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Support local women and children of Uganda, Africa 🇺🇬

Voluntouring staff
volunteering in Uganda

Become a volunteer at SME Sustain Micro Enterprise

Sustain Micro Enterprise is a non-profit organization empowering vulnerable women and families out of poverty in Uganda, Africa.
Our mission
Our work aims at building a world where every woman is empowered and free from vulnerability and we achieve our purpose through the provision of collateral-free microloans, business-and-vocational skills training, microenterprise development, mentorship and other empowerment projects.
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The organization enhances women’s capacities to start and grow viable micro-businesses that enable them to provide basic needs such as food, education, shelter and medical care for their children and families, and improve household incomes.
Information about Sustain Micro Enterprise
Our organization is located on the outskirts of the Jinja tourist hub. Jinja is a town located in the Eastern part of Uganda where the Source of the Nile is found. The word Jinja is a local word that means a stone as in the old days there were many stones in the place so is the name of the place. Sustain Micro Enterprise is located near the Source of the Nile and it is just a few kilometres away.

The place is evergreen with some rains throughout the year. It is flat land with a few hills, especially when going to the field to serve the vulnerable women and families as the majority are located in rural communities where we have to travel for some distance. Uganda has only one international airport which is called Entebbe International Airport. So for every visitor coming through to Uganda, they have to use Entebbe Airport. From Entebbe International Airport it takes you around 3 hours to travel to Jinja where we are located.
Information about the volunteering activities
We have a wide range of activities that volunteers can engage into while volunteering with Sustain Micro Enterprise and these include;
  • 1 Provide business and entrepreneurship training to vulnerable women.

A volunteer spends time helping women learn about business and entrepreneurship skills which enables them to start up small businesses.

  • 2 Small loans monitoring and disbursement:

Here the volunteers can get involved in managing small loans given to the women and monitoring them and this includes follows up, recommending and giving out the loans.

  • 3 Provide vocational skills training:

Volunteers skilled in vocational fields can help women learn about vocational skills such as sewing, hairdressing, knitting, weaving, farming, and bakery among others

  • 4 One-to-One mentorship;

This involves a commitment to support women on a one-to-one basis, weekly visits to review their business records, encouragement and business counselling and advice.

  • 5 Fundraising and project proposal writing;

Volunteers interested in fundraising and project/grant proposal writing can engage in drafting concepts for grants.

  • 6 Teaching children English, math and games
  • 7 Women entrepreneurs outreach;

Reach out to women at their business premises. Provide business knowledge and skills sharing

  • 8 Social media and website management;

The volunteers get involved in managing the organization’s social media platforms and website

  • 9 Photography and filming;

Volunteers who love photography and filming can support the organization by taking good photos and documenting our story so that we are able to share it with the world.

Who can volunteer?

We accept individuals, professionals & seniors, students, retired, couples and anyone willing to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable women and families.

How long can you volunteer?

The choice is yours. However, in order to create a good relationship with the women you meet, we hope you can stay at least one month. If you like it here, you can stay with us up to a year.

How many volunteers are needed?
We are in need of 5 volunteers
How many hours are the volunteers expected to help?
Volunteers are expected to help out at least 6 hours per day. However, they could work less or more depending on their need and flexibility
How many days of help per week?
Volunteers are expected to work 5 days per week. However, we are flexible with the days given the fact that volunteers have to do some other extra activities while in the country.
Are accommodation and food included?
We provide volunteers with food in the workplace.
Other meals including Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch and Drinks all are provided by the host family including accommodation. (See fees transparency below)
What type of accommodation?
Our volunteers stay with a host family. The host family provides accommodation, and all meals and enables the volunteer to learn more about the Ugandan culture. The reason for the host family is because it is cheaper and the volunteer benefits more. As the volunteer stays with the host family, he/she becomes part of the family and can freely participate in the activities at home.
The host families where our volunteers stay have been well vetted by our organization and have already hosted a volunteer and are now used to supporting volunteers. In the host family, a full room is reserved for the volunteer.
In addition, the volunteer can access the internet while at the host family.
Food
The food eaten in Uganda includes Matooke (Banana), beef, beans, posho, greens, potatoes, chicken, rice and cassava. Breakfast consists of milk, bread, egg, fruit, coffee, Rolex and chapatti. Most of these are local dishes; however special meals can always be arranged on request.
If you are a vegetarian, we value your taste.
Special meals can be arranged to fit your preference and taste.
What are the volunteers’ benefits?
All volunteers of Sustain Micro Enterprise have the following benefits:
  • Training
volunteers get the opportunity to access training as they work with us. Training in the fields of microfinance, women empowerment models, small business and entrepreneurship, women livelihoods among others.
  • Certificate of volunteering
After completing volunteering with us, a volunteer you will get a certificate/award.
  • Recommendation Letter:
 A volunteer will also access a letter of recommendation from our organization
  • Cultural exchange
Volunteers get the opportunity to learn about our Ugandan culture through storytelling, get to read about Ugandan local books, they learn about local language and we encourage them to speak the language as we go to the community to serve the women and we sometimes visit local gatherings such as cultural dance groups, traditional marriages.
Extra activities during free time?
Uganda, the Pearl of Africa! There are many interesting activities you can participate in during your free time, let us explore some of them below:
1) Visit the Source of the Nile.
During your free time, you will have an opportunity to visit the Source of the River Nile. The Nile River is the longest river in the world at 4,135 miles (6,650 kilometres). Our organization is located near the River, so it is a beautiful activity out.
2) White Water Rafting
 Whitewater rafting you can do on River Nile. During your free time, you can enjoy water rafting and waterfalls.
3) Cultural dance:
Uganda has different cultures, while here you can have the time to participate in the different cultural dances and also attend some concerts and dances.
4) Craft Shopping:
Jinja, the town where we live, has a lot of shops selling African crafts. In your free time, you can go on shopping and touring several shops and enjoys African culture through crafts.
5) Visit National Parks:
Uganda has also numerous national parks with beautiful animals and birds. If you visit our country, you get the opportunity to do bird watching, animals and reptiles.
6) Visit Sipi Falls and Nyero Rock Painting…
…which were painted during the stone age.
What are the volunteers’ costs? FEES transparency. 🔍
Volunteers must contribute with a fee to help us cover the volunteers ‘costs.
The fee covers the following costs:
Accommodation and all meals, Airport pickups, transportation, and in-country expenses. 

 180 euro / 199 $ per week

With your economic contribution, we will be able to support the local community.

Which language do you speak?
We speak English
Is there internet access?
Yes, there is internet access at the Office. However, the volunteer can also have internet access while at his/her host family.

 

CONTACT DETAILS 🔍📧

If you’re interested in joining our volunteer program, please reach out to us at voluntouring.freelist@gmail.com

 To expedite the selection process, kindly use “SME Sustain Micro Enterprise” as the subject of your email. Upon receiving your message, we’ll provide you with the necessary contact details of the organization and additional information to facilitate your trip to Uganda with the SME organization



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