Volunteer FAQs

Free Volunteering with Helping Hands 4 Africa.

"Everyone wants to volunteer, it's just not everyone is motivated to get up and go and help our needy livelihoods/communities.”

                

                A group of volunteers from Canada that participated in the Helping Hands 4 Africa volunteering week

This Is Where Your Life Changing Adventure Begins!

Free Volunteer with HH4A offers a wide range of volunteer projects abroad for you to participate in. From teaching, Child mentoring and care, HIV/AIDs, Evangelism, Counseling, medical practitioners, fundraisnig, grant and proposal writing, administrators, community projects, etc                                                                                       

We are constantly adding to our already vast selection of free volunteer projects abroad as we strive to provide the needy with help in the form of volunteers. Volunteering is an unforgettable experience giving you the opportunity to see a country from the inside and experience for yourself what really goes on. You also get the opportunity to work with local people on local projects which without Free Volunteer with HH4A you wouldn't be able to do. We want you to understand another country and experience other cultures and traditions but most of all we want to see our projects benefit positivity. You are here to have the time of your life so go ahead and book one of our many volunteer projects today!

We want to share with future volunteers how to volunteer without paying organizations big money to make a difference in the lives of the Needy Africans.

 Many organizations look at volunteers as cash cows and they forget about the poor people they claim to be helping and we are here to help the children, poor women,underprivileged livelihoods and marginalized communities.

 Why make the decision to Volunteer with Helping Hands 4 Africa?
In Africa children are abandoned, there are high birth rates alongside high poverty levels, poor infrastructure, high illiteracy rates, un employement, coupled with all the other factors that continue to keep them vulnerable.
 These all remain serious problems, and aid is needed to help tackle these issues.
Of an estimated 700 million primary school-age children in the world today, more than 121 million are not in school. The majority of these are girls.

Education is vital to ensuring a better quality of life for all children. It is the best investment any society can make for the health and well-being of its children, as well as its economic and social progress.
Quality education keeps children in school and makes them less vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, as well as improving their chances for survival in life. When girls are educated as equals with boys, their own children have improved chances of survival and are more likely to grow up healthy and educated. An educated girl will be better paid in the workplace; will be better able to protect herself against HIV/AIDS and to assume a more active role in social, economic and political decision-making throughout her life.

With the developing world growing, they are in need of volunteers to help put roofs over their heads and educate the children of the next generation. Everyone wants to volunteer, it's just not everyone is motivated to get up and go and help our neighboring countries in need. If you’re reading this you’re on your way. Congratulations!

What's really happening to our future generation in Africa?
The number of children enrolling in government schools at the lower primary levels has dropped over the past decade. Classrooms are often dilapidated and overcrowded, and teachers are badly paid and lacking motivation, No books,etc
Many of the poorest families cannot afford the fee charged by government institutions, so they have set up community schools where children are taught for free. But the conditions in these schools are even worse. There are often no books, no pens and pencils, no desks, no blackboards, and the teachers are untrained and unpaid. "It is the young who are bearing the brunt of the country's social and economic difficulties".
Free Volunteer in Uganda offers opportunities for volunteer work in rural Uganda, through various communities volunteering projects, giving you a chance to experience the culture, the people and much more.

What volunteer work in Uganda can I do?
We’re looking for volunteers in Uganda who will contribute to projects in communities where help is most needed.
At a one-to-one Uganda orientation interview we’ll discuss your skills, experience and of course, preferences to ensure that you’re assigned to the right project. Volunteers in Uganda are needed in a variety of project areas.

How long can I volunteer?
Our free volunteer placements range between 1 week-1 year or more with a 3-day arrival orientation. You’ll have the chance to travel at weekends but to make the most of this fantastic country why not leaves some time at the end of your program to explore further afield?

Where will I be working for free in Uganda?
Our Ugandan projects are peri-urban and  rural community based. The majority of our volunteers are placed in rural areas of eastern Uganda although projects do also exist in other parts of the country.

 Who will I be working with?
We place volunteers in existing projects, working alongside local people. Our free volunteer in Uganda program is essentially designed to provide independent experiences which promote integration with the local people. You may also be working alongside another international volunteer.

 Where will I be living?
As part of our ‘Local Approach’, we believe that living with a local family is the best way for volunteers to become fully immersed into the local culture. You’ll be placed with a family in a Ugandan community, a short distance from your project. Your host will welcome you into their family and help you to settle into the local area. You might be living with another volunteer. You can also be placed in orhanage homes, hospital and school staff quarters

Houses can be very basic and may not have running water or a constant source of electricity. Enjoying home-cooked food, sharing stories and life experiences and learning the local language will give you a unique and memorable experience.

How much does it cost?
We dont charge volunteers for the free services they provide in creating a positive impact for our needy communities/livelivelihoods. Volunteers will only have to contribute to th host families towards feeding that include 3 meals a day, laundry, electricity and water bills.

We also ask volunteers to pay for their Airport Pickup fee depending on the time of arrival most especially when one is arriving at night and nature of transport since accommodation is provided in host families, orphanage homes, schools, etc you will not be charged a single penny and they will provide you with basic food every day. Special accomodation can be arranged for those who dont want to share rooms at a cost per month.

But as you choose to come to Uganda we will request you to do any fund raising in your community on our behalf to help us in terms of facilitation during your volunteering on the projects you will be involved in.

What else should I budget for?
We feel it’s important to be as upfront as possible about any additional costs so that you can manage your budget and have a hassle free trip.
Please budget for the following: Air-ticket, Insurance, Health, and day to day living expenses.
Raising extra funds for your trip needn’t be difficult as there are loads of things you can do to raise money. Your arrival orientation, placement and local support services is provided by our Travel Advisors.

 What skills/Qualifications should i have?
No formal qualifications or skills are required to volunteer with HH4A but only the ability and commitment to help. However, professional skills are an added advantage.

Why free volunteering and cheap upkeep?
As we offer free volunteer placements Uganda and beyond, Don't therefore think that everything is cheap just because it’s in the developing world.

There are free volunteer placements out there but very difficult to find. The best way to get a genuinely good placement is to go via, via. Maybe you know someone in the family, friends who have worked in the developing world and have contacts. You could always email organizations directly and cut out the middle man. Organizations do however like working with placement organizations as they take care of all of the work involved with housing, looking after and recruiting volunteers. But we are here to help you and link you directly to the local community, we are Ugandans and have grown up here and know where your help is needed