Community Outreach Worker

  Uganda

Mukono

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: year round

Description: The Real Uganda places volunteers with a number of small community based organizations. Community outreach placements can include youth mentoring, HIV prevention and AIDS care, home visiting, sanitation and hygiene, public health, womens groups focusing on vocational skills and womens rights, and teaching modern organic farming methods. For volunteers with a medical background, placements can include working with health-based organizations. Let us know and we'll figure out a good placement for your skills and interests.

Volunteers work alongside Ugandans in programs directly benefiting local communities all over South Central Uganda. Expect to take part in an ever changing schedule made up of home visits and public speaking and mentoring youth and youth leaders respecting the above.

Highlights: A community outreach placement is particularly appropriate for volunteers with great ideas and enthusiasm for grassroots development. This is a real opportunity for deep cultural exchange.

Community outreach placements can also include a formal classroom teaching element. Volunteers can teach arts and crafts, structured play, music/singing, sports, health, and academics. The main focus is to provide children with a loving, creative environment in which to flourish.

For all community outreach placements, accommodation and daily meals will be provided within the village of placement, and will range from private apartments to rooms in private homes. No more than 2 volunteers will be placed together in any village placement.

Qualifications: volunteers must be fluent english speakers, 18 years old, and in good physical health

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: 650/month

The fee covers support while you prepare for Uganda, airport pickup, first night hotel, transport to your placement, food and accommodation while volunteering, supervision, and a donation to the organization with which you are working.

The fee does not cover airline tickets, visas, vaccinations, drinking water, leisure activities, or medical services. You'll likely need $20-$40 a week to support a basic life which includes drinking water, internet, transport, and a few western treats such as coffee and chocolate. Safaris and white water rafting are a bit more expensive. Check out a Lonely Planet or Bradt guide on Uganda for details about that.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: A typical volunteer to the real uganda is one that has long wanted to come to africa to find out the real situation on the ground. they come to learn about culture, language, education, and development issues in uganda. they come to help where they can. they are students, professionals, those on career break, and retired people. they come to work and to have a good time! Our partner organizations need volunteers who can bring new ideas, work with minimal supervision, and have a positive, self-starting attitude. The organizations we work with do not need just young volunteers, but older people with business skills and experience. They need those who can sort out bookwork and apply for grants. Just as these organizations try to help all members of society, they need all ages of volunteers to help them function.

Age Range: 18-80

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Uganda Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

The Real Uganda's Mission Statement: The Real Uganda recruits and places foreign volunteers with small community based organizations and schools around southern Uganda. Through our volunteer placement program, we aim to build the capacities of local organizations and raise awareness around the world about the successes and challenges of life in Uganda. Many local organizations lack the money and skills to grow themselves. We hope that with our program in place, our partner organizations will overcome some of the more serious challenges they face. These include: lack of money for operations (wages, office space, transport, training courses), lack of business skills (book keeping, marketing, strategy, grant writing), and lack of up to date knowledge (Counseling/mentoring skills, English language, HIV/AIDS and life skills information). We offer a safe and family-like environment in which to come to Uganda and give your time. We offer pre-arrival support by answering your questions about Uganda and by finding an organization that best fits your skills and interests. We can also connect you to former and current volunteers working with us. We offer in-country assistance by collecting you from the airport, getting you to your placement, and unraveling some of the more complicated cultural issues you face when entering Uganda for the first time. It is not easy to come to a completely foreign culture on your own. We want to be there to give you encouragement, advice, and support in order for you to be most effective while you are here.

Year Founded: 2004