ELI offers volunteer projects in the Iganga district of Uganda. Based in Iganga Town, projects are only 3 hours from the capital, Kampala, and offer the unforgettable experience small-town Ugandan life.

Orphanage and Children's Programs
According to the World Bank over 1 million orphans are growing up in Uganda. After losing their parents, many children move in with relatives. The additional children place a large burden on the families who often don't have the resources to send their own children to school. Orphans living with their extended families often face a bleak future of hard work and little opportunity for education. ELI works with several organizations aimed at assisting and empowering these children through education programs, skills training, and other activities. Volunteers are welcome to assist with teaching, and are encouraged to lead other activities such as sports and arts in order to enrich the lives of the children. Some orphans have nowhere to turn after losing their parents and find themselves in orphanages. ELI works with several orphanages in and around Iganga Town. The Orphanages provide food shelter and education to hundreds of children from infants up to teenagers. The orphanages operate on very modest budgets, and at times struggle to provide enough food for the children. Volunteers working at an orphanage will assist with the day to day care of the children, teach reading and arithmetic, and assist with improving the facilities. Working with orphans is very challenging but the reward of the children's smiles are incredible.

Health Volunteers

Healthcare is one of Uganda's largest challenges. The country has an average doctor to patient ration of 1 to 25,000. The Majority of doctors live in the larger cities, but 80% of Uganda's population lives in rural areas where doctors and nurses are scarce. Qualified health professionals such as doctors, nurses, physician's assistants, and physical therapists are welcome to assist in a clinic in eastern Uganda. The clinics are usually short of staff and supplies. Qualified health volunteers will make a difference in the lives of the people they work with in the community.

Teaching

Like most countries in Africa, Uganda's schools are facing the challenges posed by a lack of qualified teachers, overcrowding, lack of materials, and few opportunities for teachers to pursue further training. Some classrooms have as many as 80 students for each teacher. Volunteers are welcome to teach English, Math, and other subjects in schools in Iganga town or surrounding rural areas. Uganda has mandated universal education, but there are not enough teachers or classrooms to provide this, so volunteer involvement is highly appreciated. Volunteers are also encouraged to get involved with extra curricular activities to help enrich the school experience for the Ugandan students.

Organic Farming

In Uganda, agriculture is the backbone of the economy, contributing 90% of the rural poor's household income. ELI works with a demonstration farm that trains local farming cooperatives in Iganga District. Uganda's main food crops are plantains, cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum, corn, beans, and groundnuts. Major cash crops have been coffee, cotton, tea, and tobacco, but in the 1980s many farmers began to focus on food crops for survival and to meet short term expenses. The demonstration farm works to educate locals about affordable farming methods to increase crop yields while minimizing environmental degradation. Volunteers may work with the demonstration farm and/or with the cooperatives. Some of the cooperatives are women’s groups, others are general community-based cooperatives. Volunteers will also assist with educational programs. skills training, and marketing activities for the cooperatives.