Why Uganda?  Why VSO?  Why NetCorps?

Uganda

So you are probably going, What?  Is she crazy?  Uganda?  Yup it seems I am just a little bit crazy.  I have always wanted to work overseas and since my recent unemployment status I figured what better a chance!  Well I have discovered VSO (http://vsocan.com) and their NetCorps Internship program.  It will allow me to go overseas to a 3rd world country and provide IT assistance.  After a lengthy selection process I was accepted into the program and have been matched with a job in Uganda. 

My placement duties include:
1. Advise on and support the technical development of the existing MS Access database in the education sector. 
2. Provide training for education sector staff in the use of the database, including the development of training materials. 
3. Provide day-to-day support for users of the system.
4. Support development of systems to transfer data to MOES. (Ministry Database) 
5. Support the dissemination of the system to other districts. 

Uganda is a relatively small landlocked country located almost in the center of Africa on the northwest shore of Lake Victoria. It straddles the equator and is bordered in the east by Kenya, Sudan in the north, Zaire in the west and Rwanda and Tanzania in the south. Most of the country lies at an altitude of between 900 m and 1500 m thus giving Uganda a pleasant climate varying very little throughout the year with an average temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius. I will be in the Ntungamo District Local Administration Block, Education Department.  Ntungamo Town is a small urban center in a predominantly rural surrounding.  It is about 260 km from Kampala the capital city. 

Highlights: 
Traveling eastwards, one can reach Queen Elizabeth National Park within 3 hours - the largest national park in the country,, with a five star Mweya Safari Lodge.  Alternatively one can travel further south west for 3 - 4 hours to Kabale and Kisoro - a land of spectacular volcanoes, 'green mountains' with undulating and interlocking slopes, thick forests, chimpanzees and mountain gorillas - to mention a few. 

Reality:
There is a quite regular electricity supply with load shedding once or twice per week but also unpredictable power cuts happen quite frequently. Within Ntungamo town there is piped water although shortages are frequent. Depending on the location of the Volunteer's house piped water may be provided.  If not arrangements can be made to have it hauled in via 20 liter jerry cans. The most likely housing is quite nice and there is a water tank.   If one does need to get jerry cans the usual practice is to hire a boy to fetch it.  Negligible cost and good for the local employment scene.  It is hoped that a small, four-roomed house will be available but this has not been confirmed.

VSO

VSO is an international development agency that works through volunteers. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world.

VSO provides volunteers whose skills help to improve the opportunities for urban disadvantaged people to earn a regular income, developing infrastructure to improve access to goods and services, and improving the management of the physical environment. Volunteers include a business development adviser with a municipal council, a town planner and a project manager for a children’s agency. Others work in training projects at municipal and town level with urban councils, the private sector, and non-government organizations (NGOs).

VSO’s work in rural livelihoods currently focuses on environmental placements in the forestry department and on district-wide agricultural extension placements. Other volunteers include a farm manager working in a school for disabled children and a soil conservation officer in a CARE-managed project.

In education, VSO has developed links with a number of core primary teaching colleges and several volunteers are working on a pre- and in-service training program. Volunteers in education placements incorporate awareness-raising about HIV/AIDS, gender and the environment in their work.

In health, VSO supports community-based primary health care programs. Volunteers in hospitals, district health offices and with NGOs combine supervisory and training roles. Services for disabled people are supported by speech and occupational therapists and physiotherapists in community-based rehabilitation programs.

NetCorps

VSO Canada is a member of NetCorps Canada International - the Industry Canada-funded program bringing together a coalition of eight Canadian development agencies (VSO Canada, CUSO, Canada World Youth, Alternatives, Oxfam Quebec, Human Rights Internet, Canadian Crossroads International, Canadian Society for International Health) to match young interns with genuine Information Technology skills to placements where they can make a solid contribution to development work. This program is separate from VSO Canada's mainstream 2yr volunteer-sending program.

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