As a volunteer on this project you will assist with providing daily hands-on support and disability education among families and local communities. Due to lack of support and education around disability awareness in Kampala, many disabled children and adults are hidden from public view by their families. The local culture is built largely around family values and beliefs, and it is expected that children should be able to contribute while at home and then ultimately provide for themselves when they reach adulthood.
However, there are increasing numbers of children born with either mental or physical disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome, who do not have access to support and cannot provide for themselves. There are also many children and adults in Uganda who become disabled through the course of their lives.
This project is well suited to caring and open minded individuals, with an interest to help those those with special needs.
Volunteers tasks will depend on your experience and any relevant qualifications but may include assisting with physiotherapy and rehabilitation for the children or adults, teaching, general supervision, interacting and providing training for the family and supporting community.
Volunteers may not require to have previous experience or training in special needs care to participate as they will be working closely alongside local staff, although relevant experience is required for physiotherapy tasks.
First Day: On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.
Weekdays: A typical volunteer day would be as follows:
7.30 AM Breakfast with the host family.
8.30 AM - 2.00 PM Volunteers travel to their placements and meet with the placement staff. Work and hours at the placement are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at. There is usually a morning tea break and lunch break.
2.00 PM - 5.00 PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to their homestays, go sight seeing, or do some shopping.
7.00 PM - 8.00 PM Dinner with the host family.
Please note, this schedule can vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.
During the weekends, volunteers have free time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Kampala, wider Uganda and Eastern Africa or Kitale Kenya), or to embark on a safari. Sunday is a religious day of rest. If you wish, you can accompany your host family to their local church, as a Uganda church service is a unique and special experience for many volunteers.
Most volunteers fly into the country anytime of the day and you will walk across the tarmac to the arrivals building, and pass through immigration control to the baggage reclaim area. Once you have your luggage, you need to go through customs, and be ready to have your bags opened by security staff as this is done routinely even when you go through the "nothing to declare" channel.
As you walk out of the airport building you will be met by a number of people on the other side of the entrance, waving meeting signs. One of our staff will be there to meet you with a sign, and will greet you with your full name (do not go with anyone who cannot tell you your name).
Volunteers are accommodated predominately in one of two neighboring volunteer host accommodation. This accommodation is based centrally and is within minutes walking distance of the local team’s office, and steps away from cafes and restaurants.
An Accommodation Manager lives in a self-contained apartment onsite, and he is responsible for general maintenance of the accommodation and purchasing food for your meals. The apartments are cleaned once per week by a cleaner, however volunteers are required to keep their rooms and the common areas tidy.
Our staff know all our host families well. In most cases, our staff do background checks with our host family for your preparations. The levels of comfort in these houses do vary, we monitor families regularly to ensure that every host meets our required standards for such things as security, cleanliness, and availability of water.
Volunteers are provided with three meals per day. On weekdays breakfast and dinner is self-catered, and lunch is provided with an african dish and local drink.Food is purchased on a regular basis by the Accommodation Manager, and volunteers have the option to place their specific requests on a whiteboard in the kitchen.
Bread is commonly served with all meals and as it’s made with potatoes it can be quite heavy. Vegetarians dishes are available.
The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of each month, and volunteers need to arrive in Entebbe on the Sunday before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Entebbe International Airport (EBB). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Kampala. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are traveling in Uganda prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Kampala or Entebbe on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our local team at the volunteer base in Kampala. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Uganda – Introduction to Uganda, Culture and Customs, Rules and Expectations, Safety, Language Basics (Luganda), Travel Opportunities, Introduction to Project and Placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Special Needs & Education Supporter
Volunteers on the project assist with providing daily hands-on support and disability education among families and local communities.
$151/week
You requested a page that doesn't exist on this site any more. This could be caused by a link you followed that was out of date, by a typing in the wrong address in the address bar, or simply because the post has been deleted.