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Africa is where our organisation originated. Placements in Uganda were introduced in 1993 by our Founders, Nigel Warren and Peter Bell, and we have strong links with the communities and schools around Jinja. We employ a local representative to support our projects. We place volunteers in school accommodation within the community providing the schools with a source of income to cover accommodation for the volunteers. We interview all volunteers and discuss the project in great detail, you will be given documents about what to expect from your project from communities, school life, living within the village to how the Ugandans respect their environment.
On arrival there is an induction course in Jinja, to introduce you to Uganda. Monique van de Meent, our local representative will talk to the volunteers about the Ugandans and their history. You will also be introduced to basic Kiswahili and Lugandan phrases so you can integrate into the community. We will encourage all volunteers to use local products and services.
In the long term we hope to continue and develop our projects to help with English and extra curricular activities in more of the poor schools in the Jinja region. Volunteers bring a new dimension to teaching in Uganda – its more interactive and fun for the children. Volunteers are also able to offer extra-mural subjects like sport, music, art etc, which are not normally included in the school timetable.
The introduction of free primary education in 1999 led to a three-fold increase in numbers attending school - from 2.6 million in 1998 to 7.8 million in 2002 – placing huge strain on the education system. The result has been overstretched schools, which are simply unable to cope. Schools are poor and they lack furniture, textbooks, sports equipment and even windows and stationery. Therefore, you as a volunteer teacher will be very useful in bringing not only the interest of the outside world but an extra pair of hands for the hard-pressed staff.
We normally use the same houses for volunteers each year so families in the community and teachers who host them are familiar with our volunteers and welcome them into their village. Volunteers are briefed on customs and cultures advising them to be responsible and respectful to their new neighbours. We also try to assist the same schools each term so the teachers are familiar with our volunteers and what they should be involved in. Living with the Ugandans is a simple way of life - with no running water or electricity, you will learn to appreciate these luxuries we take for granted in the Western World. Post project reviews are always completed with schools and volunteers to make sure your help is always needed.
Our charitable arm has supported Bupadhengo Primary & Secondary School where currently over £50 000 has been donated towards school projects - a focus of the Ugandan Rural Schools Initiative, which was set up by volunteer Peter Gate in 2003 to raise money for building classroom blocks, dormitories and staff houses in poor schools in Uganda. Claire and Alex van Straubenzee helped by setting up the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund in memory of their son, Henry, who died in a tragic road accident just before he was due to volunteer at Bupadhengo as a volunteer. With its improved facilities Bupadhengo Primary is now achieving the best exam results in the Kamuli District.
There are many volunteers who choose to go on to fundraise for the their Ugandan schools and villages – donating school equipment, helping with funds for new or improved classrooms/facilities, and sponsoring children through education. Our Foundation has granted a total of over £20,000 in bursaries to 164 children in schools in Kenya , Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi. These bursaries are administered by the head teachers of schools so that a child, once sponsored, can complete his or her education. They are awarded to children who could otherwise not afford the costs (e.g. food and boarding charges if they live far from school) and therefore have to leave school early.
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