Are you thinking of volunteering?

annmcc — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:34:44 +0000

Who Can Volunteer?

Volunteering in Africa is for any age group, it is not something reserved exclusively for ‘Gap Year’ students.
Its always a good idea to talk with someone who has actually visited the project, so you can ask questions and get a feel for whether or not the project is something you would like to be involved in.
At Uganda Lodge volunteering is suitable for whole families, motivated and self-reliant teenagers, and also seniors who are fairly mobile – there are no steps but the ground can be uneven.

Why Volunteer?

Have you thought about the benefits you will get from volunteering? If you consider the many benefits you will receive, you will be asking yourself why you aren’t more involved with helping a cause. You will get more out of your volunteer experience than you put into it. Dont hesitate to identify and donate some of your time to a worthy volunteer opportunity. You will be glad you did. Consider some of these reasons to donate your time and efforts:

To make new friends
To build personal and professional contacts
To build your self-esteem and self-confidence
To develop new job skills
To make a difference in the world
To increase personal satisfaction
To add experience to your resume
To develop people
To develop communication skills
To do something as a family
To explore career possibilities
To feel needed and appreciated
To share your skills with others
To be challenged
To do something different
To earn academic credit
To improve your health
To have fun!

What can I do?

Don’t think you have to have a degree or some other qualifications or a trade skill on your CV . Anyone with a western education can offer help simply by sharing their experiences of life and general knowledge with these village people.

You really need to be fluent in English, and even if you are not a teacher you can go into the classrooms and hold conversations with older children in several nearby schools. They badly need help if they are to pass their exams as some of the teachers themselves are not too good!

Children at our own Nursery School and the P1 and P2 classses in the primary schools love help from visitors to learn new nursery rhymes and action songs, or simply talking about pictures in books.

We have a series of educational interactive DVD’s that are already translated into Runyankole, and they can be facilitated by volunteers both at Uganda Lodge using the TV or in the heart of the villages on portable DVD players.

Skills, Trades and Qualifications.

If you have a specific interest, for example singing & music, or sports. or arts & crafts, or you have medical experience, or computer knowledge, or have a trade such as a builder or a welder, then if you wish, we can utilise these skills and match them with work and training that can be done around Uganda Lodge.

What will it Cost me to Volunteer?

For your food and accommodation whilst staying at Uganda Lodge we charge 210,000 Ugx per week, approx £75. This can be negotiable if you stay for a long period and/or are sharing a room. However please bear in mind that ALL profits stay within the project and are helping to upgrade facilities for both villagers and future guests.

We currently do not charge any marketing or registration fees, all the background work is done for free. However we do ask for at least two weeks to be paid as a deposit to prevent the staff and community in general being disappointed.

You are also welcome to bring some extra money with you – perhaps from a fund-raising event - that with some consultationyou can spend on a project of your own choice as you see a need.

Why Should I pay to Volunteer?

A good question, please let me explain. In Uganda, as in most developing nations, there are many highly qualified young people who are coming out of universities with degrees but who still cannot find jobs…they simply are not out there.

If a project has enough money to pay a salary, or indeed even support a person by providing transport, food and accommodation then the leaders of this project should be spending the money on the nationals from the country itself and not supporting overseas visitors.

This is why I firmly believe that any reputable NGO or Charity or Project should not be offering free placements. I also believe that volunteers should not be asked to pay out for large placement or management fees, and should ensure that anything over the basic costs of their stay should actually benefit the community they are working in.

Latest News

Camilla and Joanna, two Swedish friends arrived in Uganda on 8th April for six weeks, to do research amongst the local villagers for a university project. They were met by Denis at the airport and all three went down to Uganda Lodge on the bus.

June 2009

Ann is returning to Uganda Lodge for a month to try and oversee the opening of the Craft-Centre/Workshop at Uganda Lodge

Schools – Nursery, Primary & Senior

annmcc — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:03:14 +0000

Nursery School

We started our very own Nursery School at Uganda Lodge in May 2008 and now have over 40 students attending each day. They range in age from 2 – 7 years and we aim to have them speaking, reading and writing some English by the time they reach primary school.

Volunteers have brought in a variety of reading books (Ladybird Series are especially good) plus wall posters, colouring books, crayons, pencils and pens, and various toys (dolls, toy vehicles and building bricks)

We took advantage of Woolworth’s closing down sale in the UK and bought a selection of navy blue trousers, pinafore dresses and white shirts. Now the children are very smart in their new uniforms.

They arrive at school at 8am and have a break for breakfast – a mug of weak maize meal porridge called posho – at 9.30am.

Lessons continue until 12.30 when some return home and others stay to either eat a lunch they have ordered from the Lodge kitchens or one they brought in a plastic bucket. The afternoon session begins at 2pm until 4pm and usually usually includes sleep time for the youngest children.

We have set the school fee low as we appreciate many villager parents/carers have little disposable income. We have explained that teachers salaries, breakfasts and teaching aids must be covered by charging fees, because although the school was built from ‘Mzungu’ funding they cannot expect handouts forever – they must be self-financing.

Primary School

There are two primary schools within walking distance of Uganda Lodge, and many children from the surrounding villages attend for at least a few years. Although these government schools are ‘free’ for the first four children in a family, they still have to pay for uniforms, lunches, writing materials and donations towards building funds plus teachers salaries. If this is not paid up, they are often chased back home.

The children are usually expected to collect water and wood both before and after school, or alternatively you see small children in their school uniform walking along the road with a rake or a hoe. But they are all very keen to attend and never play truant – unless the parents purposefully keep them away to work on the farms or look after younger siblings.

Senior School

There is one government senior school in the locality which pupils who have completed and passed all the exams from seven years of primary schooling can attend. Many of these pupils come from great distances so they board either weekly or for the whole term. In theory lessons are held in English, but in practice they often have to be translated as many primary teachers do not have a high standard of English themselves.

A new private senior school has recently been opened in Nyamahani and so far classes are held for the first two years of high school – S1 and S2 The headmaster is requesting me to find a full-time qualified volunteer teacher to assist at his school.

Volunteers

This is an area where English-speaking volunteers can be especially helpful to students of all ages simply by assisting with reading or having conversations with them. No previous teaching or TEFL experience is needed, although if you do have a TEFL certificate you will have more understanding of exactly the best way to help.

Students also love volunteers to join in with playing sports or sharing in art and craft subjects.If you happen to be staying at the Lodge during school holidays (Dec+Jan; mid April-midMay; mid Sept- mid Oct) we have many parents who would like their children to attend informal “holiday classes”. Depending on your skills and interests we can help you organise these activities

Uganda Lodge » teaching

Are you thinking of volunteering?

Schools – Nursery, Primary & Senior