Volunteer Information

This document may be printed within your browser or you may download this file by clicking on these links to a Word Format version or Rich Text Format. For more information and to schedule a trip to work with the Bwindi Community Health Centre, follow this link and click on the Volunteering link at their site.

Arrival

There is only one airport to fly into called Entebbe, which is about an hour away from the capitol city of Kampala. If you require a night in Kampala we recommend The Backpacker on Natete road ($3-$10/night), or Namarimbe Guest House which is a mission guest house ($10-$30/night, breakfast included). Both of these places are safe and secure and well known. The Backpacker tends to be the more bohemian of the two but we stay there often. Lawrence, our driver, can take you to one of these places from the airport.
Our mobile phone number is: 256 (country code) 077-202040. Our mailing address is: PO Box 58, Kanungu, Uganda. We live in southwestern Uganda in Kanungu District. We are located in the town of Buhoma next to the entrance to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park. The hospital we are constructing is named the Bwindi Community Health Centre.

Money

Do not bring Travelors Checks!!!!! They are really hard to cash even in Kampala and will cost you a lot to cash them. Bring crisp new undamaged $100 bills with big Ben on them. These bring the best exchange rate. Forex or exchange places are no longer accepting bills 1999 series or before. $100 bills must be at least 2000 Series (printed in the year 2000 or after...so 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). Using any kind of credit or debit card is extremely chancey. VISA is the only card accepted and is only usable in Kampala. We have had people come expecting to depend on using their card who have been sorely disappointed. You will want money for incidentals including bottled water, although at home we have a good water filter system. If you bring $125/week it should cover all your expenses. Obviously if you intend to visit game parks in Kenya or spend time in Zanzibar additional funds would be needed. Local options for spending money in the Bwindi Park are: Gorilla trekking, $275; the waterfall walk, $20; the community walk, $6. In Kampala a great option is rafting the Nile, $100-120.

Transport

Usually we come and get you but as the volume of people coming increases we may not be able to do this. We have a reliable airport taxi man named Lawrence, who can pick you up, take you to exchange money and will put you on a bus for our area. (This would cost about $30.00 for Lawrence's services and $12.00 for the bus). This trip takes approximately a ten hours. There is also the option of us hiring you a driver and car which could bring you to Buhoma. This cost is approximately $125 with you buying the gas. We can try to coordinate times with others arriving which in that case would make it easy to pick you and others up at the same time. Sometimes this coordination is possible and sometimes not. But never fear, all will work out.

Room and Board

We are asking for $50/week to defray the costs of the food we buy at home and for the staff who keep the house clean and wash all the clothes. This money will also be used to help pay for local trips and vehicle upkeep.

Game Parks

Uganda has wonderful national parks nearby. These parks have a variety of lions, elephants, hippos, zebras and bird life. We visit these parks with regularity. The entrance fee is $8-$20/day. Camping is $5/night. Sometimes if we are lucky we can get you in cheaper but I would not bank on it. We usually visit the parks every few weeks. Food at the parks is not expensive.

Suggested List Of Items To Bring

A complete description of items to bring may be found in this Word document or this PDF.

Flashlight and batteries
Travel mosquito net
Sleeping bag/tent if you intend to travel on your own and camp before or after your time with us. We have sleeping bags and tents while you are with us.
A small pillow, if you are particular about such things
A good hat that shades you well
A towel
A fleece jacket and/or a rain jacket very advisable...it can get quite cool here and even if it is not the rainy season it might pour!
Long and short sleeve shirts, for men: long trousers, for women: a long skirt or dress although trousers are acceptable.
Fast drying materials suggested
Shorts should not be worn anyplace except in Kampala or in National Park.
In church trousers for men or a dress or skirt for women is the custom
Sun screen
Mosquito repellent with incapsulated deet such as Sawyers
A diary
Notebooks and pens
A laptop if you feel the need
A camera
An address book with mail and Email addresses and phone numbers
A Bible
Other books you might want to read, travel guide of East Africa if you are to travel on your own....sometimes people photocopy the pages they want
Any toiletries you might need such as shampoo, although you can buy these sort of things in Kampala if there is time
Shoes should be hiking or strong althletic type tennis shoes, and/or Teva/Chaco like water sandals
Any meds you take, please bring with you

Email and Electronics

We have solar power lights and the ability to recharge electronic equipment and computer/email capability at our home but you have to use our email address to receive emails at our home; in Kampala or Kabale there are internet cafes where you can use your own address but these are quite a distance away.
Bring your CD player or tape deck if you like music and we can also play your CD's on our computer. If you need good batteries for cameras and flashlights, please bring them with you. Kampala batteries may look the same but they don't last and tend to explode.

Malaria Prophylaxis and Immunizations

We suggest that volunteers to take other malaria prophylaxis than larium (mefloquine), as this drug can predispose to depression. If you take doxycycline, bring about 5 days worth and we will supply the rest, even for the month you need to take it on your return home. It is very cheap in Uganda, we have been on this drug for 2 1/2 years. Parenthetically, it is also good for zits but cannot be taken in pregnancy.

Immunizations:

Most that are available are indicated. Hepatitis A&B, Meningococcal (quadrivalent), yellow fever, typhoid, polio (within 10 years), tetanus, recent TB skin test. Cholera is not indicated.

A Word About The Spiritual....

We are Christian missionaries to the Batwa Pygmies. There is no requirement for you to have a faith-based tradition; however, it is mandatory that you be willing to engage in spiritual dialogue. Life in sub-Sahara Africa is on the edge with disease and desolation prevalent. Consequently, we have daily devotionals to decompress and to re-establish the central motivation to our life. We encourage an enquiring attitude and a willingness to explore how one appreciates the Divine. The pygmies and people of other tribal groups will certainly ask you about your spirituality, for spirituality is vitally important in their daily lives.

Language

Volunteers have requested that we provide some Rukiga language helps, so we have a short course linked in the the right column under Visit Uganda. The course may be downloaded in either Word format or PDF.