LACI has many opportunities for mission groups, families, couples or individuals who are interested in helping AIDS orphans and widows in the heart of Africa.

There are opportunities in all aspects of LACI’s operations. Anyone with a heart to reach out and serve orphans and widows in Africa will find exciting projects to bring God's love to these deserving people.

Construction workers, painters, administrators, managers, evangelist - your time and skills will be put to great use! Some specific areas of need are listed below but LACI is open to whatever your interests as you desire to support the children of Uganda.

Our goal is to empower local communities through the volunteers skills and financial donations. We believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs, and we provide volunteers to help them achieve their goals. Volunteering is one of the great ways to contribute to the global community and gain experience, and also fosters personal growth. Therefore whether you would like to take a short term mission or vacation or a prolonged gap year, LACI provides challenging and affordable volunteers programs.

Legacy for African Children International’s projects are based in Nakibano – Kasana in Mukono districts and in Bupadhengo village in Kamuli District. All projects are aimed at providing primary education to needy children, community outreach and counseling, and adult literacy. Most projects have little or no resources, so foreign volunteers with different ideas and experiences are highly valued. Please note that all projects require volunteers who are self-starters and can conduct their daily activities with minimal supervision. Specific daily schedules and activities will be determined between volunteers and their volunteer coordinator upon arrival. 3 meals are provided each day which will consist of local foods, such as matooke (mashed plantain), posho (corn bread), potatoes, and rice. They are generally served with beef, chicken, fish, beans, or groundnut sauce. Bread, eggs and fruits are also available for breakfast.

LACI Village Projects partners

LACI also works with a number of small community based organizations that provide counseling, care, and education for rural people and orphaned and underprivileged children. Each of these placements is located in a village setting within, Iganga, Mukono and Kamuli Districts. Each village placement will provide a different experience for a volunteer, but main activities will involve working with local children and youth teaching nursery, primary, and vocational education. Volunteers work in the areas of sport, art, games and academics. For volunteers with a medical background and education, placements can involve work in local clinics with small health-based community organizations. Community outreach activities, such as youth mentoring, HIV prevention and AIDS care, and education respecting modern farming techniques are undertaken by each community based organization. Longer term volunteers are encouraged to get involved despite the language barrier, and see the development work done at the village level.

A village placement is particularly appropriate for those volunteers with great ideas and enthusiasm for grass roots development. There are ample opportunities for volunteers to learn and use Luganda, the language spoken predominantly within Mukono District, and Lusoga, the language spoken predominantly within Iganga and Kamuli District. Volunteers may also be asked to help with administrative work such as setting up budgets, updating paperwork, writing proposals, and setting up/maintaining personal files for each of the children. (Please note that there is a significant language barrier between yourself and the children. Local teachers will have to help you with translation.) This is a challenging but amazing program for volunteers with experience organizing children, such as camp counselors, day care workers and people who a passion and love for children. Bring your games, songs, and enthusiasm to the village! For all village placements, accommodation and daily meals will be provided within the village of placement, and will range from private apartments to rooms in private homes and sometimes volunteers will be placed in a home- stay.

Nakibano – Kasana Village Projects – (Mukono District)

Primary Schools:

There are many private primary schools in Uganda that cater exclusively to the education, housing and feeding of needy children and orphans. Volunteers can teach primary subjects and organize sport and art activities for the children. School terms vary from year to year but are approximately as follows: February 1 to April 30, and May 20 to August 30, September 15 to November 15. Placements at local secondary schools can be arranged upon request. Volunteers will require a university degree to be eligible to teach at the secondary level.

Nakibano – Kasana Youth Project:

This is a multi-faceted project promoting the voluntary spirit in Uganda. Foreign volunteers will work alongside LACI local community volunteers (youth aged 15 - 30) in a variety of programs directly benefiting local communities, which will include the following activities:
Community Outreach: Includes home visits (often to the remotest villages in the district) to elderly, disabled, and persons living with HIV/AIDS to assist with household tasks such as washing, preparing food, and keeping company. This is a good opportunity for volunteers to see the daily challenges faced by marginalized groups in Uganda.

Youth Mentoring: Public speaking and mentoring of youth and youth leaders respecting HIV/AIDS awareness, public health/hygiene, family planning, condom use and distribution, creativity workshops promoting the generation of small business, the importance of basic education, and women's rights and empowerment. This is the most important and most common activity undertaken by volunteers. Camping, hiking, hunting and/or fishing trips may also take place during these mentoring sessions. Volunteers are asked to bring camping gear.

Although it is a youth group it reaches every member of the community it serves, and reaches the remotest areas of the district where there is virtually no other aid. This project is not exclusive to young volunteers, as older people with business skills and experience are also needed, particularly with tasks like sorting out bookwork and applying for grants.
All our Youth projects are full-time and volunteers are expected to work eight hours per day though our schedule are flexible.

All volunteers working in Nakibano – Kasana village (up to 20 at one time) will be housed in shared accommodation in a large apartment in Nakibano – Kasana village. There will be a house maid who will cook, and look after the house. The building is within a locked compound. The shower is indoors, and the latrine is detached but fully enclosed. There is no running water, but there is a water tank in the compound, and there are jerry cans for water storage. You will be provided with 3 meals per day. Meals will consist of local foods, such as matooke (mashed plantain), posho (corn bread), potatoes, and rice. They are generally served with beef, chicken, fish, beans, or groundnut sauce. Bread, eggs and fruits are also available for breakfast.

Program Location
The program is based in Nakibano – Kasana Village in Mukono District which is 40 miles out of Mukono Town along Mukono – Kayunga High way.

Program Requirements
Volunteers for the Uganda program must be 18 years or older and have no major health problems.

Program Schedule
Volunteers can stay from a period of two weeks to six months. Your stay can be extended beyond six months on a case-by-case basis. You can start your placement on the 1st or 15th of each month.

School terms vary from year to year but are approximately as follows: Feb 1 to April 30, May 20 to August 30, Sept 15 to November 30. Volunteers are not typically placed in teaching projects outside of these times. Please also note that exams take place at the end of each term and normal class schedules will end prior to that. Short term volunteers are advised to start earlier in the term.

Your Program Benefits
When you choose our Volunteer program you will receive the following benefits which are included in your program fee. Your program fee includes the following:

Your In-Country Fee which will cover living and placement requirements such as meals, accommodation, training, supervision, airport pick up and local transportation to and from the project sites in Uganda.

Your Uganda Program Guide - an online resource that covers topics such as: country information, details on your placement, travel links, visa application process and much more!

LACI Certificate of Completion - you will receive an official letter from LACI outlining your volunteer placement for your resume/CV and a certificate of completion

Program Cost
LACI’s Volunteer Program is available from two weeks to 6 months placements. No application is required. We encourage all our incoming volunteers to make arrangements to wire their program fee as soon as they are accepted into the program. When we receive your fee, it helps us be in a better position to prepare for your stay. In general, we need to be certain that our volunteers have a commitment to making the trip, since we put a significant amount of legwork into selecting volunteers from a very competitive pool, clearing volunteers with the local government, securing housing, and other project administration issues.

Costs for 2 weeks – US $500
Cost for 1 month - US $700
Cost for 6 weeks - US $1050
Cost for 2 months - US $1400
Cost for 10 weeks - US $1750
Cost for 3 months - US $2000
Cost for 4 months - US $2500
Cost for 5 months - US $3000
Cost for 6 months - US $3500

To see the cost in your local currency, we recommend you look here.
The in-country fee is non refundable and non transferable and will only covers administrative charge, airport pickup, and transport to project, meals and accommodation during placement, and supervision. You will notice that after three months the cost per month decreases. On the other hand we feel fundraising for our project is an important volunteer obligation and hence it will be required upon acceptance to this project, as part of our effort to obtain high-quality volunteers who want to do this for the right reasons.

You will need a weekly budget of approximately US$30 to cater for all your other expenses like bottled water, personal costs, beverages and entertainment.

The other costs you will need to meet are your flights, visa, shots, travel insurance, and departure tax.

How to Apply for LACI Volunteer Program
Please contact our Volunteer Program Coordinator by email at: Once you have been accepted into our program, we will forward you our volunteer information pack which covers some of the FAQ for our mission trip for your perusal as you prepare for your trip. We encourage all our prospective volunteers to apply as early as possible to allow ample time of preparations for the mission trip.