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Overview
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Date and Cost
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Room & Food
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Daily Volunteer Activities
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Apply
Women in Africa, Uganda inclusive, are an economically disadvantaged group, and rural women in particular are more economically disadvantaged. The lack of economic power of the rural communities, especially among women, is a major obstacle to long-term development.
Although women have made significant contributions to African socio-economic development, in Uganda, they remain among the most vulnerable members of society. Women face many challenges, including discrimination, low social status, low literacy rates, limited access to education, unequal rights, poverty, and a greater risk of HIV/AIDS infection, which is directly attributed to the long-standing patriarchal traditions and extreme poverty.
These challenges are especially difficult to overcome for women, as there are fewer jobs available to them, and family concerns can often monopolize their time. Gender roles in rural Uganda still adhere to traditional and cultural codes. When a family is struggling economically, girls are more likely than boys to be taken out of school to help with income-generating activities or agricultural labor, and they are more likely to be married at a young age.
The project aims to provide support to young women in developing the skills needed to carry out income-generating activities so they can provide for themselves and their families.
If you’re someone who is interested in promoting better opportunities for women in Uganda, this is a rewarding project to support. This is where you come in!
What will I be doing?
As a volunteer on the Women’s Empowerment project, you will work closely with local community centers, providing support to women and their families. Your role will be focused on providing mentoring support around management, financing, and educational development to increase independence among the women and allow mothers to better support their families. Many of the women’s groups are involved in craft-making through basket weaving, sewing, tailoring, and jewelry-making, and the crafts they make are then sold in order to generate income and provide for their families. Volunteers are also encouraged to create educational training materials on topics such as managing finances, vocational skills, and building self-esteem.
Our volunteer placement programs run all year round. Though our volunteer placement program start date can be flexible, we recommend that all prospective volunteers set their start date either on the 1st or the 3rd Monday of each month. We advise you to arrive one day before your program is due to start (the day before orientation). Accommodation is provided from the Sunday night before your program starts on Monday; however, if you arrive earlier, our staff will organize accommodation for you. This accommodation will cost extra, but it is not expensive (expect to pay approximately US$30 per night (B&B). You will pay for this accommodation directly to the Hotel when you arrive in the country. Once you have booked your flights to Uganda, ensure you email your flight details to our Volunteer Placement Advisory to ensure you are picked up at the airport.
Weekly Volunteer Program Fees (Program fee is quoted in US Dollars)
What's Included
Airport Pick-up
Volunteers will be met by our program coordinator at Entebbe International Airport in Entebbe town upon arrival, after which you will be transferred to your project site. Please email your flight details to our program placement coordinator once you have booked your flight.
Ugandan food is tasty, diverse, and volunteers can expect to experience flavors and meals during their volunteer experience. You will be provided with 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Meals will consist of local foods (matooke, posho, cassava, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yams, and rice), served with green/vegetables, beef, chicken, fish, beans, or ground-nut stew. The country’s tropical climate contributes to a healthy choice of fruits, which include bananas, watermelon, papayas, mangos, jackfruit, guava, passion fruit, sugar canes, and pineapples. (On season)
Depending upon the particular location and placement, volunteers will either stay with a host family or within our Volunteer Guest House. We offer simple but clean, safe, and comfortable living spaces where volunteers can reside in either a single room or share a room with a fellow volunteer of the same gender.
Note: Our homestays are selected homes that are upgraded to a level where host families can host tourists. Our host families are chosen carefully and are esteemed community members and experienced in hosting international volunteers. They have a strong interest in our volunteers’ safety and well-being and demonstrate this with caution and care. The family is trained in visitor handling, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, and waste disposal. It is expected that community tourism will economically empower families and provide cross-cultural exchange between hosts and visitors.
Thus, staying with a host family offers a strong and supportive system to volunteers during their program, and it’s a great way to learn about local people’s culture and customs. Volunteers are recommended to bring their own sleeping bags and other accessories necessary for their personal comfort.
A Day In The Life Of A Volunteer:
Volunteer Booking Form
With our local experts, plan your trip to meet what you want, where you want, how you want and at what budget you plan to spend. You will have a well coordinated and organized trip without devoting too much time on planning.
SITA Foundation VOLUNTEER & Cultural Experience PROGRAM
Our volunteer programs exist to empower socially and environmentally-conscious travelers to make a meaningful impact, to foster cultural exchange, and to expand their skills and horizons – this is our purpose. We’re the facilitators, but it’s the incredible contributions from our volunteers that make it all possible. We’re here so that, as a collective, we can make a difference.
We believe in the spirit of Africa and that your experience is just as important as your impact. Volunteering is a two-way thing. It’s not just about the help and skills that you can bring; it’s also about what this amazing continent, its people, and its wildlife can give you in return. An experience filled with adventure, learning, and breath-taking moments will make sure you go home, share the magic of Africa, and come back. Ultimately, we combine extraordinary experiences with genuine impacts. Join this extraordinary adventure and embark on the most meaningful experience of your lifetime.
Are You Ready to have An Experience while you Change The World?
If you’re seeking a life-changing grassroots cultural immersion experience, then you’ve come to the right place. SITA Adventures connects socially, culturally, and environmentally conscious travelers with authentic Ugandan experiences that make a difference. Our purpose is to promote community wellbeing, empower local economies, and support sustainable livelihoods in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs)—all while creating meaningful and transformative journeys across Uganda.
Choose from a wide range of volunteer programs below
Women & Girl Child Empowerment
The project aims to provide support to young women in developing the skills necessary to undertake income-generating activities, enabling them to support themselves and their families.
The Microfinance Program
The microfinance project aims to contribute to sustainable economic development by providing local individuals, groups, and communities with the proper skills training and micro-loans to grow their businesses.
Water, Sanitation And Hygiene (WASH)
The Project entails the provision of safe water for drinking and other domestic use, the safe disposal of waste, and health promotion activities to encourage protective and healthy behavioral practices amongst the population.
Medical Health Program
The aim of this project is to increase access to quality healthcare in Uganda, providing support to under-resourced local clinics, medical centers and hospitals. These placements encompass a wide range of medical fields.
The Construction Program
Volunteers in this field work in manual labor jobs alongside skilled and unskilled local builders to help with the construction work. The buildings are made using traditional methods and locally sourced materials.
Environmental Conservation Program
Volunteers in this field will do hands-on work and have a direct impact on the preservation of the environment in the host communities. Participants will gain firsthand experience in agro-forestry, tree planting, and reforestation