Share your skills with Africa, volunteer in Uganda

An inspiring opportunity for creative and passionate individuals interested in teaching children or adults in Africa. The chance to facilitate a series of engaging educational workshops across a range of projects reflecting areas of your expertise whilst you live amongst a rural community next to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

Background…

Green, lush, mountainous and remote, Bwindi is a truly stunning place to visit. It's famously home to around half of the world's population of rare Mountain Gorillas which has attracted a growing number of tourists to the area but behind the scenes, education levels amongst the local people are basic and formal jobs are hard to come by.

We truly believe that education is an integral part of development and can transform the lives of kids and adults in Africa, as with anywhere in the world. People in this particular Ugandan community are hungry for new knowledge and we're looking for professionals from different backgrounds to join our team and help build the capacity for more sustainable, prosperous and healthier livelihoods.

What can I do?

The opportunities are diverse and flexible so whether you've got 2 weeks, 3 months or longer we'll design a volunteer placement that fits your requirements and maximises your positive impact in this community.

• Out of school kids workshops

On top of formal education we're delivering a range of educational opportunities including extra-curricular clubs and non-formal education programmes which aim to keep kids engaged in learning after school and in their holidays.

We need lots of different skills and activities brought to the table so if you're interested in working with kids and are looking for a new, rewarding challenge this is for you. You could help run wildlife clubs and excursions into the forest to teach about the natural environment, maybe you're creative and would prefer to share your skills in arts & crafts, or passionate about building teamwork in others through sport and fitness. Whatever the case, you'll definitely need to be resourceful and imaginative as it's back to basics.

• Youth Business Club

A Youth Business Club for those soon to leave school and those that have just left encouraging entrepreneurship in the local area and uncovering talent amongst the youth - some are looking to raise funds to reach further education. Sessions so far have included identifying gaps in the local market, personal finance and developing business plans, but the team are always looking for new ideas so you'd be responsible for designing and running discussion groups or engaging tasks in your chosen field.

• Women's empowerment workshops

Gender is a contentious issue in Africa so we need volunteers who are compassionate, understanding and responsive to women's needs and who can develop relevant educational programmes which aim to empower them socially and economically.

• Teach the teachers

The teachers here are eager to share experience with teachers from abroad. If you have experience in primary, secondary or tertiary education you're needed! We aim to build the capacity of the local teachers to improve the quality of education and engagement of the kids in schools.

There are other opportunities available in the education sector here so give us an idea of your background and we can let you know how you could fit into the team.

What's the package?

Big Beyond volunteer placements are well-organised full-board expeditions. There's a programme fee to join the team which includes accommodation in a shared house with a small international team, food (3 meals a day) and drinking water, local transport and in-country transfer from Kigali airport to Bwindi plus a few extras.

When you arrive at site you'll undertake 2 days of orientation and a one-to-one consultation with the project Director to refine your personal and bespoke placement design. After this, day-to-day, you'll be working directly with the community in your project field – there is no typical day and you'll need to adapt to African village life. Evenings and weekends are free for you to relax and explore.

Visit our page about pricing for more info.

Intake dates:

If you're interested to get involved in any of the interactive education workshops above you can join us from any of the following dates:

- May 12th & 26th

- June 9th & 23rd

- July 8th & 21st

- August 4th & 18th

- September 1st, 15th & 29th