Uganda Lodge

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:

1. To make new friends
2. To build personal and professional contacts
3. To build your self-esteem and self-confidence    
4. To develop new job skills
5. To make a difference in the world
6. To increase personal satisfaction
7. To add experience to your resume
8. To develop people
9. To develop communication skills
10. To do something as a family
11. To explore career possibilities
12. To feel needed and appreciated
13. To share your skills with others
14. To be challenged
15. To do something different
16. To earn academic credit
17. To improve your health
18. 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.

Skills, Trades and  Qualifications.

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