Terms and Conditions for a Volunteer Placement with the Tuko’laganhe Youth Foundation (hereinafter: the Foundation)
- Aims and Values
The following terms and conditions are set forth with the aim of advising the volunteers on what to expect during their placement at the Foundation. By this we hope to ensure that the volunteer has a happy, fulfilling and safe experience whilst also helping to preserve the happiness and wellbeing of the staff and children at the project.
We feel that the volunteer needs as much information as possible. With this in mind, this document was written.
You need to understand and respect the aims/values and abide with the policies of the Foundation.
You should be reliable and make all endeavors to fulfill your role and tasks you agreed to undertake as a volunteer to the best of your ability.
Our project is one of mutual respect and regard for the work of your fellow colleagues. During your stay we request that you treat the country, the culture, your colleagues, the children and their families with respect, even if conditions differ from what you are used to. Any personal information about volunteers, staff, children and parents at the project is to be kept confidential during and after your stay, though we would like you to be an ambassador for our cause once you are back home.
For your own safety and with respect for the visa regulations, we ask you to consult with our management before engaging in any work outside of the project. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for any situations that you engage in during your free time.
2. Responsibilities of Volunteers
Volunteers take part in all programs at their own risk.
Travel to and from the project
The volunteer is solely responsible for any airfare or other travel fees, charges, expenses or penalties for travelling from her/his home country to Kyabirwa Village and return.
The Project Manager Mr. Owino Moses will, on request from the volunteer, arrange airport pick-up and transfer to the accommodation at the Project, subject to the volunteer’s agreement to pay the driver in full at the end of the journey and provided that the volunteer informs the Project Manager about the arrival time at Entebbe Airport.
It is the volunteer’s responsibility to ensure that she/he has a valid passport and obtains appropriate documentation for entering the host country including the entry visa and the certificate for yellow fever. Visas can be obtained online.
The applicant agrees to submit all the requested documentation in a timely manner. The Foundation cannot be held responsible for any delay or additional cost caused by the participant’s failure in doing so.
The Foundation does not accept any liability for financial loss incurred due to not providing the necessary documentation for entering Uganda.
Travel insurance
It is the volunteer’s responsibility to obtain an appropriate insurance to cover any eventuality that may occur throughout the program (including repatriation, loss of property, personal injury or illness). Refunds are not given as a result of illness while participating in our program.
Health and Safety
The volunteer is responsible for researching about the host country (Uganda) in order to be knowledgeable about any potential risks.
We advise you to carefully consider all materials made available relating to safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural and religious customs and conditions prevailing in the host community and. Please be aware of the local conditions that may present health and safety risks when making daily choices and decisions. Each volunteer must take full responsibility in the event that laws, regulations or customs are broken, regardless of foreknowledge.
You are responsible for your health and safety within the workplace. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the layout, equipment, furniture, state of repair and the terrain of the school and work in a manner which displays due regard and duty of care for yourself, your colleagues and the children.
Please be aware that health and safety conditions in Uganda might differ from what you are used to back home. Be sure to take every precaution necessary to stay healthy and safe during your visit. Also familiarize yourself with the health and safety advices from your government concerning Uganda (eg. Yellow Fever Vaccination etc.).
Medical insurance and medical consultation prior to leaving the home country
It is the volunteer’s responsibility to ensure that she/he has appropriate medical insurance to cover all possible needs while in Uganda and to seek appropriate medical advice regarding inoculations, malaria prophylaxis and any other medical need. We advise you to consult with your GP/MD in good time before leaving your home country to travel to Uganda and to come with all inoculations completed and all necessary medications to cover the period of stay.
Volunteers must behave in socially acceptable ways and with respect for the Ugandan culture and must not put themselves in danger by the misuse or abuse of alcohol or other unsafe or provocative behavior. Volunteers should acquaint themselves with the facts and risks of HIV in a country where approx. 6% of the population are HIV positive, and behave accordingly.
The volunteer must supply the Foundation’s Project Manager with the name and contact details of next of kin to be contacted in case of an emergency.
Project related responsibilities
Volunteers must be honest and open with the staff and other volunteers, beginning with the application form, regarding your intent, goals, needs and skill so that a good and realistic placement is possible.
Volunteers must understand the requirements of time and duties of assignments before accepting them and once accepted, fulfill the commitment to the best of their ability. Discussion and negotiation with the staff about timings and duties if conducted in a professional way are, of course, completely acceptable. We want the volunteers to be happy and enjoy their time with us.
Volunteers must take their commitment seriously and consult with the permanent staff and management at school before initiating any activities that were not previously agreed upon.
Volunteers should share ideas with the staff. We value a fresh and new perspective. However, do not be hurt if not all ideas feasible for implementation. We ask you to be considerate of the staff, children and parents when sharing ideas. All of them are working and living in difficult circumstances and are doing their best.
Volunteers should seek and accept honest feedback on performance. Remember: negative feedback is valuable too, when viewed as an opportunity for growth.
All volunteers are required to attend the orientation and briefing meetings and any other meeting at the request of the Head Teacher and/or of the Project Manager.
3. Rights of the Volunteers
As a volunteer, you have the right:
To be offered the opportunity to fulfill a volunteer role at the school, regardless of race, financial status, gender or age.
To meet with the Head Teacher, the Deputy Head Teacher and the senior members of the staff to have programs or projects clearly explained and to discuss your role.
To be assigned a job which you feel able to fulfill and which is rewarding to you.
To receive advice and supervision to enable you to perform the assigned role well.
To give suggestions that would help to make your Job more fulfilling to you.
To receive advice and supervision to enable you to perform the assigned role well.
To give suggestions that would help to make your job more fulfilling to you.
To discuss with Senior staff any difficulties experienced by the end of the school day.
To feel free to discuss reassignment and support, if you feel uncomfortable in your role after giving it a fair trial.
To receive recognition in a way that is meaningful to you.
To be esteemed as a person of individuality, uniqueness and value.
To receive support from the Head Teacher and/or the Senior teacher for seeking medical assistance in the event of your falling ill or having an accident while volunteering with the Foundation, regardless of whether the accident occurred at the Foundation’s site or away from it. You to do not have the right to expect project staff to fulfill this role should your illness or accident be caused by a behavior deemed to be unadvisable, irresponsible, provocative or anti social.
4. Application
Application forms must be received at least 45 days prior to the starting date for the placement.
Application forms received less than 45 days prior to the scheduled arrival date will be accepted only upon review and approval from the Foundation and according to the ability of the Project Manager to complete the process in time to facilitate placement bearing in mind that the applicant will then need to make the flight bookings.
Applicants agree that all of the data provided in the application form are true to the best of their knowledge and acknowledge that any false or misleading information may lead to immediate dismissal from the program
The applicant must honestly declare that she/he is at least 18 years old on the arrival date at the project.
The applicant must honestly declare that she/he has never been arrested or convicted for a criminal offence.
The applicant must honestly declare that she/he is in good health and there are no other conditions that might potentially create a health risk while in Uganda. The volunteer is responsible for considering her or his personal health and safety needs when applying for or accepting a place on the program. If the volunteer suffers from any health or other condition that would create a risk while abroad, she or he should not apply.
The applicant must be able to speak good conversational English.
The Foundation reserves the right to refuse any applicant who does not meet the program eligibility requirements or any applicant that it deems to be unsuitable for the program.
The Foundation reserves the right to dismiss from the program any volunteer who is deemed, according to the Foundation’s staff to be a danger to her/himself or to others or whose conduct is deemed to be detrimental to the program or to the host institution.
5. Payment Policy
The volunteer program provides for a montly payment of fees amounting to US$ 600.00 (US Dollars Sixhundred)
To guarantee their participation, applicants are requested to provide a down payment of US$ 100.00 payable when receiving the e-mail acceptance of the application.
Payment must be made by bank transfer to the Foundation’s bank account, details as follows:
TUKOLAGANHE YOUTH FOUNDATION LTD.
Account number: 43444050100112 at Orient Bank – Jinja Branch
BIC/SWIFT Code: ORINUGKA
An e-mail confirmation will be sent upon receiving the funds.
The Foundation’s fees are correct at the time of publication, but they are subject to change due to the currency fluctuations and other unpredictable circumstances. When a program is paid in full, that fee is locked and will not increase.
Should applicants fail to join the Foundation in its programs for any reasons whatsoever, the down-payment will not be refunded.
When the volunteer reaches Uganda and joins the Foundation’s program, the down-payment will be used to settle the monthly rate due. Settlement has to be made the day after arrival and a formal receipt will be issued in order to conclude the formalities.
Cancellation and Refund
Whilst the Foundation will always undertake to fulfill its responsibilities, it cannot accept liability and/or responsibility for any alterations, delay or cancellation caused by threat of war, fire, sickness, bad weather, acts of Government or Public Authority or other circumstances amounting to a “force majeure”.
The Foundation reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject a volunteer at any time prior to departure, should any exceptional circumstances/information regarding the volunteer become known to the Project Manager.
In the unlikely event of such a rejection, the Foundation will not be responsible to the applicant for any refund, costs, interest, liability or damages of any kind.
If a volunteer cancels for any reason, she/he must notify the Foundation in writing at its e-mail address: Tukolaganhe.y.Foundation@gmail.com . The cancellation will be effective immediately.
No refunds will be made in case of premature termination of the program or because of the volunteer’s failure or inability to continue the participation in the Foundation’s Project.
The Foundation cannot refund the fees paid should a participant decide, after arrival on the program, that she or he is unsuitable for participation into the program.
The Foundation makes no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, as to the suitability of the program for any participant and it disclaims all such warranties to the full extent permitted by law.
Host families will have their own set of house and family rules. If those rules are broken or if the host family determines that the conduct of the volunteer represents a concern for the safety of the family members, the host family has the right to ask the volunteer to leave.
In the event of such dismissal, the host family will not be held responsible for any charges or any other expenses incurred by the volunteer, and shall not be required to return any fees paid by the volunteer.
In the unlikely case where a volunteer is asked to leave the home where she/he is staying for rule infractions or safety concerns, the fees paid to the host family will not be returned. If the volunteer agrees and is permitted to remain on the program, all extra housing and meal costs are to be bear by her/him.
The volunteer shall be responsible for and held liable for all her or his acts along with any loss or damage that results from those acts while she or he is on the program. In the event that the Foundation and/or the host family suffer any loss or damage as a result of the acts of the volunteer, than the volunteer agrees to indemnify the party that suffered such a loss or damage. Such claim for indemnity shall cover any and all reasonable claims, causes of action, judgments, losses, costs or expenses which may be made against any of the parties listed or which said parties may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to any acts of the volunteers.
It is very important that the participant understands the cancellation policy. If it is not clear, the volunteer should ask for clarifications. The Foundation cannot make exceptions to this cancellation policy for any reasons, including medical emergencies. The Foundation strongly recommends and urges volunteers to purchase a trip cancellation and medical insurance.
6. Living and Working Conditions
Participation into the program begins on the first day of orientation or on the day agreed upon between the volunteer and the Project Manager and ends on the last day agreed upon with the Project Manager. In case the volunteer is not well or needs, for other reasons, to take some time off the volunteering work during the week, this should be made known and discussed with the Project Manager.
It is understood by the Project Manager that volunteers may not always wish to work for the whole day. Provided that the volunteer advises the Project Manager when this will be the case, this is perfectly acceptable.
The Foundation will accommodate the volunteer in such instances while bearing in mind that too much time taken off may jeopardize the wellbeing of the children and the continuity of their education through the Program.
It should be understood by the participant that the working and living conditions on the program are very different from those in the participant’s home country and, in some instances, they may be quite basic.
The volunteer agrees and accepts the different living conditions and accepts to respect their hosts and the accommodation they provide. It is important for the volunteer to realize that bathroom and toilet facilities will be in accordance with the local standards.
The volunteer should receive three meals a day throughout the placement, breakfast, lunch and dinner which will be of a suitable quality and quantity by local standards. In case a supplementary or special diet is required, this will incur in additional costs.
The volunteer must be aware that the location of the project has limited facilities and transportation links.
All travelling before, during and after the program is at the volunteer’s own risk. Volunteers need to be aware that many drivers, including taxi drivers and boda boda drivers operate without accident insurance and this means that passengers are not covered by driver’s motor insurance in the way they would in their home county.
Any volunteer who chooses to operate/drive motorized vehicles is responsible for obtaining the necessary license, permission and insurance and the volunteer does so at her/his own risk.
All applicants must signify acceptance of these terms and conditions by signing this document on the lines below:
I, (name in full): ________________________________________
Signify acceptance of all the terms and conditions set forth above by signing below
Signed by: ____________________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________