International volunteer request

Shine Africa Ministries welcomes international volunteers of any calibre and category to join us in working together with the rural community in order to bring holistic change for development.
I am Michael Anguria, program coordinator Shine Africa Ministries, seeking your support regarding partnership and international volunteers. We need them so send the international volunteers/interns of all professions, medical, teachers, counselors and social development workers so that they can join us to support our field activities in reducing poverty, providing health and education services, promoting human rights and gender equality and protecting the environment.

The organisation is requesting and appealing you to send these international volunteers for placement in our organisation twice a year. Please promote this request to all your friends,donors and websites.

Volunteer profiles and recruitment process:
Generally we require volunteers that are Proficient in English, patient, committed and willing to learn. Volunteers who are outgoing and friendly with a good sense of fun and who will be able to fully immerse themselves in the various work areas and the community. Enthusiasm and positive attitude is a required must from all volunteers.

Our projects are/is open for all volunteers; we do not ask for specific skills:
The selection is based on: open attitude, social, open minded. An important aspect for a successful volunteer program is good communication between volunteer, sending and hosting organisation, it is the base of a good relationship.

We are well aware of the fact that the candidates are volunteers so we do not think of them as employees. Everything they do in our organisation is extra; they do not replace one of our employees.
We think it is very important for their own development that they use the knowledge that they pick up in our organisation to create their own projects.

Proposed activities for international volunteers:
We also require volunteers who have management skills and can provide support monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs, volunteers who are willing and able to look for various types of grant makers, organising and managing international conferences, workshops and trainings, serving as an intermediary of grants to members/stakeholders, looking for winning partners for the organisation a broad, opening and managing international affiliate offices of the organisation and finally among others, able to produce adequate reports.

Special benefits/opportunities for international volunteers:
We will rent for them descent accomodation with all facilities and a person will be recruited to prepare food for them, they will be attending workshops and training, they will also facilitate or conduct training for various beneficiary groups.

The volunteers will participate in all programs in the organisation ,communities and they will be used in coordinating all programs, attending meetings with stakeholders, proposal writing, report and travel opportunities, eco opportunities.

Volunteers will help to run athletic clubs and sports teams. Besides volunteering, there is also a focus on various other activities, such as attending a cultural dance show or attending a festival, which give our volunteers a closer experience to iteso and karamojong cultures.

Our main objective is to give the volunteer the chance to broaden his/her horizon, learn something about social work in Teso and Karamoja Sub-Regions and give him/her a lifetime experience. We have several sporting facilities for young and adult people.

The partners and volunteers will also get a glimpse in different kinds of institutions and organisations which support, entertain and offer a lot of socio-cultural events to its inhabitants. He/she has the possibility to experience how a community is structured and how the social support service is working to keep the social and cultural life active and enriching.
They will also participate in training opportunities, lobbying and advocacy and fund raising. Basically, the volunteer will work in a group of young and motivated professionals which are always open for new ideas.
The volunteer has the chance to create his/her own projects or chose where he/she would like to work with/participate in.
Learning opportunities:
- Insight and practical experience in the non-commercial and socio-cultural activities in our community.
- Get to know the different aspects of socio-cultural work in Teso and Karamoja.
- Learn how to work in a team by setting up together small and large scale project.
- Broaden his/her horizon.
- Give the volunteer a lifetime experience.
- Learn a new language.

Other key roles the international volunteers are expected to participate:

The international volunteers will be working in a team of professional workers and volunteers in organising already existing activities but will also given the opportunity to create new projects. We believe the strength of a motivated volunteer is knowledge and job satisfaction. The volunteer will get all necessary background and information about a project before she can participate.

For example: Participate with other volunteers and professionals in our community projects which stimulate our citizens, our local organisations, schools and traders to use, buy and sell fair trade products. We also try to be an example and make people aware of global warming and what to do about it. Participate in the awareness campaigns to make people aware of different kinds of social, global, development and sustainability issues...with a series of free documentary? - debates - educational evenings.

Participating or organising free-time activities for children, youngsters or elderly as a co-mentor on Wednesday afternoon, weekends or school holidays .There is also the possibility according to the interests and capacities of the volunteer to set up activities and promote her/his country and its culture.

Examples of tasks for international volunteers:
- Promotion: creating leaflets, posters, weblog, (lay-out)...
- Co-organising or co-participating in activities for different target groups
- Meetings with colleagues, youth council, city council, about fair-trade, diversity, youth, social work, our community.

Special needs:
Those volunteers with special needs are equally encouraged to apply and come to Shine Africa Ministries.
We have conducive environment for all categories of volunteers and our organisation is led by disabled persons, they are in the board ,community and management in the organisation. We shall work together with them and they will be supported.

Projects environment:
The organisation will guarantee 100% safe living environment for international volunteers, we will protect them with a security guard in their home and office in the field we will move with them, the volunteer policy in line with our volunteer policy.

Shine Africa Ministries (SAM) is writing seeking to be given an opportunity to be accredited status as a host organisation for all international volunteers willing to come to Teso and Karamoja Sub-Regions, these two sub-regions have been marginalised and these two sub-regions in general have lagged behind in- terms of socio-economic development caused by wars, cattle raids and disasters. Currently, Karamoja Sub-region is one among the regions in Uganda that has never from the beginning of the world till to-date tested fruits of true democracy, transparency, good governance, effective representation, respect for promotion and protection of human rights, social service delivery, there is lack of adequate water, education, security, communication and health.

We are operating in Teso and Karamoja Sub-regions that requires international volunteers with a blend of knowledge and skills and they will operate in all the target communities in Teso and Karamoja Sub-Regions.
Our people are very cooperative and willing to work with any groups,persons without segregation in the lines of race, colour, sex, religion, education and political affiliation.
We value the character of your content and not the clour of skin. So please come this is the best place you can volunteer ever in Uganda the people are very welcoming and staff are very accomodative.

As a local NGO, it's our duty to contribute to social and tolerant communities we try to have an open mind towards foreign volunteers and to give them a chance to enlarge their world. The social support service is by its young and dynamic character an ideal place for a volunteer to get to know the ITESO culture in an active way. For the local authority, for our employees, for the local youngsters, but also for the volunteer herself this experience will be enrichment. It teaches us to enlarge our horizon, have an open mind, to get to know and understand a different culture and to create a mentality change.
Within the social support service we work round, disabled, widows, OVC's, youth, elderly, prevention, integration, educational support, public health, education, agriculture, good governance and human rights, evangelism, information and IT computer technology and advocacy, monitoring, evaluation and research and development cooperation, etc...which means a lot of diversity for a volunteer. Because of the multiple role of our service (giving support to all kinds of organisations, initiatives, intercommunal cooperation projects) the volunteer will get insight and practical experience in the non-commercial and socio-cultural activities in our community.
The volunteer will be bringing in his own cultural background and will teach our target groups about his/her country and culture.

Risk prevention, protection and safety for international volunteers.

Axa insurance - insurance for all volunteers active in our community.
- Guidance and support by her mentor.
- A list of emergency phone numbers, but also mobile and home phone number of her mentor, nearest colleagues and hosting family
- The weekly meetings, informal contact with the volunteer and the hosting family should detect problems in an early stage.
- In case of emergency of problem situation the mentor will discuss the problem/solution with the volunteer, the nearest colleagues, the hosting organisation, the sending organisation and our National Agency.
- We prefer to host volunteers older than 18 to any age.

On behalf of the Shine Africa Ministries Management, I thank you all for your friendship and support.

Yours in Jesus Christ,

Anguria Michael.

Program Coordinator,

+256-772-854991/ +256-701-929754.
Email: shineafricaministries@gmail.com