Katy Shivers - Play Action International, Volunteer in Uganda

Volunteer in Uganda, 2023

“The best month of my life! Doing things I never imagined: from kayaking down white water rapids and bungee jumping over the river Nile to camping in a field beside rhinos.“

Memories to last the lifetime

I remember the travelling to Uganda was long but the first day there was incredible. We got to have a few drinks by the pool, play games and get to know the other Ulster volunteers really well. It was crazy how well we all bonded so fast, like throwing each other into the pool before the end of the first day.

When we got to the school and met the other volunteers, all the kids just came from nowhere and greeted us so warmly. We all played a big soccer game with them and I remember thinking to myself for the second day in a row ‘best day ever’.

One of my favourite moments was when a few volunteers went on a walk to see what was near the school and a bunch of kids followed us and showed us all the foods that they grow and even took us down to a lake where they found some rice and sugarcane for us to try.

Experiencing different culture

The locals and the kids we met were genuinely some of the most kind-hearted and generous people I’ve ever met in my life. They always treated us so well and willing to do anything they could for us, from helping us fill jerry cans to even catching a frog.

Challenges while abroad

Honestly, I enjoyed the trip so much it was the best thing I’ve ever done that any challenge wasn’t that big of an issue.

I thought I would struggle a little as I didn’t know anyone beforehand but I have made lifelong friends who I’ve even met up with a few times since getting back.

The hardest part for me was saying goodbye to the kids and not knowing what future they will have and knowing that we wouldn’t get the chance to see any of them again.

Some of the others volunteers got a little sick from sunburn to malaria but it was so nice to see the rest of the volunteers go out of their way to make sure everyone was alright and properly taken care of.

Advice

It was honestly incredible - start to finish! I would do it all over again if I could, couldn’t recommend it enough. Any question we had Go Global were right there to answer and help.