Medical Volunteering in Uganda

Volunteer tasks under the medical and healthcare program in Uganda may vary and depend on the level of experience, qualifications,medical training etc. If you have experience in the medical or health profession you might do tasks and activities which include the following:

• Wound dressing under direct supervision of nursing staff.
• Blood pressure, pulse and temperature measurements (if competent).
• Assist patients with activities such as getting them from one service point to another.
• Weighing patients, holding babies/adults to be weighed.
• General assistance to the medical staff wherever required, and wherever experience and expertise allow.
• Pre Medical students assist the local doctors and staff in doing basic tasks such as checking weight and temperature of the patients, cleaning wounds and also doing administrative tasks in the placement.

The schedule for the volunteers remains as follows;

• Sunday - Arrival at Uganda, Kampala
• Monday - An orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering topic areas; such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestion over things to do in Uganda.
• Tuesday to Fri - Volunteer work
• Breakfast - 07:30 am onwards
• Leave for the project - 09:00 am
• Working hours at the placement - 10:00 am to 04:00 pm
• Lunch - 01:00 pm onwards
• Dinner - 07:00 pm  onwards
• Weekends - Free to explore the city

The same volunteer work schedule continues from the second week onwards 

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.

As you arrive at the Entebbe International Airport near Kampala, we take care of everything starting right from the airport pick up to the accommodation, meals and local assistance. You will also get a comprehensive pre-departure information booklet and other assistance to prepare you for living in the city. Living options for various projects in Uganda range from host family accommodation, volunteer house, and guest house. All necessary facilities are provided in the accommodation for a comfortable stay of volunteers.

Airport Transfer

Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport near Kampala, our coordinator will pick you up and transfer you to your accommodation. In case you are coming by road or are already in Kampala, you need to inform us beforehand and the pickup will be arranged accordingly.

Accommodation

In our programs in Uganda, accommodation is provided either with a host family or at a volunteer house. The host family/caretakers at the volunteer house take care of your comfortable stay, meals and any assistance during the stay.

Accommodation options for various projects in Uganda range from host family accommodation, volunteer house, and guest house. All necessary facilities are provided in the accommodation for a comfortable stay of the volunteers. The kind of accommodation provided also depends on the number of participants, the project was chosen and the location of the project.

Orientation

Our program coordinator will give you an orientation about the placement, local transport, facilities around the accommodation and necessities like ATMs, banks, restaurants, shops, pharmacy, local customs, and practices, Do’s and Don’ts, safety and so on. Please feel free to ask any questions to the coordinator if you need any more information.

Meals

3 meals a day, i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided from Monday to Friday. Breakfast and dinner will be given at the accommodation whereas lunch will be provided at the program location.

Breakfast includes tea/coffee, bread, jam, fruit and one dish (eggs, porridge, French toast, cereal etc.). Lunch is mostly prepared by local families or community members and typically includes meat (beef or chicken or fish), potatoes and rice.
Our program coordinator may take you occasionally to a local restaurant for lunch. Dinner includes vegetable, meat once or twice a week, rice, maize etc.

On weekends, only breakfast and dinner will be given. For lunch, you can go to the good local restaurants. The program coordinator will recommend the restaurants and other activities to do during the weekend. Weekend trips can also be taken up after consulting the coordinator and your fellow volunteers.

Always be wary of local street food as at most of the times it is contaminated or half cooked or made by unhealthy components. Do not drink tap water directly. Brushing your teeth with tap water is fine. You can purchase packaged water bottles from a supermarket for drinking.

Daily Transportation

Most of the program locations are within a walking distance from the program location and in cases where travel is required, volunteers are picked up and dropped back on either a boda-boda (motorcycle) or a jeep/car. None of the program locations or local utility shops are within a 5 – 10 minutes walking distance of the accommodations.