Volunteering here was a rewarding experience. During our stay, we facilitated a three-part workshop on micro businesses in Uganda, home budgeting, and business cash flow tracking with the Katosi Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO); captured footage for the website and social media; and spent time at the school. Tony also took us to a lodge on
… read more Lake Victoria on our Saturday afternoon off, which was a fun getaway.
The people of Katosi are wonderful. We very much enjoyed our time with the adults during the workshop; it was inspiring to see their commitment to learning and bettering their community. It was a very powerful experience that we will never forget. We hope that the lessons from the workshop will be carried forward by new volunteers. The teachers at the school are very welcoming and helpful, and the kids love to interact with the volunteers.
Volunteers need to be comfortable with ambiguity, children, and being in transit 2-4 hours a day (and the rides can get quite bumpy). You will also have a lot of time to yourself (while driving, in the evenings, on the weekends) so be prepared with things to keep you occupied. If you will be helping in the school, we recommend doing research beforehand on lesson plans and games for the age group of your interest (the school is P1 to P7).
It is in need of help in many areas; there are so many things new volunteers can do to contribute. However, you must be a self-starter and be well-prepared, otherwise you may not get the most out of your stay. We tried to prepare for our work in Katosi before we arrived, but once there, we still had to determine how to fully maximize our time.
We stayed with Tony and his family for five days and six nights. They provided meals (dinner was often our favorite), beds with clean sheets, and even clean laundry. Be sure to pack a towel, wash cloth, hand soap, hand sanitizer, and shower sandals. We had zero stomach problems during our stay. There was drinkable water at Tony’s house; be sure to bring a water bottle so you can have some to bring with you for the day. You may want to confirm you’ll have hot water as the heater was broken during our stay.
We could not get around without Tony, which meant outside of our daily work we were not able to experience other opportunities for cultural exchange during our short stay. Hopefully other volunteers staying longer can experience more of the local culture.
To summarize, we are very grateful to have met Tony and the incredible people of and around Katosi, and to be a small part in the community-building efforts. It is doing incredibly important and practical work, and it was inspiring to see Tony’s vision for creating sustainable communities in action. We look forward to continue working with Tony in the months to come!