This is my Project
​In the period from August 2021 to July 2022 I live near Jinja, a town in Uganda, and I am doing a voluntary service as part of the weltwärts development volunteer service. What exactly does the project look like and what can I expect there? Convince yourself:
The Project in brief
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In the village of Naminya is the Christian project "Kidron Valley Ministries" about 10 km away from the city of Jinja. This has about 76,000 inhabitants and is thus the fourth largest city in Uganda. The project covers a very large and varied area:
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The health centre consists of a laboratory, a treatment room, a birthing room, two patient rooms with a total of 10 beds and a small pharmacy. At least one medical assistant is there at all times of the day and night. Many women come here every Monday to have their children weighed, vaccinated and examined. During the week, the employees take care of patients who come from the area or examine blood samples in the laboratory. On Mondays in particular, the volunteers are asked to help weigh the children, vaccinate them or record patient data.
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The orphanage is currently home to 35 children, who each sleep in 4 different rooms with 8 other children. Every day 6 caregivers work there, washing the children, cooking food and dealing with the children. In the children's home there is the possibility of sponsoring a child and supporting the project. More information here . The volunteers spend the day with the children, helping with cooking, serving food, washing and cleaning the floor.
​ That was my first challenge
I have the great privilege of being the first volunteer from Germany to go into this project. No volunteer has been there so far and could tell me what my daily routine will be like there? In what framework will I reside, live and work? This left many questions unanswered. Normally, my organization connects every single "fresh" volunteer with the so-called "country experts" who have already gained experience in this country and the project and have been there themselves. It is therefore part of the process to ask these experts as much as possible what the project will look like. Familiar questions, such as "Is there a normal shower there?", "Do I have running water at all times?", "Is there WiFi there?", "How are the people there?" "How are you viewed there as a white person?", "Do you have a lot of free time and what can you do outside of work?" I won't get an answer. So for me it was: Into the uncertain adventure and become a country expert myself!
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Personally, I see this as a challenge and an opportunity to get off to a good start in this project and to provide a good basis for my successors.
The Primary School includes about 200 children and includes classes from the first to the seventh grade. Since the national language is English, along with the many other languages in the country, attempts are made to teach as much as possible in English from the first grade. Here the volunteers are deployed in the classroom, take care of children who need special support or train the teachers in how to use media and technology.
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The farm is divided into two areas. A part is on the site, but the large fields for growing various things are close to the project. Many animals (chickens, dogs and cows) roam freely on the site itself and some vegetables are also grown here. Here, volunteers have the opportunity to help with the agricultural work, to learn about different types of cultivation or to bring in ideas to make farming even more efficient.
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Our house is located directly in the courtyard of the children's home next to the children's bedrooms. It consists of two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small hallway that can be used as a lounge.
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The location of the project is very nice and a bit off the big main street. You can walk to the Nile in about 15 minutes and you can get to Jinja either by taxi or by Big John, who runs into town very often for business errands.
Here I am in Uganda
