In Uganda, volunteers participating in the teaching volunteer program will be placed in nurseries and primary schools with students aged 4-17 years old. They will be responsible for teaching subjects, including English, and no teaching experience is required.
Working in the teaching volunteer program within a Ugandan community is a unique experience. The education system in Uganda is primarily operated by private schools, with tuition fees similar to those in the country’s few public schools.
Despite leading challenging lives, the local children are consistently cheerful and friendly. They are eager to learn and have a genuine interest in getting to know the volunteers and their backgrounds. You will quickly notice that the children are polite, amicable, and well-behaved. Volunteers are typically expected to teach a range of subjects, including English, math, science, social sciences, art, and physical education. In this volunteer program, school hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Your involvement in their education will have a far-reaching impact beyond simply bringing smiles to their faces. This program is designed to create a lasting and positive future for each child, their family, and the broader Ugandan society.
Ugandan schools follow a three-term schedule, although the specific dates of these terms may vary from year to year. Typically, the terms are distributed as follows: First term – January to March; second term – May to July; third term – September to November.
There are short mid-term breaks in April, August, and December, during which volunteers have the opportunity to take some time off, travel, participate in tourist activities like safaris, provide private tutoring (individual classes during the school holidays, especially for students facing the most difficulties), or join another program. For instance, volunteers could assist by teaching in orphanages, participating in organized revision classes, or engaging in tasks such as maintenance, painting, or decorating the school, among other activities.
Volunteers do not need to be qualified teachers or have teaching experience; they simply need an open mind. The goal of this volunteer program is to contribute to the academic development of the school, providing orphans with the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. Volunteers will support local teachers and encourage students to learn and play, always fostering a positive and conducive atmosphere for studying and learning.
Example of the teaching volunteer program in Uganda:
Mucubo Nursery School. This school has more than 300 children aged between 4 and 17 years old. Some children walk more than 4 hours every day (to and from school), just for the opportunity to receive an education. However, there’s just a limited number of teachers for these children. (Note: This is just one of the many schools on our volunteer program, and isn’t necessarily the school to which the volunteer will be assigned.)
IMPORTANT: The teaching volunteer program will remain closed from 26 April to 18 May, from 9 August to 7 September and from 6 December to 1 February.
NOTE: During the school holidays, the volunteers will participate in organised revision classes or teach the children in the orphanage.
