Volunteer with the Refugee Community in Uganda

Hope of Children and Women (HOCW) is a non-governmental organization located in the village of Ndejje, on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda. We primarily serve refugees living in Ndejje as well as some local Ugandans in need.

We have a small, full-time staff composed mostly of refugees. We rely on volunteers to provide the manpower to help us carry out daily activities as well as share expertise and collaborate with our staff.

HOCW is a community center that provides services to an average of fifty people a day. We do our best to meet the needs of refugees though several programs:

Adult Education:Many of the refugees that come to HOCW are from countries that do not share common languages with Uganda, such as DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. This language barrier means that adult refugees struggle to find employment; have difficulty carrying out daily tasks; and often feel isolated from their neighbors. In the adult education classes, volunteers help these refugees learn English, facilitating their integration into society, opening the doors to jobs, and having a lot of fun along the way. We offer basic literacy classes and three levels of English.

Health:Zanta Clinic, one of the few public clinics in Kampala, is a short walk from our compound in Ndejje. This bustling primary care center offers services including HIV testing, prenatal care and preventive services. Zanta provides health care to a large population of vulnerable people and refugees, including most of the people we serve. HOCW partners with Zanta to provide health professional and health professional student volunteers.

HOCW also provides health education seminars and classes- volunteers with expertise in this area may work with HOCW staff to plan and conduct workshops.

Language barriers and discrimination can be barriers to refugees as the access the health services they need. Volunteers can accompany HOCW clients to medical appointments to advocate on their behalf.

Volunteers with a mental health background are encouraged to apply. Many of the people we serve are victims of rape and other acts of violence. There is very little mental health infrastructure in Uganda and HOCW does what we can to work with victims of trauma and war. Based on volunteer skills and appropriate training, we have offered popular art and group therapy sessions.

Social Development:Many of the people we work with are incredibly talented and creative. We work with them to nourish these talents and turn them into viable businesses. We have a small tailoring shop as well as groups of women that produce jewelry and baskets. We are working to create a collective of artists and craftspeople. We welcome volunteers that have creativity or business lessons to share.

Youth Activities:State run education in Uganda is very limited. The reality for the families we serve is that if they cannot afford school fees, their children cannot go to school. Because of this, many children spend long periods of their childhood not in school. We serve many children who are not in school at all and many more who are far behind in their studies.We try to provide as many organized activities as possible including academic lessons, sports and arts. We are looking for volunteers who have experience teaching academics, coaching sports or are interested in teaching music, dance, drama or other cultural activities. Currently, this is a part-time program.

Volunteer Information:

Our compound is located in Ndejje, a rural village on the outskirts on Kampala. The city center is about 11km from the compound and is easily accessible by public transportation (matatu or shared taxi) that goes right by the gates of the compound. Kampala is a busy, bustling city that some volunteers enjoy spending time in. For those who prefer to stay away from the hustle and bustle, there is also a shopping center in Lubowa, about a 25-minute walk or a short boda boda (motorbike) ride away. Lubowa has a bank, grocery store, coffee shop, bar and a few restaurants. Uganda is a beautiful country- we encourage volunteers to travel on the weekends!

The HOCW compound contains a volunteer house (bedrooms, bathroom, common living room), executive directors house (where all meals are served), office, classrooms, and small outdoor space.

Volunteer fees are $150.00 per week for volunteers who stay four weeks or less and $100.00 a week for volunteers who stay more than four weeks.

Volunteer fees cover pick-up from Entebbe Airport, accommodation in the volunteer house and three (delicious!) home cooked meals a day.

In addition, you will need a weekly budget of approximately $20 to cover bottled water, local transportation, and other personal expenses.

HOCW has fiscal sponsorship from Visions Made Vaible, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in the United States (tax ID number: 26-2214003). Fiscal sponsorship means that the HOCW has legal and tax exempt status under a sponsoring organization which has agreed to offer us administrative overhead and consulting help, freeing up our energy to be directed exclusively at achieving our mission. Our fiscal sponsor is Visions Made Viable, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in California and committed to helping seed projects launch, and many of which "spin-off" to become independent non-profits.

This also means that all donations, including the cost of flights, made through Visions made Viable are tax deductible for US tax payers.

Our Contacts

Volunteer CoordinatorMs Kelly Rigney Tel:617-694-0338 Email: kelly.hocw@gmail.com

Public Relations OfficerMarcy Rolin-Fox Tel: 262-203-0669 Email: mrolinfox@hocwug.net