Volunteer

We believe in volunteers really understanding and seeing the difference they make. Therefore the money the volunteers fundraise goes towards the build of their playground that they help build, open and enjoy seeing the children playing on. You will see the project from start to finish. From empty space to hundreds of kids playing on a new playground that you built. There is no better feeling!

You will be supported every step of the way by the founders of the charity and experienced group leaders. In the UK we will help with advice, planning and fundraising. In Uganda we will be onsite to support you and the team 24/7.

Training and preparation is vital for volunteers. We run training events in the UK where you will learn about the charity, the work, Ugandan culture, what to do, how to do it and the answers to all your questions. In Uganda you will get lots of training in playground building, play work and Ugandan arts and craft.

We organise our project meticulously. We will sort out everything from flights and insurance through to  airport pickups, food, accommodation and playground building, so you can just enjoy the experience without the worry! 

Each project is overseen by the  founders of the charity and your group leaders meaning you will not only have an amazing time with your team but you will become part of the EAP family, community and will make a real difference.

If you have a particular interest within an area then we encourage volunteers to make the most of their skills and interest whilst in Uganda with support from us.

We are also able to support volunteers who wish to travel after their project. Uganda is a fantastic place to adventure and can be a spring board for you to explore more places such as Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar.

We keep costs simple, transparent and separate so you know where it is all going.

• £300 living expense – This covers your weekday food, accommodation, basic transport as well as all the support you will receive in the UK and Uganda
• £700 fundraise for the playground – This will pay for the build of the playground including materials, labour and maintenance
• £1,300 travel expenses (approx) – You will then need to pay for your flights, vaccination, visa, travel insurance and spending money.

Each project is in the heart of a community who have been working on the playground plans and have been waiting your arrival for 12 months. You get a real community experience as you will be living within the community you are volunteering in.

Uganda is one of the world’s top travel destinations. Our teams all get the chance to go on Safari game drives, boat Safaris, Waterfall abseils, Bungee jumping into the Nile, White water rafting along the Nile, Horse riding and even quad biking all orgainse and ready for you to jump on board and enjoy!

You will get the chance to learn new skills and try new things that will help you later in life and employment.You will become part of a team of 15 people living and working with our team in Uganda and the local community, lots of different people from different places for you to get to know.

Volunteering with us will ultimately improve your CV giving you more experience, skills and things to talk to future employers about. When looking for future course places or employment you will stand out from the crowd with such a unique experience on your CV.

We are a young expanding charity that gives its volunteers the chance to get involved further and get more experience as project leaders, interns and graduates.

A personal recommendation from friends or family is an ideal way to find a really good volunteering project with a charity. Speak to anyone you know who has been volunteering and travelling before and this should give you some good tips and advice.

Think about what you want out of your volunteering experience and ensure that the project you pick suits your ethics, abilities and the experience that you desire. In doing this you will have a better time as well as being able to give more back.

Think about the skills, experience and qualifications you have which can be transferred and built upon within your volunteering project. You do not want to be doing a job that might take paid work away from a local. If you have a qualification/skill then VSO is great at placing volunteers in relevant placements, if you have no specific qualifications/skills but plenty of enthusiasm then building projects or play opportunities within communities are fantastic.

Many different organisations provide volunteering experiences such as: companies, social enterprises and charities, each with their own rationale behind getting you to volunteer. Ensure you look into the organisation to ensure you agree with their ethics as when volunteering you are representing their organisation. Remember that many of the big ‘Gap Year’ and ‘Volunteer tourism’ companies are often out to make a big profit from volunteers with many of the small charities that they are supposed to support gaining very little financially.

If you wish to volunteer don’t forget the small charities. When searching you will have to ignore the first 20 pages on Google as it will only be bigger charities and companies. Volunteering with a small charity will give you a personal and unique experience. Just because a company is big that doesn’t mean they will give you a better support network or experience. Often the small charities give much better projects than big companies who are looking to make a big profit. Volunteering directly with a charity will always give the most benefits to everyone involved.

Ensure the volunteering project is community based because as a volunteer you want to be supporting a community in their change, not putting across unhelpful western views. The projects should be headed up by a local who is able to identify the need then work in partnership with the community to resolve the issue.

It is vital to any charitable work that the projects are sustainable, for example if you are helping to build a school, does the organisation have staff and children ready to fill the school as well as the continued funding to support the school. Look for projects that have a beginning, middle, future and that are based around investing in local people and sustainability ensure a long lasting impact.

Every volunteer project will have a cost attached, ensure you know exactly where the money that you will need to raise is going. If the costs are all clumped together ask them where it all goes so you can see just how much is lost in admin and how much the project on the ground gets. You want to ensure that if you are asked to fundraise then a good proportion of the money you will raise will go towards the project you will be helping out with. The most expensive project will not mean the best nor will the cheapest project, you have to research the organisation.

When volunteering abroad you will need to know that you are both safe and supported. Make sure you look at exactly how a project will be supporting you. Do they have a track record, will you be collected from the airport, is your main support miles away or staying where you are, will you be in a group or on your own? You want to make sure that the charity is supporting you in the UK with training, in country with personnel located in the towns your projects are in and not just in the Capital cities.

Ask questions! Make sure you call or email the organisation you are thinking of volunteering with and ask about their ethics, the experience and where your money will be going. Remember this is a big experience and so any organisation of worth will be happy to answer all your questions openly and honestly.

Fantastic, head to our resources page to download an application form and action pack. Read the Action pack (if you have any questions just contact us) fill in the application form and email it to us. Then we will invite you for an interview or to attend a selection day. Remember you are welcome to contact us at any time no matter how big or small your question maybe. 

You don’t need any expertise to come on an EAP project. We believe in giving everyone the opportunity and our projects are designed for anyone to be able to contribute. All we ask for is enthusiasm and a good work ethic.

Each university volunteer project is 4 weeks long and they run from early June until mid October each year. The school projects are tailor made but usually around 2 weeks long. If you want to volunteer outside of this time then please contact us. 

On each project volunteers help with the building of the playground in the mornings and then the games and arts programs in the afternoons. Then at weekends trips and activities are organised for each group.

Each projects is based at the heart of a local community. On each project there will be a team of 12 UK volunteers, 2 EAP group leaders and our EAP Building team. 

EAP provides pre-project support in the UK and 24 hour on project support in East Africa. On each project there is a qualified first-aider and a member of the EAP team is present at all times. 

Yes. If your school, university, club or work wants to send a team out we can arrange for this. Just get in contact 

We keep costs simple, transparent and separate so you know where it is all going.

• £300 living expense – This covers your weekday food, accommodation, basic transport as well as all the support you will receive in the UK and Uganda
• £700 fundraise for the playground – This will pay for the build of the playground including materials, labour and maintenance
• £800 travel expenses (approx) – You will then need to pay for your flights, vaccination, visa and travel insurance. Plus spending money as extra.