Want to see wildlife in the really wild?

Uganda is a great example of the future Africa can look forward to; for too long grabbing headlines for political reasons, column inches about the country these days are far more likely to wax lyrical about the lush green forests, rich cultural diversity and legendary mountain gorillas. Uganda’s cities too, are ripe for exploration; new enough to the tourist map for the spirit of old Uganda to live on yet with the little luxuries that make travel easy. Based in Entebbe on the shores of Lake Victoria you will work at a wildlife centre assisting in animal rescue and rehabilitation. You will also help to educate the local youngsters about the importance of conservation, working with all of Africa’s usual suspects, including lions, monkeys, hippos and snakes.

Project details:
This animal welfare project started in Uganda over 50 years ago as an animal orphanage, providing sanctuary for orphaned and young abandoned wildlife. Later on it became a traditional zoo, before its re-birth as a Wildlife Education Centre with a mission to create and promote understanding of conservation of the biodiversity within Uganda, particularly within the young generation. The Centre also works to rescue and rehabilitate animals and the beautiful grounds are currently home to a variety of animals including monkeys, lions, hippos, chimpanzees and snakes.

Why the project needs volunteers:
The Centre is primarily donor funded and therefore can't always afford to employ the number of staff they need. Volunteers are needed to get involved in various activities at the centre, they play an important role in the work of the Centre and are greatly appreciated. Through the presence of volunteers the staff at the centre also benefit from informal English language learning.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
You don't need any qualifications to participate in this project but volunteers should love animals and be prepared for some hard physical work. You should be in good health and reasonably fit.

As there is also the opportunity to deal with the public you should genuinely enjoy interacting with people, be self-motivated, flexible and adaptable and have plenty of patience.

Your role as a volunteer:
This is a wide-ranging project with the opportunity to get involved in many different types of work at the centre. On the hands-on conservation side, you could find yourself looking after the animals e.g. feeding and cleaning cages, participating in animal rescues, helping with community clean-up work e.g. removing the water-hyacinth from the lake, or conducting research work on the various flora and fauna in the centre. On the educational side you could be involved in IT and resource centre development to improve information management, environmental education through workshops at the centre and community outreach, conducting guided tours for groups visiting the centre and the development of interpretative materials or bio art facts.

Where the project is based:
The project is based in Entebbe in a serene area but in close proximity to a commercial centre. You will be staying in a shared room at a hostel at the project. Breakfast is included and will be prepared for you at the hostel. Other meals can be bought at the restaurants on site, in Entebbe or you could take a taxi into Kampala.

Please book your flight to arrive into Entebbe International Airport (airport code EBB) on the advertised arrival date to ensure your airport pickup.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

VVolunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Saturday and will be met at the airport on that day (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night). You will be taken to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Hostel (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. The hotel has a restaurant and an internet nearby so that you can write home if you need to. It is also located within a zoo and is close to shops if you wish to have a wander - just ask at reception for directions.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:

Your orientation will take place the next morning (Sunday) and will introduce you to life in Kampala as well as important information about staying healthy and safe. You will then transfer to your permanent accommodation on Sunday afternoon. The transfer will be arranged for you by the team; transfers should take about 1 hour. Monday will be the first day that you start working as a volunteer. From here on in you will spend your time with the project but the in-country team are there if you need them.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night accommodation is included in this payment; if you require more than one night please inform the team.

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 45.00