Volunteering in Gulu, Uganda
Who Are We?
We are Maddy and Casey, 22 year old roommates and university students from Massachusetts who are travelling to Uganda for two months this summer with the Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program (CVAP). With Political Science and Urban Planning backgrounds, we are looking forward to sharing our skills and knowledge with our community partners while contributing to an empowered community through our own experiential learning.
What is CVAP?
The Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program is a non-profit organization located in Montreal, Canada and Gulu, northern Uganda. We are dedicated to social justice and community empowerment through education and volunteerism.
Every year, approximately 40 Concordia students travel with the program to Gulu to work on community development projects that address a broad range of needs and issues faced by the Gulu community.
These projects include TASO (The Aids Support Organization), Saint Jude's Children's Home, and the Sports Outreach Ministry, all which have a range of projects and functions in the community.
Why do we need your help?
Each volunteer is responsible for the cost of flights (approx. $1800/person), a $200 contribution to the community partner they will be working with, a carbon offset fee of $75 (to mitigate carbon emissions for flights), necessary vaccinations and related medications, and other secondary costs such as clothing and gear.
We estimate $2500 each.
This is why we are asking our family, friends, and community to help us cover the costs for this volunteer opportunity. We appreciate every penny that you are able to generously donate and look forward to returning home with many stories, new friends, and knowledge to share with our communities here at home. We hope that we will be able to share stories of success from our projects but will need your help to get us there!
A Little About Gulu..
Gulu is in the northern region of Uganda which is a landlocked East African country (bordered by Kenya, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, and Tanzania). Gulu is a post-conflict and high poverty region where the needs of the community are serious and varied. We partner with Ugandan organizations making the most of the opportunities that peace has provided "“ they are leading vital and innovative change initiatives and addressing the needs of their community. CVAP works with its partners through volunteers, and through administrative and material support for ongoing initiatives.
