Make a Difference with Volunteering and Adventure Travel in Uganda - Gap Year

Uganda is the most amazing place I've ever been. The country is beautiful, and the people are really very special. The AV package allowed me to get a really full experience of these things in a relatively short space of time. The set-up allowed me the freedom to tailor my volunteering experience to suit my own interests and feel fully immersed in village life, whilst still feeling fully supported. The free travel period at the end was a highlight, seeing some of the wonders of East Africa, whilst again feeling very supported. This is a fairly unique and very positive thing about AV.
I think AV's ethos about gap year volunteering is really positive and also realistic. As a young, inexperienced person volunteering in a third world country, you cannot change the world, but you can still have a very small and positive impact on a few people, whilst having an enormously valuable experience yourself.
My four months with AV were some of the best of my life, I can thoroughly recommend them!

The 3 months I spent teaching in Bukomankola school in Kaliro, Uganda was as challenging as it was rewarding! AV are really helpful in all aspects; from the initial culture shock to teaching advice to solving all the little problems while you're in the village. I learnt so much from the experience and the travel opportunities are second to none- I changed my flights to stay 2 extra months as I didn't want to leave!

In 2014 I had a life changing trip to Uganda for 3 months with 4 others. Becoming an AV was one of the best decisions i’ve made and still years on myself and others on my trip stay in touch. AV are such a communicative company who made the trip such less daunting for myself, who at the time was 17.

Uganda is an amazing and beautiful country with the most friendly people. I feel extremely privileged to have had the experience and I plan to go back in the future!

I absolutely loved my gap year with av and cannot recommend it enough. My trip was life changing and i fell in love with the country, the culture and the people. I wish i could do it all over again! I made some of my best friends whilst in uganda, and i am planning to go back in a year to visit the school i taught in and the people i met out there. If youre looking to be completely immersed in a new and exciting country and also make a difference in the lives of the kids you teach this is for you!

I went with AV to Uganda January 2017 and those months I spent in Africa were so far, the most influential months of my life. I met so many gracious and loving people, I learned so much about myself, and I learned so much about a culture that I knew basically nothing about. If you're considering going with AV, a few words of wisdom! Bring plenty of things to do! You have insane amounts of downtime in the village and sometimes fully immersing yourself is exhausting so bring something for entertainment. It's a good time to get through a reading list. Also, spend as much time at the school and in the village as possible. That's what you're there for! That's what you signed up for! Embrace it fully. It's hard experience, but it doesn't make it any less! I hope you choose to go for it and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

I had an absolute blast on AV's 2016 trip to Uganda. Yes, things went wrong here and there, but thats Africa for you!
I chose AV as they offered a full emersion scheme. This was just what I wanted from my gap year. I didn't want to volunteer during the day and then spend my evenings in a grand hotel in a city in a nearby town. It just didn't seem right. However, this type of emersion is not for all. Be prepared, for unwanted, friendly animals in your house, no running water to wash up in, and temperamental electricity. If you can deal with all these, it's perfect for you!
I spent 3 months teaching in a rural village in Uganda with three other girls. 11 other gappies were scattered in nearby villages. As time went on, all 14 of us grew to be one big happy family, each with our respective roles, supporting each other through thick and thin. I definitely I made some friends for life.
On another note, I became very ill whilst I was abroad. The care I was given by Monique, the in country rep, was amazing. This kept my worried parents, back in the UK, happy. The doctor's facilities were adequate. Monique knows a very good doctor, who was trained in the UK, so never once did I feel as though I was in unsafe hands.
Finally, I spent one month, along with the other gappies travelling around East Africa. AV were amazing when it came to ensuring we were safe wherever we went, yet still allowed us as much independence as we wanted. They supported us through all our decisions and were at the other end of the phone when things went wrong.
Overall, I believe this was a once in a life time opportunity to do something completely out of my comfort zone. As cliché as it sounds, it was life changing and I wouldn't change a minute of it.
Thanks AV!

Once an AV always an AV. It is safe to say this programme gave me the best 4 months of my life, I even rearranged my flights to stay out there longer, and revisited the school last summer. AV are wonderful and provide so much support both before, during and after the programme. Our in country support was fabulous, and so reassuring to know that if anything were to go wrong, she was only a phone call away. Staying in local villages is an invaluable experience and allows you to live, work and breath Uganda, I have never felt so in touch and connect to one place. The children and teachers you meet out there will change you like no one else on earth and build you into a much stronger, confident person. They are the most wonderful people you will ever meet and not a day goes by when I don't think of Ibaako school. I also loved the sense of family that occurs with your fellow volunteers, you experience so many life changing moments together, the occasional low and incredible highs, you do it all together and they become friends for life. Uganda has so much to offer as a country, we spent weekend rafting or swimming in the nile, bungee jumping, visiting waterfalls and islands and it is so easy to travel around East Africa afterwards, with the wonderful group of friends you have made. I could not recommend this programme highly enough, the best gap year experience you could think of!

It was incredible and 100% worth it! I loved the independence of the project- my fellow volunteers and I lived in our own houses with limited supervision. We had an in country point of contact who gave us good information, but we got to do things on our own. That idea was a bit daunting at first, but it was wonderful! I liked the fact that it didn't feel like a high school field trip. We really got to be a part of the community. The children we taught were always so excited to see us and play with us, and out fellow teachers were very welcoming.
The four weeks after teaching that we spent travelling were incredible, too! We saw historic sites and lounged on the beautiful sugar sand beaches of Zanzibar and skydived onto Diani beach and more.
Every moment of this trip was amazing! I wouldn't trade my time in Africa for anything, and I'm glad I did it with AV. It is by far the greatest thing I've ever done.