Volunteer

Join us in our mission to empower women and girls in Uganda, and make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. We look forward to working with you!

Volunteers are an integral part of our organization, and we are grateful for the time, skills, and dedication they bring to our work. We rely on volunteers to help us achieve our mission by providing support and assistance in a variety of areas, including advocacy, outreach, fundraising, and project implementation.

Our volunteers play a vital role in enabling us to carry out our programs and activities effectively and efficiently. They bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and diverse perspectives that help us to better understand the challenges facing women and girls in Uganda and develop effective strategies for addressing them.

By volunteering with WORI, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to our mission and work towards creating a more just and equitable society. Whether you are interested in advocacy, fundraising, or program implementation, we have a wide range of opportunities to suit your skills and interests.

Volunteer Preparedness

Clothing

We want our volunteers to feel comfortable and confident in their clothing choices while still being respectful of local cultural norms. For women, we kindly ask that clothing choices go past the knee, such as dresses, skirts, nice blouses, plain T-shirts, or capri trousers. Sandals are acceptable for footwear. For men, appropriate clothing includes slacks, long gym shorts, shirts or plain T-shirts, sneakers, jeans, or sandals. We highly recommend that volunteers bring a rain jacket as the weather in Jinja can change quickly. Additionally, please pack a swimsuit and hiking gear for weekend adventures.

Accommodation, Culture & Food

During your orientation, we’ll teach you some basic Luganda words to communicate with the locals. Using the local language will earn you respect and foster positive interactions. To navigate the town, we recommend using a bodaboda, a cheap and readily available motorbike taxi. We’ll help you find reliable drivers to ensure your safety. Your host family will provide you with breakfast and dinner on workdays and three meals on weekends, featuring staple foods like meat, fish, beans, rice, posho, matoke, chapatti, and lots of fruit. Additionally, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants in town offering affordable Western cuisine.

What to bring with you

Prior to your trip, there are a few essential items that we recommend you bring. These include your prescription medications, anti-malaria pills, sunscreen, insect repellent, reusable water bottle, and a lightweight raincoat. Additionally, it’s important to have a basic first aid kit, outlet converter, power pack/portable charger, USB drive, and menstrual products. Don’t forget to pack sunglasses, earplugs, a flashlight, and any other comfort items. Lastly, if you’d like to make a donation to the shelter, women’s clothing and toys are always appreciated.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying to become an intern or volunteer with WORI, the first step is to email exwori@gmail.com with your CV or resume, a short cover letter, and a recent photo.

After we receive your application, we will arrange a Skype interview with you to determine your suitability as an intern and discuss what work you would like to achieve with WORI. This will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about the program or the organization.

If you are successful, we will then email you with a letter of confirmation and a contract. This will outline the terms and conditions of your internship or volunteer position, as well as provide additional details about your responsibilities and what you can expect during your time with us.

Once all the formalities are taken care of, it’s time to pack your bags and come to Jinja! We are always excited to receive interns and volunteers who can support our programs and help advance our mission.

If you have any questions about the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to help and support you in any way we can.

You can have some fun too!

During your stay with WORI, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the beautiful surroundings of Jinja and beyond. The weekends are free for you to relax, have fun and explore Uganda. Here are some of the activities you can do on the weekends to blow off some steam:

Visit the source of the Nile:

Jinja is famously known as the source of the Nile River. Take a boat ride or a guided tour to see the spot where the Nile River starts its 6,650 km journey to the Mediterranean Sea.

Go on a safari:

Uganda is home to many national parks where you can see a variety of wildlife including lions, elephants, giraffes, and more. You can go on a guided safari tour to Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park or Lake Mburo National Park.

Go white water rafting:

Jinja is the adventure capital of East Africa, and white water rafting is one of the most popular activities. The rapids on the Nile River range from Grade 3 to 5, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced rafters.

Hike Mount Elgon:

Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano located on the border of Uganda and Kenya. It’s the fourth-highest mountain in East Africa and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Visit King Fisher Island:

King Fisher Island is a beautiful island on Lake Victoria that is home to a variety of birds and wildlife. You can take a boat ride to the island and spend the day exploring the forests and beaches.

Visit Sipi Falls:

Sipi Falls is a beautiful waterfall located on the slopes of Mount Elgon. The falls are surrounded by lush vegetation and offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape. You can go on a guided tour to see the falls and enjoy the scenic beauty of the area.

These are just a few of the activities that you can do during your free time in Uganda. We encourage our volunteers to take advantage of their time here to explore and experience the culture and beauty of Uganda.

Success Stories from Volunteers

Emily Elderfield - UK

Emily Elderfield is from the UK and interned at WORI for 10 weeks where she worked on both the SRHR and GBV programs. She researched grant opportunities, wrote funding applications, managed social media awareness campaigns and presentations on GBV, menstruation myths and women/child rights.

She says, “One of my favorite moments at WORI was going along to a community training where menstrual cycle and family planning topics were taught. For the two-day training, 32 community members were taught how to make their own reusable sanitary pads. It was so uplifting to see women learning skills to have healthier and less restrictive periods, and we even had about 5 men join in.

Working at WORI has given me the experience and confidence to apply for roles in women’s rights organizations, and pursue a Master’s in International Development next year. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve gained in Jinja – my heart goes home stronger and fuller that I could have ever thought.”

Elisa Armando - London, UK

My name is Elisa Armando, I am Italian, and I am a Master of research student in Anthropology at the University College of London. My main research area is political anthropology together with gender studies and I am willing to investigate over civil society organizations’ interventions in women’s rights protection within post-conflict contexts.

I have always admired NGOs aiming to protect women’s rights and to fight against gender-based violence. For this reason, during spring 2020 I have decided to enroll in a three-months long internship for WORI. During this period, I have managed WORI’s social medias and strengthened the organization’s relationship with similar foreign organizations, giving life to joint partnerships across the world.

Since the very first moment, I have admired the incredible work all the team does in order to fight for women’s rights by combining awareness-raising campaigns with practical help through the Nyonga shelter. For this reason, I have decided to keep volunteering for WORI even after the conclusion of my internship – because I know the organization is making an incredible effort to make women independent, strong and empowered. I trust WORI’s work and I am proud to be a #WORIwoman

Isaac Bateman - England, UK

Hello, my name is Isaac Bateman from England and I’m currently a student at the University of St Andrews in the final year of a degree in International Relations and Philosophy. Over the summer of 2021, I had the opportunity to work as an intern for WORI Uganda.

My internship was titled “Sustainably increasing awareness of WORI Uganda”. I was tasked with researching to diversify funding sources to ensure sustainability of projects. My experience with the WORI team allowed me to explore a wide range of organizational development strategies and share a final report of my findings.

I would like to repeat my sincere thanks to everyone at WORI but particularly to Jackie and Rose for overseeing my internship. Their support, patience and encouragement made for fantastic internship experience that I would recommend to anybody with a passion for NGO work and women’s rights advocacy.

Sophia Brousset - Scotland, UK

My name is Sophia Brousset and I am a student at the University of St Andrews in Scotland studying International Relations and Social Anthropology. I spent the summer of 2022 interning at WORI Uganda in Jinja.

Over the course of my internship, I had the privilege of working as a researcher for the East African Women’s Museum. Over the course of my time in this role, I helped decide which categories of research we would like the museum to focus on. I went on to do research on the content of the museum, exploring topics from pre-colonial gender roles to women’s modes of dress across East Africa. I then translated this research into more digestible bits of information, appropriate for a museum setting.

I am extremely grateful for my time at WORI. I would like to thank Rose and Jackie for all the guidance they gave over the course of my internship. I look forward to seeing the work I and the rest of the team WORI have put into the museum project come to fruition.

Volunteer

Join us in our mission to empower women and girls in Uganda, and make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. We look forward to working with you!

Volunteer Preparedness

How to apply

You can have some fun too!

Success Stories from Volunteers

Emily Elderfield - UK

Elisa Armando - London, UK

Isaac Bateman - England, UK

Sophia Brousset - Scotland, UK

We are committed to promoting gender equality, women's rights, and youth empowerment. We believe that by working together, we can create a better future for women and youth in our communities and beyond.

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