Are you looking to do something more meaningful on your travels? BoHU recruits volunteers for locally-run community, conservation, teaching, building and sports projects around Uganda. Volunteers are an integral part of everything that happens at BoHU. We couldn’t do it without them. There are many ways to volunteer your time, as well as your skills, to help out. Depending on the season, we always have a list of much needed services of volunteers within our projects around Uganda.
Sailing to the island- support to the abandoned communities
The program is collaboration between BoHU and the under-served rural villages of Mukono and Kayunga Districts where we serve. We are committed to meeting the needs of our communities, and to placing developmental volunteers in worthy programs that provide safe and meaningful experiences.
If you are interested in participating in our program, write to us and we will work with you to identify your best placement options in Mukono. There is no obligation or fee to apply. You only have to confirm your coming with a commitment of USD$ 50 by booking a placement.
Because it is an immersion experience, days in the villages allow for a variety of opportunities. And whether you work in a clinic, school, or orphan home, participate in building or agricultural projects, or simply assist in the day-to-day tasks.
BoHU works closely with each volunteer to ensure comprehensive preparation, including both an understanding of the people with whom you will be working, and all considerations necessary for travel overseas.
Are you interested in being a BoHU volunteer, but would like more information? Contact our team and let us know what your hopes are for your volunteer experience, and we will assist you in planning a meaningful and fulfilling journey. Apply now!
A volunteer working with children,having fun with the little ones
Develop yourself, Develop an individual, Develop a Community, Develop Africa- Develop Uganda Now!
Be the change you want to see in the world!
For details, please visit: http://www.beaconofhopeug.org or write to: volunteer@beaconofhopeuganda.org
Testimonial:
Isaac Ssamba – The Chairman, BoHU
“A personal reflection of Isaac Ssamba by Mark Williams”
Isaac Ssamba known affectionately as The Chairman or Master Isaac is the founder and now Executive Chairman of BoHU (Beacon of Hope Uganda) and is probably the most amazing person I have ever met.
Isaac addressing community members in Busaana- Kayunga district
He comes from a background of peasant farmers, his family was not wealthy, and on the contrary Isaac had to work to pay for his own secondary education. To do this he worked in a stone quarry, making bricks, fetching water, pottering on buildings not neither working crashing stones in a stone quarry nor collecting buckets of mixed sand under the African sun are the easiest of jobs or well paying, in fact both are really hard backbreaking labor yet Isaac having completed primary school wanted to go on to further education, his family could not at that time afford to Pay for his education so he went to his teachers and asked how he may be able to fund it this is what they asked him to do . Now add to this that as many African kids have to do to this day he had to also help at home and he had to walk 10 miles a day just to get to school and back.
On finishing his Senior school education Isaac went on to study as an engineer , once more to pay for this education he worked on buildings (unfortunately he did not complete this course due to lack of enough school fees),
He diverted to Psycho-Social Counseling, Peer Counseling and Social and Environment studies. Isaac rarely talks about these times I know that they were very hard indeed for him , I believe that for every volunteer who goes to BoHU, will be taken to the Stone quarry where he one day fell from top to down after a long day without lunch. I am sure that it is one of the reasons he is so passionate about keeping the BoHU projects completely free and for orphans and youth who could not otherwise afford any education.
While working with a certain organization, Isaac came to see the dire needs of his people and how HIV Aids, Malaria plus many other diseases and Poverty was affecting his people. He also saw that because of poor nutrition even something as simple as worms could kill many infants and children.
He also saw how the main aid organizations spent much of their time in 4×4′s driving up and down paved roads never venturing far into the village to help those in real need and how they spent much time in 4 star hotels. This I think also affected his thinking
So instead of betraying his chosen career for which he had worked so hard to train he founded BoHU. He set up throughout many sub counties a chain of counselors whose job it was to report to him on any who really needed help.
Those of us who have worked with him will be aware of the hundreds of calls he gets almost daily from not only counselors but from people from many villages who find he is the only person they can trust to get proper advice and help from.
To fund this he led groups of ‘volunteers’ out to villages which had previously received little or no aid at all. These groups gave and still give seminars and demonstrations on Aids, Family planning, hygiene, nutrition and many other subjects plus Isaac and his counselors give advice and help to those with HIV and other problems as well helping his fellow Project Managers of Non-profit Organizations.
Isaac addressing to community leaders at a BoHU planning meeting
The fees he got from these groups were the sole source of income for Isaac and BoHU but gradually as time went on several of the volunteers realized just how valuable and unique a service Isaac and BoHU were providing and have all helped to send some monies to help the BoHU cause. After his hardworking background, he was appointed the Mukono District Youth Representative on the Uganda National Youth Council, he resides on several boards of NGOs in Uganda, he is currently the Project Administrator of COGU (Coalition For Grassroots Organizations in Uganda), he Coordinates Volunteers on a joint venture of Hope Development Volunteers. So to this background Isaac earns enough for him and his family.
One of the most unique things about BoHU is that not one penny is taken out in expenses; every cent is spent in Ugandaat real grass roots level. Isaac still has no house other than the one he rents for Himself, Scovia, his partner and his daughter Happiness to live in, He had a very old car which used to fail every day (a fundraising strategy is in place to help him secure a vehicle), no fashionable clothes, bling-bling or any other of the accoutrements so much loved by most African men he still works 7 days a week and often 18 to 20 hours a day he will hate me for telling people this but I believe it is important for them to know this. BoHU now intends to start a school, Youth project and many agricultural and craft projects; it fights for equality for all and promotes the rights of youth, women and children. However perhaps the most amazing fact of all this is that ISAAC IS STILL ONLY 24 years old. (Born 14th/July/1987)
Volunteer with BoHU and you will become part of the story of a legend in the making for Isaac Ssamba truly is a man and a half.
Mark Williams
