Life as a volunteer, life in Uganda

Position
Mukono (the district where the Land of Hope is) is approx. 40 km east of the capital city of Kampala.
You can find further information at Wikpedia or at www.visituganda.com

Climate
Mukono has a tropical climate and temperatures vary between 17° at night and 27° during the day. The countryside is beautifully green and full of flowers.
Rain falls regularly all year round in our region and there thus is a fairly high humidity of approx. 80%.

Food and health
African food is very healthy, however the rule of “boil it, peel it, fry it or forget it” applies!
You can drink the water on our land with an easy mind. It comes from our own wells and is high quality drinking water. The volunteers have their own Ugandan cook. She is very good and fulfils many of our wishes! We always eat our meals together in our dining room. In spite of a varied menu it is a good idea to take vitamin tablets with you. It is also helpful to have a small supply of useful medicines. Ask your chemist for advice.

Malaria
There are mosquitoes in Uganda which can transmit malaria. They are only active at dusk and at night. At Vision for Africa we have mosquito nets for the beds, which give optimal protection. Sprays such as Autan, NoBite or Antibrumm are recommendable, and long-armed shirts and long trousers will protect you from bites in the evenings. There are various types of malaria prophylaxis. Ask a doctor who is familiar with tropical medicine. Volunteers staying longer than 2 months do not usually take any prophylaxis, as it can cause strong side effects.
If you do happen to contract malaria, you do not need to worry. We have two nurses who are always available and there are very good doctors in Uganda. The medicine here works quickly and well. It is seldom for an attack to last longer than three days.

Vaccinations
No special vaccinations are required for Uganda. We recommend vaccinations against yellow fever, hepatitis A and B, and the 3-fold polio-diphtheria-tetanus vaccination. But please ask your doctor about this before you come.

Health insurance
Doctors’ fees are very low here, but you can also take out an overseas health cover. Please make enquiries – many credit cards (Mastercard, Visa …) already include overseas health insurance. Sometimes your normal health insurance is also adequate.

Clothing
Africans dress in a very orderly way. The women wear skirts and a T-shirt or blouse. The men wear jeans or other trousers and a short-sleeved shirt. This is also desirable for volunteers, but not compulsory. You can of course dress in a comfortable way according to what work you are doing. Spaghetti straps and plunging necklines should be avoided. Skirts and trousers should cover the knee.

Money
Currency in Uganda is the Ugandan shilling. It is best to bring cash in Euros (large banknotes), which can be exchanged in the banks in Kampala. If you bring US dollars, please make sure you bring new banknotes (from 2001 onwards) and no banknotes for less than $50 (the exchange rate is bad for smaller notes!).
Only Visa credit cards are accepted – and only for withdrawing money from a bank. At the moment they can only be used for payment in larger hotels. Travellers’ checks can be exchanged, but they have a much lower rate of exchange than cash! You can live well here for about 50 Euro a month, but you should reckon on more if you are planning to take a lot of souvenirs home. :-)

Computer and Internet
There is a computer in the volunteers’ house with access to the Internet. However, you must be prepared for longer waiting times as there is no DSL in Uganda yet! :-)

Electricity
The mains voltage in Uganda has 220V, but the power points are different from those used in Europe. It is helpful to bring a travellers’ adapter, although they can also be bought here fairly cheaply.
All Vision for Africa premises have an electricity supply. There are always days where there is a power cut, and here our solar light and your torch are helpful!

Visa
You will need a visa for Uganda. You can obtain this very easily at the airport in Entebbe before you pick up your luggage. The visa costs 50 US dollars (you should have the appropriate amount in your hand luggage) and is valid for 3 months. Alternatively you can apply for the visa beforehand in your home country, which is often cheaper. If you are planning to stay for longer than 6 months you will need a police clearance certificate and job training certificates (which must all be translated into English and authenticated), and then you can apply for a visa extension (approx. €40 for up to 3 months) or a work permit (approx. €120 for 1 year).
Our staff here can help you with your applications.

Air tickets
The most important airlines which fly to Uganda (Entebbe airport) from central Europe are: Emirates, British Airways, KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, SN Brussels Airlines.
Ticket prices vary (according to airline and departure airport) from between €650 and €900 for shorter stays
and from between €800 and €1,200 for tickets that are valid for a year. Make enquiries about youth tickets if appropriate.

Accommodation
Vision for Africa has beautiful grounds with a lot of vegetation.
Almost all the volunteers live in the same house, or at least near each other. Two to four people usually share a room. There are showers with warm water and European toilets. You pay €100 per month for board and lodging. This includes transport to and from the airport at the beginning and end of your stay.
We volunteers have no washing machine, but we manage with Omo and bleach…

Holidays
The school year in Uganda is divided into 3 terms. There are therefore various times here when there are few children and not so much work… (December/January, April/May and August/September) The exact dates vary from year to year and also from school to school, so it is important for you to find out when people are needed, especially if you are planning just a short stay.
Whilst you are here there is the possibility of going on a safari or other outings(talk to your leader about this). A safari costs between 150 and 300 Euro for 2-3 days.

Shopping
The nearest shops are in Kiyunga, about 10 minutes’ walk from here, but here you can only buy snacks and fruit juice. The nearest supermarket is in Mukono (15 minutes by taxi) if you want to buy chocolate or biscuits. These things are very expensive, however.
In Kampala is the African village where you can buy wonderful souvenirs, and shopping is great fun here.

Daily routine
We begin the day together with worship and devotions, then we have breakfast together.
After this we start work. The times of work can vary according to the area of work, and on average we work about 6-8 hours a day. It is possible to work in 2 fields of work e.g. in the mornings with the children and afternoons in the garden.
Lunch is at 1pm. Supper is at 6.30pm.
Saturday afternoons and Sundays are free. Church services are held on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and you can choose which service you would like to attend.

Further questions
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions or wishes. We will be glad to support and help you in your preparations for your stay.