I am a 25-year-old who has just completed my political science and law studies in London. Having finished my studies, I wanted to spend some time volunteering and travelling. My time in Uganda was my first visit to Africa.During term-time, I taught the Afternoon Class – a group of children aged 7-14 outside the mainstream Hands for Hope sponsorship programme. I focused on English, Geography and Social Studies. They were lovely to teach and it was incredible to see how enthusiastic they are about learning.
During the school holidays, I participated in the Holiday Programme which is a summer camp for all of the children being helped by Hands for Hope. Volunteers are the ones which have introduced a lot of the games which the children play on the programme, so I taught them a few of my favourites from primary school. The highlights were the last day of the Programme when the team of children who had accumulated the most points was announced and all the children had cake to celebrate, as well as the annual end-of-the-holidays trip to a recreational centre where the children were able to swim in a pool and make the most of a large playground.
Overall, Hands for Hope has been a great place to volunteer. The staff are all are very friendly and help with your adjustment. Uganda is also a fantastic place to be living in and one which is quite easy to adapt to. The whole experience has been eye-opening and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a complete change of scenery!