Voluntary work in Uganda

Information & guidance about volunteering projects in Uganda

Voluntary work in Uganda usually involves a strong focus on developing the natural resources of the country. Although sometimes unknown or forgotten about, Uganda has 10 national parks offering diverse and beautiful settings. Voluntary work in Uganda is offered in a wide variety of environments, such as within the savanna and safaris, to the tropical forest environments, and to the village communities. It is no surprise that Uganda is known as “The Pearl of Africa”! If a once in a lifetime experience in an east African country with a growing volunteer population and need strikes your fancy, then Uganda is the place for you to find voluntary work!

Where to volunteer in Uganda

Voluntary work in Uganda comes in many shapes and sizes and also in many locations! Here are a few locations that may take your fancy:

Iganga, this is a lively town with a population of around 40,000 that sits just North of Lake Victoria on one of Uganda’s most used highways. The area close to the surrounding of the highway is much more urbanized and busier than the rest of the town, and the route has allowed Iganga to have access to many modern facilities. The real Iganga can be reached just a few minutes off the busy route, with a much more laid back and rural feel.

Kampala is the capital city of Uganda and home to many NGOs headquarters. Kampala is located just off of the northern banks of Lake Victoria and built into several hills, being the largest city in Uganda with a population of around 1.2 million.

Rural Areas. It’s good to know that over 80% of Uganda’s population live in rural areas and while poverty levels have improved over the years, this is mainly in the urban areas, leaving the vast majority of Ugandans still living in poverty specifically in the northern areas. Many rural opportunities within voluntary work in Uganda will work in community education, humanitarian issues, agricultural practices or resource management.

Voluntary Work in Canada

Volunteering projects in Uganda

Throughout the country of Uganda, the voluntary work opportunities vary widely.

Healthcare and HIV Awareness: If you are looking to volunteer within the healthcare industry, Western Uganda is where you will want to start looking. It may be a few hours away from other volunteer programs in Uganda, yet allows you to take care of children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, which can be a very rewarding experience. Such much of rural Uganda has extremely limited access to healthcare or education regarding health, volunteers specialized in medical placements work to implement better health practices.

Teaching: This is a particularly popular volunteering area in rural Uganda. Most of the teaching voluntary work in Uganda work with grassroots, village based organizations – providing both primary and secondary teaching.

Wildlife & Conservation: Uganda is home to Africa’s “Big Five” which refers to the lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos, all of which invite tourists to the country from around the globe. Volunteers in research positions is a strong component in conservation programs. Typical areas of research may include tasks such as exploring the vegetation of areas to discover what and how much animals are digesting, anti-poaching initiatives, and animal tracking and monitoring. So if you are a wildlife and animal lover, voluntary work in Uganda is for you!