El Shadai Children’s Home in Uganda, 2 hours east of Kampala, provides not only a place to live for 26 orphans, but a family atmosphere. It is a community-based organization run by a local man – 28 year old Stephen, who is an orphan himself. In addition to managing the children’s home, Stephen is also involved in a few other programs, including a microcredit program for women. One statistic puts the percentage of Uganda’s children who are orphans at 20%.

The orphanage is involved in a sponsorship program, and volunteers can help out with this by creating or updating children’s profiles; they may also be able to work with the women’s microcredit group. And of course, at all hours of the day children are looking for friendship and fun. The volunteer coordinator points out that sometimes an additional adult presence in itself is a benefit; volunteers may also teach various skills such as music, theater or dance.

Past volunteers who describe their experience report positive experiences, and it comes up more than once that you should be prepared to take the initiative on your own and not expect a lot of guidance. These accounts are substantial and do appear to give good insight into the experience.

Volunteers apply though an organization called Kids International, and pay a small fee with the application – this is to discourage, for lack of a better term “frivolous applications” of volunteers who do not materialize (but whom the coordinator spends time corresponding with and saves a place for). Volunteers pay a small fee that goes towards food and accommodation, which is in rooms in the home itself.

For more information the natural place to turn is the El Shadai website.