Uganda Organic Farm Volunteer Program

I have spent two months in Kyampisi. This has been the best time of my life. The people are so cordial, I directly felt like being home. Once I got to Uganda, everyone was very happy to help and very supportive. I had an amazing time at my project teaching Spanish. I worked in a local high school and helped the classroom with Spanish lessons, I taught 3 classes. The children were eager and motivated to learn. I was encouraged by Mr. Ssamba to teach Spanish lessons and it turned out to be a really good experience and I enjoyed to be a teacher although that were really exhausting days. At the end of my volunteer project, I ended my time here with a weeklong safari to Bwindi for Gorilla trekking experience and Queen Elizabeth national park, all organized by Mr. Ssamba. After the school teaching, I went to the gardens and I always joined the family on farm work, planting beans, matooke (bananas), and feeding the chicken at the volunteer house. Sandy my sister who runs the house was a wonderful host throughout my stay and she is the kindest most loving person you can imagine. The people I have met have all been so wonderful and with the biggest hearts. There is so much to see and do here. I am very sad to leave Kyampisi, it has been the most humbling, eye opening and wonderful experience. Thank you to everyone who has opened their hearts to me. Uganda truly is a very beautiful place.

I took part in a sustainable Agriculture Development Program (14.02.2022 - 21.03.2022). The communication and help before my arrival in Kalagi was good and easy-going. Accommodation and food was basic. I also enjoyed my volunteer job even if the communication was a little bit difficult sometimes (e.g. neither Isaac or Sandra could tell me what was the plan for the next day or at what time we’ll start working). The big issue I have with Ssama Foundation is that I booked 2 safari tours with them in advance and paid 970 USD. Isaac is cooperating with a tour company and paid them, booked the tour for me etc.. Both safari tours were cancelled last minute and Isaac approved that they’ll refund my money. Till today I didn’t see any of my money back (it’s more than 3 months later now). I wrote Isaac several times about it and he pretended to take care of it. I also asked for contact information from the tour company that I can get in touch with them, but he never send me an e-mail-adresse or phone number (not even the name of the tour company…). Since a few weeks he is not responding to any of my messages. I’m very very disappointed and feel cheated on as I spent 5 weeks working for them, supporting their project, I even donated money for an important surgery for a close family member of them and that’s what I’m getting back. Be cautious before booking anything.

Isaac Ssamba started Ssamba Foundation, a community-based organization that change lives in Mukono, central Uganda in 2006. He started to empower the vulnerable rural communities of Mukono district. Today, Ssamba Foundation has grown into one of the biggest community-owned charities in Mukono, Uganda. Ssamba and his team offer free charitable support in the community, from building classrooms for village school, constructing boreholes for the community to get clean water to supporting women with skills and capital to start on the independent life. I was lucky to volunteer with Ssamba Foundation for a few months. During that period, I saw several lives being changed; vulnerable youth helped to join vocational skills training institutions, orphans and vulnerable children enrolled to school, people with HIV given a new hope for living and helpless children being given their first formal lessons and dressing. I have no doubt in my heart, Isaac Ssamba is my hero. A super hero he is!