Volunteer in Uganda with Ssamba Foundation (Mukono District)
Fees apply: The current official Ssamba Foundation website lists a program fee. Please read the fees section below and ask the host for a clear breakdown of what is included.
About Ssamba Foundation
Ssamba Foundation is a community development organization based in Mukono District, Uganda. The foundation says it provides opportunities for local communities through activities, workshops, and skills training programs, and welcomes international volunteers to experience these initiatives first-hand.
As a volunteer, you will take part in daily community life and support projects alongside local staff and community members.
Volunteer daily routine (as described by the host)
Monday to Friday are dedicated to community engagement. In the morning you may attend activities, workshops, and teaching, while afternoons can include cultural events and other community initiatives. Weekends are usually free time to explore Uganda, with optional trips and safaris at your own expense.
Arrival and three-day orientation
The host states that volunteers are welcomed upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport and brought to Mukono District. They also describe an extensive three-day orientation, including community introduction, practical guidance, and cultural โdoโs and donโtsโ.
The host adds that a local team is available for support, and that guides and drivers can assist during weekend activities.
What type of host are you?
Organization/NGO
What are you looking for help with?
Administration- Animal keeping
- Building
- Charity work and fundraising
- Computer and web support
- Teaching and language exchange
- Farming and gardening
- General help
- Health, medical, and assistance
- Writing
Mission (as stated by the host)
Ssamba Foundation says it addresses challenges in rural Uganda, including poor healthcare systems, hunger, education access, clean drinking water, environmental degradation, and poverty, with a focus on empowering youth through leadership and skills training.
Practical details (as described by the host)
How many volunteers: up to 10 volunteers.
When: all year long.
Hours: 4 to 5 hours per day.
Days: 5 days per week, with 2 days off.
Accommodation and food
Food and accommodation: the host states these are provided.
Accommodation: private room, including a private room for a couple (as stated by the host).
Diet and nutrition (as stated by the host)
Breakfast is described as tea or coffee with bread, fruit, and a main dish depending on the day. Lunch is described as the main meal, often prepared by local families or eaten at a local restaurant, and dinners include vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
Fees transparency
The current official Ssamba Foundation website lists a program fee (example: USD $490 for 2 weeks, with longer stays priced accordingly). The official page also states that volunteers are responsible for flight tickets, visas, insurance, vaccinations, and personal expenses. Please confirm the exact package and what is included before you book travel.
What the official program fee includes
- Orientation and information before departure
- Team support during your stay
- Accommodation and meals
- Pick-up from the airport or chosen meeting point on arrival day
Not included (as listed on the official site)
- Flight tickets, visas, travel and health insurance, vaccinations
- Extra nights and personal expenses
- Daily transport from home to the project site
Visa support
The host states they can help with visa and invitation letters.
Volunteer benefits (as described by the host)
The host describes airport pick-up, accommodation during the stay, local support, and a certificate at the end of the experience, plus optional discounted tours and help with visa extensions.
Free time
The host describes evening activities during the week and organises weekend outings. They also mention Mukonoโs proximity to Jinja and Kampala for day tours.
Geography (Mukono District)
Mukono District lies in south-eastern Uganda, close to Kampala and Lake Victoria. The host describes the area as green and hilly, and shares local historical notes about the region.
Weather and clothing (host guidance)
The host provides seasonal guidance and recommends light, comfortable clothing, sun protection, and a light raincoat, plus respectful clothing choices when in town and at project sites.
Internet access
The host states there is internet access, described as limited Wi-Fi at the volunteer house. Please confirm current details when you apply.
Contact details ๐๐ง
Official website: https://ssamba.org/
Official Uganda Volunteer Program page:
https://ssamba.org/uganda-volunteer-program/
Contact form:
https://ssamba.org/contact-us/
Email: ssambafoundation AT gmail DOT com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ssambafoundation
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ssambafoundation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssambafoundation/
WhatsApp (masked): +256 791 517 XXX
Phone (masked): +256 703 036 XXX
Base area: Mukono District, Uganda (see official website for updated directions)
See more volunteering opportunities in Uganda ๐บ๐ฌ
Check the NGO volunteer programs page
Having spent the last couple of months on this project in Uganda, I can honestly say it has been one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life. The location of the projects is fantastic, a remote Ugandan village covered in gardens and farmlands, the chance to mix with the locals and get a real feel for Ugandan culture.
The home life is basic but is a welcome relief and is what traveling and project work like this is all about. Getting to eat local food direct from the land was fantastic and being able to cook as a family was great and a real bonding activity. The people you live with become your best friends and family and you get to experience so much together.
I had an amazing time and really enjoyed this project, it was a culture shock when we first arrived however Isaac briefed us on what to do and where to go. I recommend future volunteers make sure that they carry more than enough insectsโ repellant
I can’t recommend this project enough and look forward to coming back again soon! If you want to experience real Ugandan culture, make friends for life and contribute to a project that is really helping change peopleโs life and the environment then you should choose Ssamba Foundation, Isaac is doing some amazing work in his community!
Thank you for posting this. It’s always nice to hear from someone who has already had the experience ๐. Do the bugs require any kind of special repellant, or can you just use any from a store? I know they must have different bugs then I experience in Minnesota, US
Hello Mary, I volunteered in Uganda last summer. No special repellant required, any effective one can work.
I was lucky to volunteer with Ssamba Foundation for a few months. During that period, I saw several lives being changed; vulnerable youth helped to join vocational skills training institutions, orphans and vulnerable children enrolled on school, people with HIV given new hope for living and helpless children being given their first formal lessons and dressing.
I have no doubt in my heart, Isaac Ssamba is my hero.
My name is Julie; I am an American university student who volunteered with Ssamba Foundation this past summer. Isaac asked me to leave a review by sharing my experience with his organization, I am glad to do so. Like other participants who shared their experiences here, volunteering in Uganda was an amazing life changing experience, and I would 100% do it again given the opportunity.
I was nervous going to a place so different from anywhere I had ever been before, without my family or anyone I knew, for four weeks, but the support from Isaac made it seem possible. From the get-go, he answered all my questions by e-mail and WhatsApp. He sent me all the information I needed to know, so that I felt prepared for my trip to Uganda.
While in Uganda, I stayed with his family at Kalaji, a small town north of Mukono. Isaac also arranged the safari trips for the volunteer team to Queen Elizabeth and Murchison falls national parks, we also visited Jinja to see the source of river Nile.
I worked with a microcredit program with local women groups in the surrounding villages of Kalaji, helping them design business plans. I was able to meet and work with the local people, as well as with other volunteers from all over the world.
I would recommend Ssamba Foundation for anyone looking to volunteer abroad for the first time! The best moment of the experience- its free, I paid 200$ donation to confirm my stay and that was all (we paid for safaris separately). I covered my flights, visas, insurance, and all logistics of the trip.
Thank you Isaac and your team for the giving me the opportunity to serve and explore Uganda.
My name is Twinamasiko Vicent, I have a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management and community development from Bishop Stuart University. I am currently looking for a volunteering placement. I have skills in Training, Project proposals and Business Plan Writing.
I have spent two months in Kyampisi. This has been the best time of my life. The people are so cordial, I directly felt like being home. Once I got to Uganda, everyone was very happy to help and very supportive. I had an amazing time at my project teaching Spanish.
I worked in a local high school and helped the classroom with Spanish lessons, I taught 3 classes. The children were eager and motivated to learn. I was encouraged by Mr. Ssamba to teach Spanish lessons and it turned out to be a really good experience and I enjoyed to be a teacher although that were really exhausting days.
At the end of my volunteer project, I ended my time here with a weeklong safari to Bwindi for Gorilla trekking experience and Queen Elizabeth national park, all organized by Mr. Ssamba.
After the school teaching, I went to the gardens and I always joined the family on farm work, planting beans, matooke (bananas), and feeding the chicken at the volunteer house. Sandy my sister who runs the house was a wonderful host throughout my stay and she is the kindest most loving person you can imagine.
The people I have met have all been so wonderful and with the biggest hearts. There is so much to see and do here. I am very sad to leave Kyampisi, it has been the most humbling, eye opening and wonderful experience. Thank you to everyone who has opened their hearts to me. Uganda truly is a very beautiful place.
I volunteered with the Ssamba Foundation for two weeks in August 2024 and it changed me forever. The program was based in Mukono. What a beautiful town and such open hearted loving people. Isaac and his team were absolutely phenomenal. Professional and courteous and with every interaction. From pick up at the airport to return to the airport after two weeks, everything was seamless.
This is my second time volunteering with the Ssamba Foundation and I am very pleased with their programs and the fantastic team in Uganda. I can’t say enough about them. I spent 4 weeks in 2014 and 2 weeks in October 2024 (10years apart and this is still my best organization) and can hardly wait to visit again. While I know it cannot be a repeat of my first and second experiences, I am confident that it will be equally memorable.
Thank you Isaac for keeping the organization growing and impactful to your villages. Your brother Noel.