|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
This page answers most of your questions
about Uganda, if you have more questions
email us at
info@comekuona.org
|
Tell me more about
Uganda
What is
the climate like?
What clothes do I need to bring?
What
programs are available?
Is there any time of the year I can not
volunteer?
Will someone meet me at the airport?
What age do I need to volunteer?
Is
the program location safe?
What vaccinations/immunizations will I need?
Can I do sightseeing outside the program?
Where
does my money go?
Can I bring my own family/partner to the
program?
Tell me more about
Uganda
|
|
|
Mostly referred as "Africa's
Friendliest country' due to the warm
hospitality of it's culturally
diverse population and low level
of crime. Uganda has a beautiful
vegetation ,scenery and abundant
wildlife. From the mighty River
Nile, Lake Victoria,
Mountain Ranges, tropical rain
forest , the lush savannah and
hundreds of birds life.
With over 30 different tribes,
Uganda is rich in culture. From
Batwa and Bambuti Pygmies on the
south east, to the Bantu speaking
bantu speaking Buganda, Ankole
, Bunyoro and the Karamajongs.
Uganda's national food is Matoke-
mash bananas and potatoes. Rice,
beans and maize are also
commonly eaten.
Uganda's star attraction is the
mountain gorillas , the bulkiest of
all living primates and share 95% of
their genes with humans. There are
only about 650 individual gorillas
left in the world and half of them
are in Uganda. There is also
chimpanzees and monkeys Uganda has
10 national parks teeming with
buffalos, antelopes, elephants
and much more. For the adventurous
there is white water rafting on
river Nile, trekking and hiking. The
equator divides Uganda by half
|
HIV/AIDS remains a major problem
along with Malaria. Other pressing issues
are high unemployment and poverty
Population: 25 million
Total surface area: 236,040 km2
(91,136 m2)
Highest peak: Ruwenzori
mountains-16,762
feet( 5,109 meters)
Official language: English, Swahili
and Buganda
Government: Republic |
|
|
|
|
 |
What is the climate like? |
Uganda has a tropical, equatorial climate. There
is plenty of sunshine all year round.
However, it can be quite cool at night and
early mornings especially Kampala(Uganda).
Uganda has two rain seasons. The
long rains are from April to June and the
short rains occurs from October to
December.
What clothes do I need to bring?
We recommend light colored, cotton
clothing that covers your whole body. As
well as comfortable sturdy footwear, you
will also need pair of sandals for light
walking. Also pack a light jacket as Kampala
can be cold in the evening and early
morning. Do not forget sunglasses and a hat
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is the program location safe? |
|
All our programs are in very
safe locations. Since we started hosting volunteers,
no volunteer has reported any problems with
personal safety (or any other major issue).
Also, our volunteer houses always have
security at night. |
|
|
|
|
|
What vaccinations/immunizations will
I need? |
This is a suggestion of what you may need.
Please contact your medical
professional/doctor for more details.
Hepatitis A &B
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Diphtheria and tetanus
Rabies
Tuberculosis
For malaria you will need prophylactics |
|
|
|
|
|
Can I do sightseeing outside the
program? |
|
Yes. Participants can do sightseeing during
or after the program. Please let your local
supervisor know in advance when you want to
travel. We are happy to assist you with
making any local travel arrangements. |
|
|
|
|
|
Where does my money go to? |
1. Room& Board.
2. In- country support, guidance and
administration.
3. Promoting & supporting the work of the
organizations we work with.
4. Marketing our programs.
5. Web development and program maintenance
6. Logistical costs.
7. Cost of answering & making calls,
e-mailing and producing literature.
Our volunteer fees are low(50-60 percent
cheaper) compared to other volunteer
organizations, because of our use of in
country resources, low administration
overheads and use of paperless
communication.
Below is an excerpt from a book on
international volunteering that helps to
explain the necessity of a fee.
From HOW TO LIVE YOUR DREAM OF VOLUNTEERING
OVERSEAS
by Joseph Collins, Stefano Deterged, and
Zahara Heckscher
published by Penguin Putnam, Inc, 2002.
Prospective volunteers are surprised to
learn that many programs charge their
volunteers a fee to participate. At first,
this can seem ridiculous - Why should you
pay money to work for free? Aren't you
already forgoing income you could be making?
Here are a few things to keep in mind while
trying to understand why the vast majority
of programs charge international volunteers
a fee:
The local organizations and projects with
which you volunteer overseas have limited
resources and are seldom able to subsidize
your trip or cover the costs of hosting you.
(These costs include housing, feeding and
transporting you, among numerous other
things.) If they did have the financial
resources to pay an international volunteer,
it would almost certainly be more beneficial
and cost-effective to hire a local person
instead, someone who already knows the
language and culture and is likely to stick
around.
Identifying appropriate host organizations
overseas and working with them is
time-consuming, takes resources, and
requires an experienced and professional
staff. The process of preparing, training,
transporting, housing, feeding, and
supervising volunteers is not cheap.
Additional services such as health care,
re-entry assistance, travel medical
insurance, and more, all add to the expenses
of a program. The costs of recruiting
volunteers, producing literature, answering
the phones, sending mailings, developing a
website, and interviewing potential
volunteers are significant. |
|
|
|
|
|
Can I bring my own family/partner to
the program? |
|
Volunteers are welcome to bring their
families/partners to the program. Please let
us know in advance if you are intending to
bring your family or partner. We may be able
to offer a discounted rate to them. |
|
|
|
Email us any questions at
info@comekuona.org |
|
Back to
Top |
|