Volunteer
Come and teach for four weeks
We welcome volunteers all year round, usually one to three a year, so that each of them gets our full attention. You teach alongside Disan Kato and our team in the communities, and you live with a host family in Mbarara. A stay lasts four weeks.
Who can come
You do not need to be a professional
- You play one instrument reasonably well: keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, voice or a wind instrument.
- You are patient with beginners. Most of our students have never touched an instrument.
- You are willing to work in rooms with no electricity, running on a generator.
We are a small local organisation. Communities come to us asking for music training, and volunteers help us meet that demand. Musicians sharing skills with musicians, not voluntourism.
The programme fee
What it covers
Volunteers pay a programme fee. It covers your accommodation, food and local transport during the four weeks, and a contribution towards the instruments and fuel used while you are teaching.
The Foundation does not run this to make money. It happens a few times a year because it is good for the children and good for the volunteers.
No fixed start dates · ask us for yours
At a glance
The programme in four lines
Arrival
From the airport to your first lesson
- Arrive on a Friday or Saturday at Entebbe International Airport. Someone from our team meets you.
- We drive you to Mbarara, five to six hours to the south-west.
- Two days of orientation at our office: culture, safety, your schedule and your personal contact person.
- You meet your host family and get to know the neighbourhood.
- On Monday, you teach.
Please confirm your arrival date at least four weeks ahead, so that transfer and host family can be arranged.
Fees for one month
What you pay, and for what
| Application feeOne-off, secures your place | €50.00 |
| AdministrationPreparation, orientation, support by the local team | €450.50 |
| Airport transferEntebbe – Mbarara and back, including fuel | €245.80 |
| Host familyYour room, breakfast and dinner | €300.00 |
| Placement contributionDaily lunch, transport to lessons, water, phone and internet, teaching materials | €510.00 |
| Total | €1,556.30 |
Not included: flights, visa, vaccinations and entrance fees for national parks.
Our volunteers
Who has taught with us
USA · piano & keyboard
Joshua Stone
A musician from Boston who taught students, community musicians and youth groups across Western Uganda, and quickly adapted to local music on stage.
His month with us →
USA · oboe, piano, winds
Kate Wages
A music teacher in training who taught theory, piano, guitar and brass, and encouraged girls at Kashaka to take up instruments.
Her month with us →
Singapore · piano
Jesse Collins
Spent a month supporting children through piano lessons, care and community activities, and left lasting friendships behind.
Japan · keyboard & piano
Togo Suzuki
Taught keyboard and piano at our office and in the Kanyeganyegye community, building skills and confidence with patience.
Israel · musician & researcher
Noam Perl Treves
An advocate for intercultural understanding who shared his music and built connections across cultures in Mbarara.
His visit →What does a typical day look like?
After breakfast you are picked up and driven to the office or straight to the school of the day. You teach in groups together with our teachers; lunch is with the team. Afternoons and evenings are yours: time with your host family, other volunteers or the staff.
At weekends many volunteers join local events. Weddings, church services and celebrations are full of live music here.
Where do volunteers stay?
Usually with a local family in Mbarara, in your own room. Host families treat you as one of their own: you share meals, evenings and sometimes weekend trips. On request we arrange a simple, safe guesthouse instead.
Who supports me while I am in Uganda?
Disan Kato and our staff support you throughout your stay. One team member is assigned to you, and anyone at the office will help with questions. Your host family is there for you too.
What is not covered by the fee?
- Flights, visa and vaccinations
- Entrance fees for national parks and other tourist sites
- Souvenirs and personal shopping
What can I do outside teaching?
- Visit Lake Mburo National Park near Mbarara, Queen Elizabeth or Kibale National Park, Lake Bunyonyi and the Rwenzori mountains
- Hike the hills around Mbarara at sunrise
- Attend concerts, church services and traditional weddings
- Try the food: matooke, gnut sauce, rolex. Or take a few lessons in Runyankore
Can a university or group come?
Yes. We welcome university music departments and volunteer groups. We work with your faculty to build a programme that creates lasting value for the communities and for your students. For larger groups we can arrange guesthouse accommodation.
What is Uganda like?
Green, hilly and hospitable. The west of Uganda, where we are based, grows food all year round. It is a country with a deep culture of music, dance and storytelling, and people who will make you feel at home.