DARE Uganda In Partnership with Living Hope

A Little Bit About Uganda Uganda is a land locked country in east Africa Uganda is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The estimated population of Uganda is 35,873,253 And the official languages are Swahili and English, however Swahili is not spoken in the village where the project is based, instead the local language Luganda is used.

The Project The Uganda project will be based at the Living Hope Child Development Centre. Living Hope is a primary school in rural Uganda for underprivileged children who would otherwise have little or no access to education. The mission of Living Hope is to provide free basic education to orphans and other marginalized children in order to reduce poverty and illiteracy in the community. Living Hope was established in 2002 by Pastor John Ephraim in the village of Kyamukama, around 200km southwest of the capital, Kampala. He sought to create a community-based organization to assist the vulnerable children and adults of the local area, many of whom have been directly or indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS virus. Today there are almost 400 children enrolled in his school of just ten staff, many of whom live in poverty and struggle to pay the negligible amount per term (700 Ugandan Shillings, or 1.75£ per term) that Pastor John is forced to charge to cover running costs. The students range from 3 years old in the nursery to 14 or 15 years in P7 class.

What You’ll be Doing As a volunteer the focus will be on learning about and interacting with the community, as much as passing on any skills or knowledge which might be useful., just being there and talking to the students and teachers about your country and customs is an extremely valuable experience for both parties in term of cultural exchanges and understanding. Volunteer opportunities Computer Training: Both students and staff are extremely keen to improve their IT skills, particularly regarding and Internet, and Word and Excel. Sports Farming The school has several agricultural projects (chicken rearing, fish farming and pig rearing) and there is always need for extra pairs of hands in maintaining the projects Workshops If you have a particular interest or are trained in a particular specialty (IT, sewing, drawing, carpentry, construction etc), then you can speak to Pastor John or the Into Your Hands Operations Manager about the possibility of offering workshops to students, teachers, or parents. This might include knowledge of organic farming, solar or water technologies, micro enterprise/finance, nutrition, or health. Teaching.

Where you’ll be staying Accommodation options Living Hope Homestay: Pastor John and his wife Agnes live at the school with their family and are very welcoming to guests and happy to have people stay. Facilities are basic as there is no electricity or running water on the school site, but meals are regular and generous, Pastor John’s young children are helpful and enthusiastic, and staying at Living Hope presents quite a fun experience! It is good for shorter stays and a great way to experience rural Ugandan village life. Medical Missionaries of Mary Guest House: The MMM sisters have a few rooms they let out for travelers. This is perhaps the most comfortable of all the accommodation options. MMM is located a 30 minute walk from Living Hope. MMM has solar power and a solar hot water system, so power, indoor plumbing, and hot water for showers are guaranteed. The rooms are 2 bedrooms, self- contained and breakfast can be included. If you'd like, they also have 2 apartments completed with kitchen, though it may be difficult to cook (the closest grocery stores are in Masaka, and the village shops are very limited) during your time here. MMM is run by a group of nuns (Ugandan, Brazilian and Nigerian) and a team of local staff. Lugave Guest House Lugave Guest House is near the trading centre of Kyamukama and is a local guesthouse. Rooms are basic and meals can be arranged at additional cost. Kyamukama Home stay: It is sometimes possible to arrange a stay with a family in Kyamukama that has electricity but not running water. This is a good option if you were interested in experiencing daily rural Ugandan life.

Brief Cost Overview Personal Travel insurance Vaccinations & Antimalarials – Seek advice from doctor/ MASTA e-clinic (maybe as much as £300) Flights £600-£800 return Internal travel Food & Accomodation ~£150/ month Visa - £25

The Benefits of the Project Uganda’s continued development, computer skills are increasingly being seen as a vital skill for employability. The Ministry of Education dictates that schools must have 2 double periods of sport per week. The whole school takes these at the same time, so not all the students have the chance to be involved as much as they would like. Usually it is only football that is played, and usually only the older boys play.So volunteers may be able to help involve the less serious players and the excluded girls. Farming and workshops are a valuable opportunity to learn about Ugandan farming and animal husbandry. Nearly all the families in the area rely on farming for their sustenance and income, so this experience will be valuable for volunteers in learning about the community.