Health, Wildlife, Conservation & The Environment Programme volunteer - Uganda Review

I really enjoyed my time here, it was one of the best experiences of my life & it was so genuine. The company are really ethical and have very wide-reaching goals. It's a long-term project hoping to make a positive impact in the short time you might be there, but more importantly within the bigger picture also. Knowing my work was worthwhile & seeing the output for myself - the smiles on people's faces, the skills i passed on to them - that's what makes it so worthwhile. You really do make of it, whatever you put into it. Staff will support you and help you create ideas and provide resources to help you achieve them. They'll also

A great deal - all of the staff really appreciated me for my work, and for my self as an individual. You also get a good mix of other people on placement that may have completely different goals, but are like-minded enough to be in the same place with the same general goal as you (helping the locals). Everybody brings such varied skills to the placement & these all work together brilliant in a huge melting-pot. When i was there, i worked on an event, training & managing newly recruited local stewards & first aiders. But this was in conjunction with all the roles that everyone else was given. I know i couldn't have done my role without the support of others and i believe this was the same in return, so yes, i felt valued.

Don't get me wrong there is a good amount of support - but it really helps to know that you'll have to show your own initiative in part to motivate yourself and get up and do stuff to achieve your goals. You are regularly in touch with staff so support is never far away if it's required. Just be mindful you are only here for x amount of time & the more you put in, the more you will get out. You'll have regular reviews & catchups & plenty of chance to have your say :)

The staff will put together a loose framework of projects you can get involved in - you can easily pick & choose what exactly you want to do from these options or come up with your own ideas. From this, you'll usually have specific local staff contacts who will support you to achieve these, but there are only so many staff & usually more volunteers. This means the resources need to be shared. Sometimes this can mean that you're unable to get to do what you need straight away so you need to be resourceful & think of other things you can do in the meantime. I personally found i had a good mix of busy/taking it easy but this really differs from person to person. If you love being at it 9-5 then you're in the right place, likewise if you like taking it easier, you can do that too.

Average - i could of had more if i wanted but i was happy with my lot. If you arrive with specialised knowledge/skills then you'll probably find everyone will look to you for the answers - that means that you'll be running your project but probably with support from others.

I find this hard to answer - to be honest, i'll only know the impact of this in a couple of years when i start applying for jobs where my experience really will count. Overall i see it as a positive experience & I really really loved doing it, i'm so glad i had this opportunity and would do it again in a heartbeat. The locals are fantastic people & it really is a back to basics way of life. I'd love to go back, it's just a matter of time!

All the staff are fantastic & will make you feel right at home and at ease. There is a fair amount of socialising and enough opportunities to let your hair down. The placement experience will depend greatly on who else is there at the time & that's just unpredictable. Most of the people are great & I had a great time with them.

very well organised. The only criticism is to do with simply how they fit in with the local way of life. It does fit, but because life changes & projects progress & mutate it's not always possible to know exactly you'll be doing until you get there. Once there you have a huge say in what you get to do though. If you're thinking about it, then call the staff & they'll tell you what's going on now & that'll give you a good idea on what kind of things you might do in future.

The only training really was the induction, but that was specifically to do with what the company is like & how to fit in with the locals. You're really here to pass on your knowledge or use your skills to benefit the locals.

It's a small company with little prospect of a job with them. Although if this is the kind of work area you wish to get in to then this'll really help you out!

yes, definitely. But again it depends on the mix of people you have at the time. The placement is flexible but structures itself in such a way that allows people to constantly socialise with each other.

Seriously... Uganda is soooooo cheap! you can get a vodka shot for 25p & a big bottle of beer/lager for less than £1. All food & water is provided as part of the project so you'll hardly spend anything at all other than for going out at night, small treats & souvenirs.

I'm not much of a nightlife person but the others really enjoyed it. It can depend on which house you live in though as one has better access to the local bar than the other. However, there is an entertainment plan for the houses to make their own fun :)

Yes, they really encourage you to get out & explore the local area on your time off. Trips out can include going to see the mountain gorilla's, going on a proper safari (to see things like lions, zebra's, elephants, giraffe etc), loads of hiking opportunities, lakes, mountains & volcano's to explore.