Street Children
Webmasters October 31, 2018 No Comments

WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP THE STREET CHILDREN.

Ways in which you can help the street children.

The street doesn’t own a child or anyone we shouldn’t call them street children but children on the street. They are just children but traumatized, chronically neglected, physically / mentally abused and exploited. The urban population of Kampala is soaring, hence putting the number of children in slums at risk. Almost 27% of children between the ages of 5 – 18 live in slums and they lack access to good infrastructure, better food, and are short of most basic needs of life.

Only awareness and intervention by NGOs and well-wishers can translate into actual change. It is only us who can contribute to their leaving streets, meeting their needs and fulfilling their God given gifts and talents. Here are some of the ways you can contribute to the drastic and positive change of the street children in Uganda.

Talk to them in a positive tone, and inquire about their well-being. Children on the streets go through a number of hustles to get what to eat, put on, and where to rest at night. The community tries to isolate and giving them a bad eye, but when you get a chance to meet them, use a kind voice by asking them their names, back ground and other particulars. Most times what they need is just care and attention of which we can offer to them. You can choose to donate to different campaigns run by NGOs that reach out to street children in Uganda.

Most children resolve to the streets due to miss treatment at home by either their relatives, care takers or step parents. So in case you spot a child who looks distressed then you can inquire about how their parents or guardian treat them; if you find out that the kid is being abused or miss treated, report to the relevant authorities so that the kid is saved, before they resort to streets.

Besides money, your time is the most valuable resource you can gift to the street children. A number of NGOs in Uganda have programs that help street children, like providing education, relaxation, physical-social support and counselling to the street children. This organizations need volunteers that can serve the boys from the street. So if you’re out there wondering what you can do to bring change to the children on the street, volunteering is the best option.

However, donating is the easiest and fastest act of support you can participate in; the equivalent of a cup of coffee or next movie you’re watching can go towards giving a child or two a brighter future. You can also sign up and be part of a NGOs various fundraising initiatives either on social media or in on-ground activities at malls, kiosks and public places.

The increasing number of urban street children has led to the increase of crimes like trafficking and kidnapping. It is fueled by disruption in schooling and lack of parental care. The presence of NGOs is essential in such a scenarios, working with local authorities to ensure that these children don’t find themselves trapped in subsistence abuse or victims of abuse and exploitation.

Without the knowledge of their rights, they experience torture, harassment a well as sexual abuse. Giving in your precious time and work with volunteering in Uganda can bring a difference in lives of these children.

 

 

community development volunteer programs in Uganda
Webmasters October 26, 2018 No Comments

WHY WE SHOULD RISE A BANNER FOR THE WIDOWS IN UGANDA

Why we should raise a banner for the widows in Uganda

“People will rather pass by the weak, the lame, the beggars, the orphans, the tormented, the widows and take their large offerings to the church, to the man of God who already has a mansion and jets, what a shallow mindedness.” Quoted by Sunday Adelaja. And yes, this is very true, people pride themselves so much in giving huge sums of money in church than transforming the lives of the underprivileged.

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Disabled people in Uganda
Webmasters October 23, 2018 3 Comments

THREE SIMPLE WAYS OF LOVING THE DISABLED PEOPLE IN UGANDA

Three Simple Ways of Loving the Disabled People in Uganda

An estimation by the World Health Organization is that 10% of any population is disabled with persons with compromised ability to meet all their needs. The disabled people in Uganda need your support and love, not sympathy.

Disabilities don’t make them fewer people. They also have goals, purpose in life, and long-term dreams no matter the form of disability. Whether physical or mental, age, gender, or location because disability doesn’t mean being disqualified from having access to any aspect of life.

If we are to successfully bring up a loving and caring culture in Uganda, it must give chance to each diverse human gift to find its place in life. One that doesn’t create any gap for the disabled to regret the things that they are limited to by their form of disability.

Caring and showing great love to the disabled people in Uganda has the power of making them feel special. Probably when someone talks about this, you think of sponsoring them with your money. But this is not the case as some of these people even go to the schools of the disabled.

But Love goes beyond that and we can surely build a strong relationship with the disabled people of Uganda through these simple ways. Things that can give them hope, avoiding them from being disabled in spirit as well as physically.

Pay them visits occasionally. The disabled people also know how to have fun, visit them, spend some time with them. Take photos featuring them, you will see how they also have awesome camera poses that you didn’t know about. Such simple things make the world way so different for vulnerable people.

Donate gifts to them. Not referring to big gifts here, little gifts like toys to the children, clothes, scholastic materials, and others. Remember in the world there are no great things, but little things are done with great love. The little you give in with a great will does much more than the much forcefully done.

Throw them a party. Perhaps they have been visited often by different volunteers in Uganda and they have indeed donated a lot to them. But who has thrown them a party, for example, a Christmas party, or a birthday party? Just for them to eat, sing, and dance, something that they rarely experience in their lives? Wouldn’t it be so amazing for them just to see a staged disco in their music compound all for to enjoy till late?

The world will never be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in. And such things deem to be small, but they speak volumes in the lives of the people that are disabled. They wash away the feeling of rejection that fills their hearts in most cases.

Together as one let’s love the disabled people in Uganda, we can support them, visit and donate to them. That way we shall make this world a better place for everyone to live.

 

 

 

Volunteering opportunities in Uganda
Webmasters October 20, 2018 1 Comment

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES IN UGANDA.

Volunteering opportunities in Uganda

Uganda is a pearl of Africa, it is well known for its striking physical features, safe and peaceful state, and as a bird watcher’s paradise. Unfortunately, it is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the majority of the population lives under the poverty line.

It lacks fundamental infrastructures like education, health care, clean running water, and waste management. Our projects in needy communities allow volunteers to share skills, knowledge, and experience to help others as they experience the cultures and explore the country.

Firstly Community development

Community development is one of the volunteering opportunities in Uganda. It is done in form of Education, teaching the locals how to write and read. The volunteer must teach the English language in classes, arrange the lesson plans, and among others. This opportunity allows the volunteers to interact with the locals hence learning the cultures of Uganda.

This also enables the unique aspects of the classes in the cultural exchange. Meaning the Volunteers get a chance to learn the diverse cultural backgrounds and understand more of the local culture. If one gets the TESL certification in the previous experience to manage English classes. Then there is a great opportunity for one to participate in the program with ease and gain valuable.

The requirements needed; one should be fluent in English, proof of age (copy of passport). One must be 18 years and above to start attending the appropriate projects with adult accompaniment.

secondly health care volunteering

Health care involves assisting the local healthcare team depending on your expertise or interest, this is done through organizing health workshops about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, voluntary testing and counseling, improving the sanitation and quality of drinking water in the villages. This includes building dry racks, digging latrines, clearing drinking wells, and educating on how to keep a healthy lifestyle, treating the patients.

This is done to Ugandans staying in rural areas. It is very hard for them to access proper healthcare. Rural communities are still experiencing the spread of diseases like childhood illness, measles, parasitic diseases, HIV/AIDS, and malaria.

So as a contribution, we have teamed up with our partner organization on the ground. To support the work of the rural community health clinics, centers, hospitals, and medical teams that run the dental general clinics through volunteering.

The health care program is suitable for volunteers who are medical experts, medical students, or pre-med students. Who is interested to share experiences to help others gain experience providing health service in a rural setting. This helps to educate the rural people on health-related issues. The requirements are fluent in English, proof of age, one must be 18 years and the possible workplaces are the clinics, health centers, and hospitals.

Lastly orphanage program

Volunteering in an orphanage is another program in Uganda. So the volunteers in an orphanage are expected to show tender care and love for the kids. Help them out with bathing, feeding, cleaning, and homework, and also treat their minor wounds.

One should also engage the kids in recreational activities like games, music, dance, sports and also teach the kids personal hygiene and moral behaviors. This particular opportunity is suitable for volunteers who love working with the children in a fun and educative way.

The main focus of the orphanages is to provide care, feeding, shelter, and clothing for the children. These children are typically around the age of 3 years to 16 years. And they have been abandoned by their family or some are orphaned.

These homes are the works of the selfless locals who out of their beautiful hearts and out of love and compassion are doing all they can. So that they keep the unfortunate children out of the streets. They are given hope and aspiration into the future.

Volunteering opportunities in Uganda are very many waiting for you to undertake this season. Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.

 

volunteer-in-africa
Webmasters October 18, 2018 No Comments

WHY YOU SHOULD VOLUNTEER IN AFRICA.

Why you should volunteer in Africa

Most people think that in Africa, poverty and diseases are widespread. But the media tends to exaggerate stories and this scares away potential volunteers from coming to Africa. The Media and journalists often focus on reporting the problems in Africa. But they don’t report the positive things in Africa.

If every person judged a location based upon the news, they would probably never travel. The truth is very little media coverage is given to positive stories. Leaving the general public to know less about the realities of a given region. However, it is very important to get the right information concerning any region that one wishes to volunteer in.

There are many reasons why one should not be afraid to volunteer in Africa. And if you have a plan to volunteer in Africa, just start planning your trip today.

The African continent is facing an economic boom that is lowering the rate of poverty. The increasing GDP is contributing to huge strides in education and healthcare. The continent has already seen its per capita income double since the year 2000. And the life expectancy has increased by one year every three years in the last decades. The HIV/AIDS infection rates and malaria deaths are down to 23% and 27% respectively.

The world can help to improve Africa in two ways; either by buying the African products and other is volunteering in Africa and spreading diverse skills. The volunteering programs in Africa are a two-for-one deal; volunteers get to directly support local communities while also helping the overall economy.

The African continent is full of friendly people. And volunteering in Africa will enable you to meet with genuine smiles, diverse cultures, hospitable beings, and a multiplicity of languages.

It is a myth that everywhere in Africa is dangerous and violent and this is one of the top misconceptions about volunteering in Africa. The media plays a big role in spreading this idea. Because often most volunteers are only exposed to Africa through news, social media, and printed materials.

Journalists tend to focus on the top problems and bad news rather than on the positivity. The truth is that violent crimes against Travelers and volunteers in Africa are rare. And cities like Kampala are rated as having the lowest crime rates than more popular tourist cities like Rio de Jeneiro in Brazil.

This is one of the reasons Uganda is an ideal location for volunteering and travel. Especially well known for volunteer opportunities working with children and the underprivileged.

Africa is a big continent and the second largest on earth. And it is as big as China, India, the United States and some parts of Europe put together; it is ideally too big to generalize, so when you do read about dangers or epidemics in Africa; it is important to check out where it is occurring on the map.

For instance, the Ebola outbreak and other epidemics are so rare in East Africa. Yet the distance from Uganda to Botswana in the South of Africa is further than the distance from California to New York.

Lots of people think that the only way to travel through Africa is on a budget-breaking flight and an Uber-Luxurious safari. This could not be more wrong! Flight costs to and from Africa greatly vary and there are several countries that you can explore on your own instead of participating in a guided tour. Many people find that the best way to experience the culture and people of this beautiful continent is to stay, travel and eat locally. The good news is that this is also very affordable.

Africa is one of the most extraordinary and diverse continents in the world! It is an enormous continent and diverse place that is full of wonder. And a volunteer program in Africa is sure to be filled with captivating cultures, dramatic scenery, and astonishing wildlife. Africa is made up of 54 countries and offers every kind of landscape a volunteer could desire. Hot deserts like the Kalahari and Sahara Deserts, Savannah grassland, Majestic Rivers, lakes and waterfalls, incredible coastlines, and mountains, among others.

Therefore, the reason why you have to volunteer in Africa is that most parts of Africa for decades have been at peace. Filled with friendly people, affordable, inspiring, and diverse continent. Choosing to volunteer in Africa will make your stay more amazing and unique. Because each day is a learning opportunity and as well a chance to share skills with the locals.

 

Slums of Uganda.
Webmasters October 13, 2018 No Comments

LIFE IN THE SLUMS OF UGANDA.

Life in the Slums of Uganda.

Slums are simply heavily populated urban suburbs with substandard housing facilities and low standards of living. Based on the report from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, 49% to 64% of the total urban population of Uganda live in slums giving a ratio of 1.58 million people to 2.1 million people as slum residents in Uganda.

The areas of Bwaise, Kivulu, Katwe, Kosovo, Katanga, Kasubi, Kisenyi, and many others are the major slums in Kampala city, in addition to others in various districts.

The increasing growth rate of slums in Uganda is majorly attributed to the high levels of rural-urban migration. Urban poverty, lack of urban planning and development control, and the complex urban land tenure system in Kampala and Uganda in general.

Life in the slums of Uganda is a heap of discomfort, confusion, disorganization, struggles, and sorrow. If we were all given chances to choose the lives we live. Certainly no one would choose to live in a slum unless that person has never been in one.

Mercilessly, without even eliminating the young children or women out, the slum life tortures everyone who bumps into its territories. Whether a man, woman, or child, they suffer the same conditions that the parents go through.

Life in the slums of Uganda

People in the slums of Uganda live an absolutely poor life, waking up in the morning with totally nothing to eat and even without hopes of getting any. Young children live half-naked, putting on only a shirt or a pair of shorts without clothes to dress. So the poor woman has to face her kid spending a day with an empty stomach or searching for the leftovers in rubbish pits; so saddening!

Unemployment is one major challenge that most people in the slums of Uganda face. Both the youths and the adults don’t have jobs, simply because they are not trusted just because of their slum origin. And others lack the capital to start up their own business.

Women in Uganda Slums

Women in the Ugandan slums have consistently faced the problem of rape and sexual harassment. Young girls and women are raped almost daily and nothing has been done to stop this. We are all giving a blind eye and deaf ear to the victimized girls in the slums of Uganda. Poor girls are innocently getting infected with AIDS and other STDs yet they don’t even have money for treatment. They are becoming young struggling single mothers with nothing to start with.

Violence is another struggle that you cannot miss in any slum in Kampala. The fact that the slum residents have already gone through a lot. The unemployment, absolute poverty, rape, and other dejected situations, they are just angry with the world. They feel the world has not been fair enough to them. So anything that tampers with them can immediately cause violence.

Also, suicide cases are rampant in the slums of Uganda. People here totally become hopeless, thinking that life can’t move on any further. With no one and nothing to look up to, they feel all alone in a world that rejected them and they end up killing themselves.

Drug abuse is becoming a culture in the slums of Kampala Uganda. One can say it’s a mandate for every grown-up youth to start taking drugs. Young boys of fourteen are now already drug addicts with no one guiding them on how to live developmental lives.

 

In addition, slums are breeding grounds for crimes. We can change them to cheerful places because even their inhabitants are all working towards better lives.

You can choose to volunteer in Uganda’s slums, come visit the residents of these congested urban settlements, engage yourself in the extension of piped water to these areas, or the construction of a school, or even just to spend some time with the children in the slums.

Still, you can donate to the men, women, and children, whether food, clothes, school fees, or school requirements, just choose any form and we transform the lives of the people living in the slums of Uganda.

 

disabled woman in Uganda
Webmasters October 9, 2018 2 Comments

LIFE OF A DISABLED WOMAN IN UGANDA.

Life of a disabled woman in Uganda.

Disability is just one word to mean “not able” meaning that anyone who is not able to do anything is disabled.  Disability is both physical and mental and some can be congenital or acquired. The most forms of disabilities are difficulties with walking, hearing, seeing, talking and perhaps reasoning.

Though the government of Uganda has put up several policies to ensure the just treatment of disabled people, from children to adults, males and females, but they have not been implemented and these people have continuously lacked support.

Therefore, there is need for everyone to rise up, take part and play a role towards the well-being of people with physical or mental impairments.

Truthfully, living a disabled life is a hard task on its own. Being vulnerable to almost everything, having to ask out for help all the time just because your nature doesn’t enable you to help yourself. It’s a life that is unimaginable.

For children, it could be easier as they have parents who are obliged to take care of them, for men, they are naturally born stronger and they can maneuver the daily struggles. But what about the disabled woman?

Her being a weaker sex, she has faced more challenges than any other group of the disabled persons in Uganda. She regularly suffers the pain of sexual abuse as she can’t defend herself. Ugandan men being merciless and shameless, they have raped her and she has innocently faced the consequences of these rude acts. Now imagine a woman who couldn’t even help herself, how she will support the two lives, both hers and the baby’s!

She faces daily rejection from her society. According to the African myths and superstitions, disabled are taken as bad omen. Poor her only experiences rude stares and people sitting far away from her all day along just because she is disabled. Some people don’t even call her by name, but rather by her physical disability like the deaf, the lame or the blind, something that is so breaking that she has chosen to leave her house. How miserable such a lonely life is!

The disabled woman in Uganda has been denied a chance to go to school. She is living an illiterate life and the world is also comfortable with this. Parents of disabled girls have deliberately refused to sponsor their children to school, they feel it’s a waste of money to educate a disabled child.

This lack of education has made her unemployed for the rest of her life. The fact that she doesn’t meet minimum qualifications, the disabled woman has been rejected in almost all job interviews. Also the society’s perception that she can’t do anything has made her lose out on all jobs since employers think she won’t meet the job demands.

Her failure to find a job has made the Ugandan disabled woman live a poor life, a life of lacking all the time, putting her in a double disability state, both physically and financially. Now she cannot support herself in any way, she is simply living a vulnerable life.

More depressingly, this woman is a mother, who breastfeeds, one who doesn’t have what to feed on or give to her child, a mother who doesn’t have what to put on or the child’s cloths, and probably a homeless mother. That’s her, she is a disabled woman in Uganda.

We can help her, we can support her, we can give her new hope, and yes, we rebuild her life again. Just support the non-government organizations that stretch a helping hand to the disabled, widows, girl children, orphans, street children and poor communities. Let’s send her back to school, start up a business for her, send her child to school too and resettle her life. She is human too.

 

Voluntourism in Uganda
Webmasters October 5, 2018 1 Comment

VOLUNTOURISM IN UGANDA

Voluntourism in Uganda

Volunteering and tourism, when they are joined become voluntourism. And this is a common form of international travel that allows you to contribute to sustainable development. While exploring a new country and culture.

It is similar to volunteer travel or volunteer vacation and many people find that doing volunteer work while also participating in exploring the country’s beauty remains a great way to get the best from any holiday.

Voluntourism offers unimaginable chances to participants. Exploring new destinations and their unique attributes, and learning about the culture firsthand play a vital role in the community.

Since most of the volunteers live with local host families, in addition to the worthwhile work they do on their projects. They also experience the depth of cultural immersion and exchange which is impossible for typical tourists. The host families usually welcome volunteers into their homes and help them become part of the community. By acquainting their traditions and customs with volunteers. And some volunteers have even found themselves celebrating birthdays and weddings with their host families.

The time a volunteer decides to take a step to join a voluntourism program, they are joining a global network of volunteers who live and work with diverse cultures on projects that have a positive impact. Volunteering in Uganda receives volunteers all over the world and this helps them to share their passion for giving back and the desire to broaden their horizons.

 

The most common form of voluntourism in Uganda is by visiting animal orphanages and zoos. Volunteers can work at animal orphanages, for example; Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary which deals in rescuing and rehabilitation of wild animals that have been injured, rescued from poachers or abandoned. Volunteers assist with feeding, handling, cleaning cages, assisting staff with providing medical care to these animals, and much more. Volunteers do not need any veterinary knowledge or special skills, just deep caring for animal welfare.

There are many animal centers, or animal orphanages in Uganda, including – Uganda wildlife education center, Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, Entebbe snake park, Reptile village, etc.

Volunteering and tourism has supported Ugandan communities in various ways;

When volunteers promote a well-run and sustainable volunteer project, they are helping to implement long-term development. Volunteers use skills, time, and energy to make a difference that will last long after they have returned home. Volunteers also help local teachers improve their teaching and classroom skills. Via various teaching projects and in this case, volunteers indirectly impact schools/institutions. And when a volunteer helps a struggling entrepreneur get their business off the ground at a microfinance project. The volunteer is helping support an entire family for years to come.

Voluntourism participants play a great role in the development of the local economy. Because in their free time, they get opportunities to go sightseeing. Undertake game drives, island tours, trekking, boat cruises, and many others.

We all know that Uganda relies heavily on the income from tourism. And so voluntourism is a way of generating revenue to the county’s GDP as well as supporting local businesses.

Voluntourism companies give employment to the communities and in most cases, workers have the opportunity to receive further training and education.

Voluntourism in Uganda is increasingly becoming common but it is extremely important to first research about the organization you are considering to travel with. Sustainability, experience, and financial responsibility are essential to running programs that truly benefit the population.