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Uganda - Africa and Asia Venture

Uganda

Gap Year Teaching in Uganda 

Where?

Your Gap Year teaching project in Uganda takes place on the shores of Africa's largest lake - Lake Victoria (Uganda map>>). The Lake is surrounded by huge sugar plantations and glades of banana trees is the lakeside port of Jinja, at the source of the mighty River Nile. Tribal folk continue to live their sustainable agricultural lives, ploughing the maize fields and rice paddies with oxen, and fishing the rivers and lakes from dugout canoes.

The green lushness of the region, combined with red okra-thatched village huts; the bustling towns and the glamorous and colourful traditional dresses of the women folk, give it an extraordinary uniqueness in this part of Africa.

Dotted amongst these villages and towns are the community schools that so appreciate assistance from AVs during their Gap Year teaching placements.

Outline Experience

Uganda Teaching Dates & Costs 

Who?

Whilst Gap Year teaching in Uganda, you will be teaching mostly in primary schools or, possibly, the lower forms of a secondary school. The staff will be friendly and welcoming; the children eager to learn but like children everywhere, they can be mischievous - and they have smiles to die for!

What?

Education is a priority in Uganda and one of the success stories of the current government. More than 2 million children attend 8500 primary schools but schools are poor and they lack furniture, text books, sports equipment and even windows and stationery.

English is the official language of Uganda but only a relatively small percentage of the population speaks it. Luganda is widespread in central Uganda and has been the official language in education for a long time within the region. Consequently, most primary school children's English is limited so your help will be mostly in this subject. However, you could volunteer to teach art, drama, music and sports will also be very popular.

In secondary schools you can help with other subjects that you feel able to teach, especially computers - if the school is lucky enough to have them.

Sports are generally not well organised at primary or secondary level and the management and coaching of your favorite sports will be hugely appreciated.

Ideas...

Think about running a club, decorating a classroom; painting a mural; preparing visual aids; organising a school magazine; inter-school sports' matches; a school trip; bedtime stories for the boarders; extra help for less able children...the possibilities are endless. All you need is imagination, enthusiasm, commitment and loads of energy!

Gap Year Living

Whilst Gap Year teaching in Uganda, you will be living either in pairs or groups of four to six volunteers. AVs are clustered around Jinja, Iganga and Kaliro so you will have plenty of AV friends close by. Your new environment might be a bit of a culture shock, initially. You will be accommodated in basic staff houses, sometimes with no running water, and possibly with a pit latrine (‘long drop') at the back. Most houses have sporadic electricity.

Don't worry - after a couple of weeks you will have adapted and you will quickly make it home. You will shop and cook for yourselves, using the food allowance and recipe book we give you, and many AVs also take advantage of the basic, but filling, schools lunches. The houses are generally within the school compound or within easy walking distance of your school.

All schools are near to main roads linking you by mini-bus to Jinja where you will be able to use the internet cafés for email, change money at the forex bureau and bank. Jinja is the centre of adventure activities in Uganda - white water rafting, bungee jumping, quad biking, horse riding and kayaking. Your weekends will be great fun!!

Gap Year Travel

Your volunteer teaching in Uganda will draw to a close after three months at your school and you will have two to three weeks of independent group travel to explore further the wonders of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania (and Zanzibar!) with your AV friends.

Gap Safari

Finally, we will arrange a 5-day, all-inclusive safari into two of Kenya's famous wildlife reserves to see the ‘Big Five' and masses of other wild game in its natural habitat.

And Afterwards...

If you're like 99% of those who have been before you, you'll agree that it will have been the best four months of your life so far. You'll find leaving difficult...and returning easy!  We say that "Once an AV, always an AV!" What this means is that you will be joining an exclusive club that will be there for you to help out if you ever get into difficulties and will always be pleased to see you again in Africa. As an AV, we hope your relationship with us will continue long after your initial time in Uganda.

Uganda Teaching Itinerary l Uganda Teaching Dates and Costs l Uganda Teaching Facts

Useful Stuff to know about volunteering in Uganda.

If you need some help and want to talk about your plans to volunteer, please Make an enquiry