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Visit The Real Uganda's website to learn more about their programs abroad
Overview
Overview
The Real Uganda (TRU) places international volunteers with community based programs in Uganda. TRU volunteers focus on teaching and community outreach. Volunteer work includes classroom teaching, leading art and sport programs for children, rural public health improvement, women empowerment through income development, and agriculture and conservation.
Communities get helping hands and exposure to the outside world. Volunteers learn a new culture and approach to life they can only get through deep cultural exchange.
Founded in 2005, TRU has placed over 800 volunteers from all over the world. TRU is a registered nonprofit, operating fully in Uganda.
We don’t want to save Uganda. We want to share it with the world. TRU supports Ugandan innovation and motivation.
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Gallery
Nandini spent 6 weeks volunteering with TRU. She worked with women's groups, in primary schools, and in community gardens. Here she is helping to clear land in order to plant a vegetable garden.
Nihan worked with TRU for 2 weeks. She worked with women's groups every day. She gardened, made handicrafts, and built energy efficient stoves. Here she is making mud for one such stove.
Kristen spent 1 month volunteering with TRU. She worked in schools, with women, and in community gardens. Here she is learning to make banana pancakes. That's Pauline in the background, being silly!
Daniel volunteered for 1 month with TRU. He worked in rural primary schools and clinics. Here he is counting out medication for AIDS patients in the pharmacy.
Aanchal volunteered with us for 1 month. She worked in schools, with women, and in clinics. Here she is fetching water from a well she helped renovate. Local women now access fresh flowing water!
Erin spent 6 months working with TRU. She taught public health in schools and in rural communities. Here she is after teaching proper condom use. Over 500 condoms were given out that day.
Jacob spent 8 weeks with TRU. His main activities were teaching basic computer skills to school children. Here he is harvesting beans at a school farm. Jacob fed brains and stomachs in rural Uganda!
Jorgen volunteered with TRU for 6 weeks. He worked in schools, a clinic, and with women's groups. Here he is in his classroom in rural Uganda.
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Janelle Kenny
3 Jan 2017
I spent 2 weeks with the Real Uganda in Dec 2015 and it was a terrific experience. Leslie was super welcoming and a fountain of information for my first trip...Read more
I spent 2 weeks with the Real Uganda in Dec 2015 and it was a terrific experience. Leslie was super welcoming and a fountain of information for my first trip to Uganda and Africa. I stayed with Tony's family and helped out at his Hope Line Organization. It's an incredible experience to be welcomed into a family's home and to eat and socialize with people within the community. Leslie is devoted to supporting local organizations and community leaders and has made a huge impact over the years. My time there felt too short, but long enough for the experience to have left a lasting impact. I highly recommend it!
Margaret
16 Dec 2016
I am so happy that I went to Uganda with The Real Uganda. It was invaluable to have the head of the program in Uganda while I was there. It...Read more
I am so happy that I went to Uganda with The Real Uganda. It was invaluable to have the head of the program in Uganda while I was there. It was an amazing learning experience that I will forever be grateful.
Lori Smallwood
10 Dec 2016
Volunteering in Uganda with the support of TRU will change your life. You will get off the beaten path and will get to know real Ugandans. You will make connections...Read more
Volunteering in Uganda with the support of TRU will change your life.
You will get off the beaten path and will get to know real Ugandans. You will make connections and friends and will touch lives. Best of all, your life will be touched by the people you meet and you'll go back home a different person.
TRU is organized and thorough and will make sure you're taken care of from the moment your plane lands in Entebbe. Leslie is fantastic at easing you into the culture and addressing any concerns you have. You'll get to know other volunteers and will make friends for life.
The Ugandans you meet are eager to talk with you, connect with you and learn about how you see the world. They are eager to share their views and experiences with you, too. Everyone I had the good fortune to work with in Uganda was warm, welcoming, generous, and open. The kids in particular will melt your heart.
TRU even goes so far as to ensure you see some of the wonders of Uganda during the times you're not working in the villages. From safaris to gorilla spotting to whitewater rafting and bungee jumping, Uganda has it all.
I would rate volunteering in Uganda with TRU as one of the best experiences of my life so far.
Eve Topete
6 Dec 2016
I spent 2 months in this program and it was a life-changing experience! I have seen other organizations in East Africa and TRU is by far the best option. They...Read more
I spent 2 months in this program and it was a life-changing experience!
I have seen other organizations in East Africa and TRU is by far the best option. They really participate in real comunities with real people who need help; not like other NGO's that just make a "show" to make their volunteers feel important.
TRU is a place to truly witness the reality of a poor country like Uganda, you will see things that will take you out of your comfort zone, but you will end up learning a lot and meeting awesome people that will give you back much more than you gave them.
In addition, the program is very well-organized and reliable; they make sure that you are safe, comfortable and happy. :)