Partner Profiles
Below are just some of the organisations we work with in Uganda. You will want to consider whether you would prefer an urban (Kampala) or rural (Masindi) placement, bearing in mind that being in a rural village requires a lot more independence!
Our partners’ needs are often more basic than you might think, for example IT training may involve showing someone how to use MS Word. Please give us as much detail as you can about your skills, interests and experience, to enable us to work out where your skills will be put to best use.
In Kampala, we partner with the following organisations (in no particular order):
Namuwongo Slum Project
The Namuwongo Slum Project has been established to support the displaced and refugee communities living in slums in Kampala. It began in January 2008 and is mostly supported by volunteers and well-wishers. They provide free education to 150 vulnerable children (many of whom are in child-headed families) through sponsorship at local schools, and they also run a small kindergarten. They offer a weekend reading club and library, as well as holiday programmes during school breaks, with activities ranging from cultural dance and drama, to sports and crafts. They are currently expanding their support to families through the provision of small microfinance loans, and their social workers conduct regular home visits in the local community. Volunteers are urgently needed to assist with kindergarten and primary teaching, data entry, basic database design and management, admin support and record keeping, recreational activities such as sports and drama, marketing and promotion of community income generation activities, and small business skills training. Opportunities also exist to support the project with curriculum planning and support, planning and developing catch-up courses and delivering literacy and numeracy lessons to small groups, fundraising, proposal writing and accounting.
Pan African Development, Education and Advocacy Program - PADEAP Uganda
PADEAP is a Human Rights NGO established in Africa in the 1990s to advocate for the rights of vulnerable communities in Africa and the diaspora. Its aims include: empowering the African people to chart their own destiny through education and training, advocacy and lobbying, research and development, capacity building, empowering grassroots communities, access to information communication and technology development, cultural exchange and human security. Their Uganda activities primarily focus on the plight of refugees. They run a Refugee Advocacy Program in Kampala, as well as in a number of government refugee settlements in South Western Uganda. They offer confidential support and information services for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as training in conflict resolution, supporting refugee based organisations in their organisational development, computer training, lobbying, and providing a community resource centre and newsletter. They are currently researching basic education provision and are partly supported by funding from Comic Relief. There are opportunities to support PADEAP with research, training (particularly in HIV/AIDS and gender issues, as well as vocational training), and computer programming and web design.
Kampala Babies' Home
This is the oldest orphanage in Kampala and was established in 1929. Their mission is to care for abandoned, parentless and needy children regardless of race, tribe or creed and to bring them up in a happy atmosphere, and, as far as possible, find foster parents for them. The Home cares for up to forty children at any given time, from birth (hours old) to a maximum age of five years. They have a number of staff and volunteers, but continually struggle to meet the high running costs. They require volunteers to help with the promotion and development of income generation activities in order to provide a regular income for the home. Opportunities exist in proposal writing, fundraising, child care, nursery teaching, data management, public relations and accounting.
We also have opportunities to volunteer with our sister organisation, CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND – a social enterprise working to raise the quality of Ugandan music – and with VSN itself. Please feel free to contact us for more information at: volunteeruganda@ymail.com.
In Masindi, we partner with the following organisations:
Masindi District NGO Forum
Masindi District NGO Forum was established in 2007 to provide an essential role in coordinating the efforts and activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and social enterprises in Masindi district across the different sectors. It is an umbrella organisation for advocacy work, information sharing, networking and coordinating activities through regular meetings of its member organisations. The NGO Forum is a young, small operation with only three full-time staff and extremely limited resources. Help is needed to set up the NGO database, develop the new Human Rights and Governance programme, support the network in information dissemination and public relations, and develop crucial skills in IT and accountancy. Work may be carried out for the organisation itself or its beneficiary organisations, depending on requirements.
Action Aid International Uganda
Action Aid International is a well-established international NGO, having been operational in Masindi for seven years. While formerly carrying out its own projects on the ground, determined at national and international level, it has since developed into a capacity building organisation and provides vital support and funding to five local partners in the education and food security sectors. Action Aid empowers local NGOs by providing training, funding and a forum for advocacy. Their Masindi office currently has only four staff. Work may be carried out for the organisation itself or its beneficiary organisations and community cooperatives. Volunteers are urgently needed to assist cooperatives with training and support in literacy, financial planning and management, IT skills, marketing, organisational structure, policy and procedures development, assets management, agricultural skills development and fundraising. Opportunities also exist to support Action Aid in report and proposal writing, communications and public relations, monitoring and evaluation, research, and program planning and development.
Recreation for Development and Peace – RDP-Uganda
Recreation for Development and Peace – RDP Uganda began as a DANIDA funded recreation and sports project in 1999. It became an NGO in 2002 and began to focus more on helping communities mobilize and set up their own grassroots projects with the aim of poverty eradication. Community groups are supported in carrying out various projects including vocational training, income generation initiatives, and recreational activities. RDP-U is currently developing a new programme to promote democracy, governance, leadership skills, entrepreneurship, and participation in civil society and policy among youth. They achieve this through the school system and other initiatives including youth camps and a youth radio programme in which issues are debated by youth and policy makers. They also run a youth resource centre in Nakasongola district, staffed by volunteers. RDP-U is a small organisation with only three full-time and one part time staff, and limited resources. A few local volunteers provide essential additional support. They urgently need volunteers to help develop and expand their programmes. There are currently opportunities to assist in the following areas: community outreach and sensitization, programme and project planning, sports coaching, marketing and promotion of community income generation activities, vocational training, youth outreach, IT skills and accounting.
Name: Anni 
