ABOUT US

We are The Real Uganda. We are Leslie Weighill and Lee Koelzer, a Canadian and an American who came together to build an organization that puts money and skills into the grassroots of south central and western Uganda. We are a legally registered non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), operating totally in Uganda. We have been placing volunteers since January, 2005.

The Real Uganda recruits and places foreign volunteers with small community based organizations and schools around Uganda. Through our volunteer placement program, we aim to build the capacities of local organizations and raise awareness around the world about the successes and challenges of life in Uganda.

Many local organizations lack the money and skills to grow themselves. We hope that with our program in place, our partner organizations will overcome some of the more serious challenges they face. These include: lack of money for operations (wages, office space, transport, training courses), lack of business skills (book keeping, marketing, strategy, grant writing), and lack of up to date knowledge (Counseling/mentoring skills, English language, HIV/AIDS and life skills information).

We offer a safe and family-like environment in which to come to Uganda and give your time. We offer pre-arrival support by answering your questions about Uganda and by finding an organization that best fits your skills and interests. We can also connect you to former and current volunteers working with us. We offer in-country assistance by collecting you from the airport, getting you to your placement, and unraveling some of the more complicated cultural issues you face when entering Uganda for the first time. It is not easy to come to a completely foreign culture on your own. We want to be there to give you encouragement, advice, and support in order for you to be most effective while you are here.

While working with The Real Uganda, volunteers learn about the real situation at the grassroots level in Uganda. Life in Uganda is tough for everyone, not just HIV/AIDS patients, orphans and refugees. Wages are low, corruption is rampant, education is not universal. In spite of this, Ugandans are some of the most welcoming, friendly, and open people in Africa. Volunteers become part of the family, learning about the local culture: how to cook, how to speak the language, how to sit peacefully with their neighbors and talk about life in general. We hope that volunteers take that knowledge home with them, spreading the word about Ugandan development issues and culture around the world.

To read in detail about the types of volunteer opportunities we offer, please click here.

CONTACT US

The Real Uganda
P.O. Box 637
Mukono, Uganda
East Africa
Telephone: 256-782-513-140

Email: therealuganda@hotmail.com