Description

You will be working in orphanages, schools, poor communities and villages, in mobile medical clinics, health units, villages and in rural, fairly remote rural landscapes doing conservation work. A truly remarkable photographic assignment is available for suitably qualified and skilled volunteers who have sound graphic design skills and their own high quality photographic equipment. Conservation work is needed not only for landscapes, eco-systems and wildlife, but also for ancient and historic sites - such as the rock paintings and engravings at Nyero and similar stone age sites.

The educational, social and medical volunteering opportunities are all in the Soroti area of Uganda. This is an area not much frequented by tourists but the infrastructure in Soroti town is good.

There is great need for volunteers to help in all aspects of life. You will find the local professionals and villagers open to new ideas and keen to learn as much as they can to enable them to improve their circumstances and those of future generations. The children will be delighted to have exotic fair skinned westerners playing and working with them - although some will cry at first because they will never have seen a 'white ghost'!
This is an area that has suffered from being fairly close to an area of serious unrest, but this situation no longer exists so westerners are beginning to travel to the area to do whatever they can to help.

Conservation work and sustainable food production are two other aspects of Teso's work. There will be opportunities for ecological and historical conservation work. Landscapes and wildlife need preserving. Prehistoric art and artifacts need conserving.

By contacting Teso you will receive detailed information about the possibilities for working with orphans, in schools - where the classroom is in a field and blackboards hang in trees, in medical clinics where medical supplies such as those used in developed countries are unavailable and in the varied landscapes of Uganda where sustainable food production education is just one part of preserving eco-systems and preventing the bush meat trade.

Accommodation is varied depending on the placement. It may be homestay, shared rooms or basic guest houses. Details will be given to you as you progress through the enquiry stage.

The photographic assignment is a unique opportunity to work with the staff of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda and other Ugandan National Parks, on a voluntary basis. Your base of operation would be Queen Elizabeth National Park.

As a skilled photographer, you would be instrumental in setting up a Photographic Project in the Park. This has been needed for a very long time, but there is never any funding for it. Therefore, we have decided to seek a professional or experienced photographer who is willing to fulfill this mission on a voluntary basis. Applicants need to be at least 25 years of age.

This is a pioneering opportunity that would involve making a wide ranging photographic record of the wildlife in the park - on the land, in the air and in the water, the habitat, varied and changing landscapes, the communities living in the park and those who are employed to caretake it, e.g. the Wardens, Rangers and other staff.

The project also involves recording bird song, animal sounds and living sounds from locations in the park, including local communities and schools. Designing pamphlets, brochures, educational materials and other advertising materials for the Park, also forms part of the project. It would also involve providing photography tuition, including photo manipulation and correction, for Park staff to enable them to continue the work when you have left.

Accommodation is provided free of charge. You would have your own bedroom, possibly with attached toilet and shower, and share the use of the living areas and kitchen with anyone else who may be staying there at the time. The house has electricity, running water and western toilets. Internet is available at the Park Offices. The house is never crowded as it only has 4 rooms with 2 beds in each. Subject to certain conditions, it would be possible for the volunteer to be accompanied by their partner, but not children.
Working cooperatively with Park Staff, the volunteer will draw up a business plan for the project.

The minimum period is 3 months, but ideally the volunteer would stay at least 6 months. It is anticipated that the project will take two years or more. The same work would be necessary at other National Parks in Uganda which would entail visiting those, but your base would be QENP. There would be similar transport and living conditions attached to those visits. The placement is mutually reviewable every 3 months during the assignment.

Highlights

Volunteers will benefit by living and working with open hearted, like minded people who will be drawn from the local communities and the international community of people dedicated to humanitarian needs and the preservation of culture, wild life and landscapes. They will experience Ugandan life and landscapes over a relatively large part of Uganda. There will be opportunities for further volunteers to travel at weekends and at the end of their placement according to their wishes and desires and at their own expense. These placements are in an area of Uganda that is less frequented by Westerners but the infrastructure in Soroti town itself is good.

Working conditions can be taxing due to heat, cultural differences and the frustrations that come from seeing the extent of the needs and the feeling that perhaps what you are doing is a drop in the ocean. We would like to remind our potential volunteers that the ocean is made of many drops! And we would welcome helping you to put that drop in the ocean.

Qualifications

Volunteers need to be educated to UK A Level standard. Medical volunteers must have a UK, USA or EU recognised medical qualification or proof that they have successfully completed at least 3 years of just such a medical doctor's qualification or possess a full nursing qualification. Volunteers need to be motivated, self reliant, adaptable, patient and, above all else, good hearted.

Minimum Education

High School

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

USD 500 per month/ 28days

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Registration fees
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

The cost includes accommodation, food (simple, plentiful and nutritious mainly African food, for some assignments the use of a bicycle or car may be provided. The car will not be available for recreational purposes for which the volunteer must make their own transport arrangements. Airport transfers are USD 100 as a one off total payment for both incoming and outgoing transfers to the volunteer accommodation.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Our volunteers are open hearted, energetic and committed people who share our aspiration to improve the lives of poor people and take care of our planet.

Age Range

21 - 70, but a sound level of health and fitness is necessary for the well being of the volunteer and those whom they seek to serve.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Dormitory
• Group living
• Home-stays
• Other

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 2 - 6

Application Process Involves

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Phone/Video Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

2 weeks

Teso Education, Medical and Conservation Trust's Mission Statement

We are dedicated to improving the lives of poor Ugandans via humanitarian work, medical intervention and conservation. We focus on individual and community education to improve all aspects of the lives of children and adults. Skilled and dedicated volunteers work in partnership with us, wherever possible adopting a holistic approach to solving and providing long term solutions to the problems faced by people living in primitive conditions.

Year Founded

2007