communities to access safe sustainable clean water for their home use.
Volunteers in this field work alongside local communities to ensure that water,
sanitation, and hygiene project, programs, and awareness are implemented effectively,
professionally, and in accordance with the culture and practices of the local population.
Since there are so many processes involved in bringing clean water and sanitation to
the communities, volunteers can choose among our three WASH project components
including water construction and engineering, construction of Pit Latrines, and
community healthy outreach.
- WATER CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION OF POOR STRUCTURES IN THE
COMMUNITIES. Volunteers taking on this component work in manual labor such
as digging the water wells, constructing of Spring Water Well and digging of
trenches alongside skilled and unskilled local builders to help with the construction
work. Volunteers can also help in the Construction and renovation of Boreholes
and water wells and Provide Technical Advice and skills to the WASH team in
water. Both of these fields are fundamental in creating a working water system.
Much of this type of volunteer work requires physical labor, in sometimes
extremely conditions Volunteers working on the construction or engineering
components of clean water projects abroad should be well prepared for these
conditions upon arrival.
- CONSTRUCTION OF PIT LATRINES AND HAND WASHING FACILITIES, Goal:
Ensuring everyone has access to a toilet is goal 6 of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals: “By 2030, achieve access to adequate and
equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special
attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.”
Volunteers will work alongside skilled and unskilled local builders to help with the
construction work. These projects will be contributing and supporting the capacity
building of rural communities through intercultural learning experience. You do not need
prior experience this projects. These are a very hand on, hands-dirty sort of program.
Enthusiasm, a good sense of humor, and a helping spirit are required.
Women Empowerment.
Those who choose to volunteer for the women and girl empowerment would have the
chance to work with disadvantaged women and girls towards their upliftment.
Volunteers are involved in teaching, providing awareness on women’s rights,
reproductive health, domestic violence, gender equality. How they can start up income
generating activities to support their families and more. Volunteering for women in
Uganda is of a great importance as it can bring about a paradigm change in this gender
section. Making them aware of global trends, and helping them learn a skill that can
help them become an independent individual is the ultimate objective of this volunteer
program. Volunteers interested in the cause of upliftment of the women and making a
difference in their lives would find this project fulfilling and rewarding.
Volunteers working for women empowerment will be expected to fulfil the following
tasks on a daily basis.
- Work with women to teach them saving skills, sewing, art and craft, cooking,
computer and other skills which can help them in their daily lives. - Assist the local staff in organizing adult literacy classes for women.
- Volunteers are free to bring in new ideas that can help empower the women.
Skills Development
Children in Uganda are mostly active and physically fit, but we lack professional sport
training. The favorite game here is football (soccer) – every boy dreams of being a
football player. Thus football coaches would be most welcome. Children and youth are
very open to other sports too, like volleyball, basketball, karate, etc. So if volunteers can
train any sport and love working with children, they will absolutely enjoy it because the
kids are very eager to learn! New types of sports.
Public, Community health And Medical
Can you communicate important information in creative ways? Do you want to learn the
reality on the ground regarding public health in Uganda? Do you like camping? In this
program, volunteers work alongside local counselors and health care professionals, in a
variety of remote locations, designed to help Ugandans stay healthy and make informed
decisions about their health care.
Volunteers talk to people in schools and communities about issues directly affecting
them. You’ll design and conduct seminars based on subjects such as community
sanitation, household and personal hygiene, nutrition, malaria prevention, sex
education, HIV prevention and AIDS care, etc. Basic training and educational materials
are on site, but volunteers are encouraged to bring new materials as well.
International volunteers are needed to work in public health improvement in rural
communities in Uganda. In this program, volunteers work alongside local counselors
and health care professionals, in a variety of locations, designed to help Ugandans stay
healthy and make good decisions about their health care.
Volunteers can also work in clinics and maternity hospitals talking directly to women and
girls about safe sex, family planning, maternal and child health, and nutrition.
Volunteers are involved in the lab and pharmacy, as well.
This program may involve walking long distances in the sun. Volunteers should bring a
hat and walking shoes. As you’ll be working off the beaten track, expect to ride to work
on the back of a motorcycle.
Volunteers are given a private room at the host organization as their home base. All
have electricity, some have running water. When work is done in surrounding villages,
you’ll commute by motorcycle. If outreaches are longer than one day, volunteers camp
with fellow staff in the village.
This program is perfect for volunteers who love talking to people and really want to see
the reality on the ground regarding public health in Uganda.
Typical day
The schedule is flexible and includes some or all activities offered by the program.
Other activities such as teaching, youth mentoring, and vegetable gardening may be on
offer by the host organization. Volunteers are encouraged to dig in and try everything.
The exchange of ideas, experiences, and culture is highly encouraged.
Free-time activities
Uganda is a beautiful, peaceful, fun and very welcoming country. Volunteers can easily
meet up on weekends to travel. Popular tourist activities in Uganda include wildlife
safari, white water rafting and bungee jumping on the River Nile, chimpanzee and
gorilla tracking, nature walks and forest hikes. Volunteers are encouraged to see as
much of the country as possible. Volunteers are provided with assistance in setting up
tourist activities either before or after arrival.
We also encourage volunteers to visit each other at their respective program
placements. We find volunteers learn more about grassroots development, locally led
initiatives and themselves, the more they see and do while in Uganda. All volunteers
are provided with contact information for each other before and after arrival.
The healthcare/ medical volunteer program takes you to some of the rural hospitals,
clinics, small communities or orphanages, sub-urban medical centers to provide
checkups and basic medical care, early intervention-provide services for infants and
toddlers under three years of age who may have or be at risk of developmental delay,
family planning-provide information about birth control methods or help in planning the
number and spacing of children, if and when you decide to become pregnant, health
care-help child care provides to improve the health and well-being of children in their
care.
New born hearing screening. Information about an important program to identify early
hearing loss in infants. School health-information for parents’ nurses and others
interested in keeping school aged children healthy and ready to learn sanitation and
hygiene, nutrition Waste management.
AIM: To improve health in rural communities through educating and engaging people in
health programs. We need medical volunteers or interns to join our Public health &
medical care project and sustainably change the health, and hygiene of Uganda’s rural
people.
Medical volunteering program work under the supervision of professional doctors,
nurses and support staff, and assist them in the treatment of patients. The amount of
hands-on work will depend on the knowledge and skill level of the medical volunteer.
For students, there is a supervisor (doctor or nurse) with them as they are doing their
work. For doctors, they will be with their fellow doctors. This is a great opportunity for
volunteers to become familiarized with the practices of African hospitals specifically in
Ugandan hospitals. Many patients do not speak English; however the doctors and
fellow medical staff can assist with translating.
If you have an educational background in public health, then you can also participate in
this project by helping the staff to record injections or immunizations, helping to
dispense medications, beginning a painting or cleaning project, donating supplies,
giving educational seminars on nursing skills, nutrition or any other subject that is
required in the community you are placed.
The number of hours depends on the volunteer’s needs, as the hospital is 24/7.
Normally, volunteers will work for 6-8 hours, but we have had some volunteers who
have chosen to work full-time for a 12-hour shift. This is the length of a typical shift for
people working at Uganda hospital.
Volunteers should come with their own scrubs and a stethoscope, if necessary. In
addition, if volunteers are volunteering through an organization, school etc. They may
bring any hospital supplies to the hospital in Uganda as it may be necessary. It is very
helpful to the medical project if volunteers provide additional supplies.
Placements will vary from day to day sometimes you might be assisting experienced
doctors or helping patients, conducting tests, research or generally cleaning and
assisting. Some days you might need to wake up early to travel to clinics and work
throughout the day. It’s not all work though, there will be a lot of time to relax and
socialize with other international volunteers. You might also be working on outreach
programs in the capital city where you can help some of the needy people in the
country.
Social Gerontology (Elderly Care)
GNUVFs affordable Elderly Care volunteer projects are well suited to caring and patient
volunteers who are comfortable assisting with a range of duties within elderly care
centers. In many of our project locations, the responsibility of caring for the elderly is
often left to social services if families cannot provide adequate support to their elders,
and the support of international volunteers within these centers and homes is greatly
appreciated. Volunteer work varies by location but can include recreation and
stimulation, feeding, physical therapy, as well as help with cleaning and maintaining
facilities.
In addition to the operational support, the friendship, cross-cultural sharing, and mental
stimulation that international volunteers provide is invaluable in supporting their overall
health and wellbeing of the elders.
You can choose to volunteer for durations ranging from 4 weeks to 24 weeks and you
don’t need any specific qualifications or experience to participate on an Elderly Care
project. If you’re a qualified or training healthcare practitioner, these projects welcome
those seeking healthcare or physiotherapy volunteer opportunities abroad.
For internship we also have the same projects like the ones above with similar tasks.