25 trees will be planted on your behalf for every experience purchased, via our partnership with One Tree Planted.
See more at onetreeplanted.org
Overview
Learning about the culture and lifestyle of the community you are visiting is one of the most important aspects of travelling. By doing so, you will get a feel for how things flow and how to interact with locals. Being aware of local customs and getting a better chance to fully immerse yourself in your new surroundings will likely make your experience even more enjoyable.
Our culture week sets out to do exactly this!
It is designed to introduce you to the language, the food, the people and the daily flow of life in the community. This week of exploration helps to ease you into a more relaxed pace that is common in Uganda and inspire you to fully engage with the community members you are bound to meet!
Objectives
- Help you get familiarized with your new surroundings
- Teach you helpful Luganda and Swahili phrases
- Broaden your knowledge of the local customs, history, and culture of Uganda
- Provide you with a full induction, preparing you for a longer stay
Impact
Volunteer experiences have a direct and positive impact on local communities by injecting money into the local economy through the purchase of food, transportation, and tourism activities. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the comunity and make a difference in the world. Depending on the type of volunteer experience you are interested in, your time can be spent improving educational resources and opportunities, providing medical services to underserved communities, or promoting environmental conservation and sustainable farming techniques.
1% of gross sales will be donated to 1% for the Planet-approved charities via our partnership with 1% for the Planet.
See more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
Location
Kajjansi, Uganda
Enjoy the local life in this rural township in central Uganda. Your accommodation location provides you with a great opportunity to see and experience Uganda on an authentic, local scale.
Itinerary
Saturday/Sunday - Arrival
Arrive on Saturday or Sunday at EBB (Entebbe International Airport) well before a meeting point time. Saturday arrivals need to book one extra night at our accommodation.
Meeting Point Times:
- Option A - Saturday: 10:00
- Option B - Saturday: 14:00
- Option C - Sunday: 10:00
- Option D - Sunday: 14:00
Monday
After breakfast, we will have an Introduction meeting, House rules, Setting Expectations, Health and Safety Advice and handling of documents. Followed by Ugandan Do's and Don'ts, Culture introduction and country history and Swahili and Luganda Language Lessons. Then after lunch a walking tour around the compound and local area to familiarize you with where to find local shops, and arrange a sim-card if necessary.
Tuesday
After breakfast, we’ll visit the Botanical Garden and the Wildlife Conservation Education Center then have lunch outside at a local restaurant in town. In the afternoon, we will pay a visit to Victoria Lake, where you can relax and enjoy the lovely Ugandan weather and atmosphere or have a leisurely stroll about.
Wednesday
After breakfast, we’ll prepare for a day out visiting a local museum, palace, and other significant local sites. In between we will stop for a nice lunch before continuing on our cultural quest. When we return you will have some free time to enjoy before dinner.
Thursday
After breakfast, we will head to meet some of the elders of the local community and then shop at the weekly market to buy the ingredients for our dinner. After enjoying a satisfying lunch, and a bit of free time you will get to work on creating your first traditional Ugandan meal in our cooking class. Do a good job because your efforts will become your dinner, so pay close attention!
Friday
After breakfast, There will be a program discussion, where you can learn about our programs in Uganda and ask any further questions! We will pay a visit to all of our projects in the area so you can get an insight of what we do. After lunch, we will take a Ugandan handicraft-making class.
Saturday - Departure
Leave the accommodation on Saturday morning. Minivans to Kampala depart close by at least every hour. Change to taxi to arrive at the airport (2.5 hours) for earliest flights Saturday evening
Inclusions
- Shared Accomodation
- All meals included
- Arrival Transfer (included with 2 wk+ trips)
- Free beverages
- Wifi in public areas
- Departure Transfer
Options
More Information
Requirements
- minimum english levelBasic
- CRB RequiredOn signup
- passport copy requiredNo
- resume copy requiredNo
Other Requirements
- There are no further requirements for this program.
Food
Food will be Ugandan-style, which means lots of vegetables, potatoes, bananas, bread, and pancakes. Some dishes may have meat, but if you are vegetarian just let your coordinator know.
Accommodation
You will either be staying at our homestay or in our rural accommodation center. The homestay is a bit more comfortable with the family setting, but in our farm accommodation itself is quite basic and authentic. All participants are expected to be environmentally aware and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper, and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and organized. There is no WIFI in either location and you will need to purchase a local SIM card in order to access the internet.
