Community Work with Children in Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

  Uganda

Kabale,  Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: Lake Bunyonyi is a water world paradise a million miles from the dust and frenzy of the average African town. The lake itself is set in a beautiful location, surrounded on both sides by spectacular terraced mountain slopes and dotted with 29 separate islands. For most of the time it's full of swimmers but once a week it comes alive with a flotilla of canoes carrying traders who've come to sell their wares. Against this picturesque backdrop you will be working with primary school and nursery children, helping to encourage their creativity, improve their English and generally play a positive role in their personal development.

*Project details:
In Uganda i-to-i work with a project which endeavours to improve the quality of education and care available at local schools. The project aims to help fulfil basic requirements for education, but also works to improve neglected areas of education such as creativity, culture and art. The project objectives are that children should:

    * be healthy and safe
    * have integrity, self discipline, autonomy and creativity
    * be a confident individual with initiative
    * respect their own and others cultures and traditions
    * know at least one practical skill
    * feel at ease reading and communicating in Rukiga and English
    * be able to express themselves in at least one form of art
    * be a person with a strong community spirit

The project currently works with three government primary schools and runs two nurseries (free to attend).

*Why the project needs volunteers:
Education is seen as a privilege in Uganda and until recently was reserved for those who could afford to pay school fees. 10 years ago, primary education became free and (in theory) universally accessible. With very little funding the schools simply cannot afford to hire new teachers or purchase resources and so it is difficult to provide even the most basic of education for the children. This project needs volunteers to help give the students a more rounded development, enabling them to develop into responsible and confident adults.

It is important to take into account that local teachers are underpaid and not very motivated because for most of them this wasn't the career of their choice. Their teaching is based on rote and authority. Volunteers bring a different approach, open up.

Highlights:
* Experiencing rural Uganda at it's best
* Making a positive impact to the lives of children in this rural community
* Getting under the skin of life in Uganda - the 'pearl' of Africa!

Qualifications: What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
As a volunteer, you will need to show patience and initiative to cope with the sheer volume of children in workshops and classes. You will work closely with local staff, but for those with more experience and confidence, there could be opportunities for taking classes independently.

Remember that the children may come from difficult backgrounds and you will need to show patience and understanding and be able to act as role model. Skills in any extra curricular activities will be welcomed at this project, particularly (but not limited to) art, music, scouts and sports.

Your role as a volunteer:
As a volunteer at this project your main role will be with primary school children. You will be assisting at creative workshops in activities such as fine art, sports, puppets, music and swimming. In addition, depending on your skills and interests, you could spend time in the morning assisting the teachers at the nursery, playing with the children, or you could teach English at the primary schools. Another area where you could help is with interviewing the children and their families for sponsor profiles - a number of children attending the project have a sponsor who receives one write-up per year on their life and family.

Interested volunteers could also get involved with local craft makers in terms of organization and developing new products.

Cost in US$: USD 1295.00 for 2 weeks, USD 220.00 for every week thereafter

* Accommodation: Shared room at the project
* Food: Self-catering, please budget USD 6 per day
* Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
* Training: In-country orientation
* Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 50,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 400 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994