“During these preparation stages, I wasn’t sure what to expect and had a million questions, all of which had been answered in the course of the pre-departure meetings with Kevin, our volunteer coordinator and the other volunteers, all in a fun, friendly and very informative manner that had put us all at ease. Having covered everything from an overview of Ugandan culture, values, staple diet and basic vocabulary to the essential items for building and teaching in schools, our expectations, hopes and fears and everything in between, we were all set and rearing to go.”
“Once we had safely arrived in Uganda, our group of volunteers readily rolled up the sleeves, eager to get stuck into the work we had planned for during orientation. Our Ugandan coordinators did not disappoint. After staff-volunteer orientation and taking in some local sights (like our short road trip to the Equator!), we were put to good use by helping out with building a perimeter wall around the health centre, teaching secondary school kids first aid basics and primary age children – English literacy across a number of schools. We also went on home visits with outreach workers to observe primary care in its essence – provision of health sustaining medicines and health check-ups to HIV positive adults and children; and witness incredible resilience and hard work paying off for those on the sustained livelihoods programmes who are benefiting from small start-up loans to create business opportunities to feed their families and gradually build a better life for themselves. And as for their enthusiasm for life, gratitude for such opportunities, soaring confidence in their ability and belief in themselves – that is something I will remember with great admiration.”
“Of course, among such incredible high moments they were also very tough ones, like the acute realisation of the gulf in the standard between our lives; seeing first-hand how different our worlds’ every day struggles are. These times also have an effect on you. But being there, knowing that you are a small part of a much bigger change for the better in the people’s lives, part of years of tireless work by all volunteers from the moment when Nurture Africa was but a twinkle in its founders’ eyes, makes the whole experience worthwhile, unforgettable and invaluable not only for every single volunteer but all the others benefiting from his/her time and skills.”
“Two weeks flew, and in a blink of an eye it was time to go home. It felt like a short time to us but we knew we had achieved a lot in our two weeks in Uganda and in turn felt great satisfaction in knowing we gave it all in that time, be it in teaching, building, and learning about the incredible body of work done by Nurture Africa and seeing the tangible and immense difference it is making every day in people’s lives. That is near to impossible to quantify or describe and do it justice.”
“All in all, it’s been an incredible journey and I can’t wait to do it all over again. And I dare you, a first time volunteer, not to feel the same after your two weeks in Uganda!”
2-3 week placements are available in July, August and October.
For more information on volunteering please go to www.nurtureafrica.ie or call Kevin @ 01-5424177
