Volunteer With Us

About Uganda

Uganda is found in Eastern Africa on the border of Kenya, Tanzania, Southern Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda we use shillings as our currency though USD, EUROS and Pounds are also accepted. Visa ATM cards and some credit cards are used in bigger hotels and restaurants. Money can be exchanged in most banks and in Masaka as well. Tipping habits are not so common but we do. Travelers' checks are only sold in Kampala, our capital city.

Registration Process and Costs

Many of our volunteers so far have traveled from the USA, Ireland, UK, Holland and other European countries. We have not had any trouble with migrations or visa processing. Volunteers can get a temporary Visa at the airport on the arrival. The costs to volunteer are $600 USD per month. This includes airport pick up, housing cost, transport to field work from the house and back daily, meals and airport drop after volunteering. These fees are due preferably ahead of time required as a deposit into our account. This will help make better arrangements of transportation, housing and other expenses. However if necessary, this can be accepted after arrival. This cost does not include air travel costs and fees.

We do not charge administration costs or training fees. Volunteers can only give money or donate towards the foundation according to his or her own wishes. Required documents upon arrival are passport, ID and Visa. Volunteers are given certificates and appreciation letters after completion of projects mostly to those on missions.

Project Dates

You're welcome to join us any time, we just would like to hear from you in advance so we're able to plan accordingly. Our local airport is Entebbe International Airport and it's the only one in the country. Travel time from the airport to our orphanage is 3 hours. We do give a short orientation on the day of arrival about the local culture, security and safety tips, rude words and teach quick local terms to use just in case.

Free internet is available for volunteers to communicate with friends and family back home but there is a separate expense for long distance phone calls.

What Will Volunteers Do?

This will depend on the volunteer's interest. We have the orphanage home with daily activities like laundry, teaching, cooking, baby sitting, cleaning, gardening and others of that kind. During community outreach activities we reach up to 72 villages giving the most attention to poor families and the elderly people with special needs. We help them through self help education, house cleaning, home renovations, food provisions and telling them about Christ. We also give out Bibles, gifts and provide used clothing and some medicines.

With our Child Sponsorship program, volunteers can help in contacting people from near and far raising awareness of the need. This is primarily online but there are other ways. We have a list of about 200 children on standby waiting for sponsorship. This must be done through Family Rescue Foundation after recognizing the specials of that particular child. Some might be orphans, some have HIV/AIDS but are not orphans, some come from extremly poor families and living conditions, some are victims of domestic violence and some are street children.

Volunteer Groups

We can host as many as 12 volunteers at once or as few as 1. Everyone is welcome including families, couples and church groups. No specific supplies required and gifts for our orphanage children are welcome. Donations are always gratefully accepted to help cover foundation costs.

Tourist Information and Safety

During your visit we will have some free time to tour the local areas. Some sites may include visiting the Nabugabo sand beach, martyrs shrines, visiting Bujagali Falls in Jinja, gorrilla tracking, and visiting the Rwenzori mountains. We can also organize a tour of the Queen Elizabeth National Park which has chimpanzees, lions, elephants, hippos, buffalos and many wild and beautiful animals. Camping trips and safaris can also be arranged if planned in advance. All of these events need to be arranged ahead of time so please let us know when planning your trip if there is interest. There may be additional costs for some of these trips as well with payments required in advance.