DATES - Arrival on 31st of July, departure on 12th of August 2024

31st of July: Your arrival day is set aside for you to fly into Entebbe International Airport. You will be collected from the airport by a Mission Rabies representative, who will bring you to your accommodation for the night - where you will be welcomed by our core staff and meet your fellow Mission Rabies Uganda team members! Rest, recuperate and enjoy getting to know your team in the evening.

1st of August: The next day we will be up early as we have a bit of a drive ahead of us, travelling down to Kabale. Once arrived at our accomodation, you will have the evening to settle in and spend a bit more time getting to know your fellow members of team Uganda 2024!

2nd of August: You will receive a thorough briefing to get you up to speed on how the project works, training on the WVS Data Collection App and of course you have the opportunity to ask any questions before we start.

3rd of August: Today is Day 1 of the campaign, working in small teams with local Ugandan staff, Mission Rabies staff, and other international volunteers. Each morning will start early, whilst it is cool; with collecting of equipment and then heading off to a new static point location with your team members.

In the evenings, you will have time to catch up with the rest of the group whilst enjoying local, vegetarian dishes and exchanging stories about the people and dogs you’ve met during your day! 

4th of August: Today is a day off from the campaign, where you are welcome to participate on an excursion to Lake Bunyoni, which is known for its beautiful scenery and rich birdlife (over 200 species) - a twitchers paradise! The excursion includes a boat cruise to visit islands and learn about the environment, swim and relax lakeside in nature. This visit is organised and run by AJTours, costs are not included in the campaign fee and should be paid direct to them in-country.

5th - 10th of August: The bulk of our vaccination campaign will run over 6 days, travelling from village to village, setting up multiple static point clinics to ensure we vaccinate as many dogs as possible against this deadly disease! 

11th of August: After 7 busy days of vaccinating, today we say a fond farewell to the area and make the journey back to Entebbe. For those that want to explore more of this amazing country, we have partnered with AJ Tours who can offer you a variety of trips. On application we will give you a more detailed outline of these trips (Gorillas anyone?) and their costs. These costs are in addition to the cost of participating on the trip and should be paid direct to AJ Tours.

12th of August: After one final night in Entebbe, you are free to depart and will be accompanied to the airport by a Mission Rabies representation, ready to fly home with plenty of memories of our time in Uganda!

We want you to feel as prepared as possible for volunteering with us, we have therefore decided to highlight some of the potentially more challenging aspects of taking part in a Mission Rabies project below. If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.

Sharing Rooms - To ensure we can get as many volunteers in the field as possible and keep the in-country costs low for you, you will be sharing a room with another volunteer of the same sex. If you would rather have a single room please inform us as soon as possible so that we can arrange this, however please note this will be at an extra cost. In addition if you are volunteering with a friend and would like to share with them, please mention this upon application.

Food - All meals are provided during the project. As an animal welfare project, we do not provide meat but safe, clean, vegetarian food will be available for every meal. All water and soft drinks will be provided during the project. Alcoholic drinks are not covered by Mission Rabies but can be purchased at the accommodation.

Climate – August lies within the tail-end of the dry season of Uganda, with the average temperature hovering around the mid-20°C's and cooler at altitudes above 1300m/4265ft. It can sometimes also get cooler at night so make sure you bring both high factor sun screen and a jumper. A sun hat is also a must as there will not always be much shade. Bringing a packable waterproof is also recommended just in case of any unseasonal weather. As it can get very hot make sure you drink plenty of water. Please bring a reusable water bottle, which we can fill; as this gives you access to safe, clean water on the go and saves a huge amount of plastic waste.  

Physical work and early starts -  The working days can be long and physically- challenging!  If you have any concerns or questions about this element of the trip, please just get in touch before applying. Whilst the days are long, the work is incredibly rewarding - each dog vaccinated is one more protected against rabies!

Emotional stress - There is a chance that you will witness suffering, be it human or animal, while on this project. You cannot know how you will react to seeing a dog suffering from a terrible case of mange or with a fractured leg, seeing people in need or finding a personal bond has been shattered by illness. It may simply be alarming to see dogs who live chained outside, or are handled roughly. It is important to be prepared for seeing these types of emotional cases, however please know it is perfectly normal to feel a range of emotions in response to this. We can help support you with this so please do ensure that you speak to your project leader if you are struggling or have any specific concerns.

By coordinating ahead of time and building in contingency plans we strive to make the potentially challenging job of vaccinating hundreds of dogs a day, go as smoothly as possible. However, the nature of field work means that each day can be difficult to predict, and being able to ‘go with the flow’ is therefore essential!

In order to participate with Mission Rabies, we require proof of a full course of rabies pre-exposure vaccinations. If this primary course was longer than 2 years ago we also require a booster within the past two years or proof of adequate titre within the three months prior to the trip. Proof of current tetanus vaccination is required as well, whilst proof of yellow fever vaccination will also be required upon entry. 

Regarding other vaccines, we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor or a travel clinic prior to coming to Uganda and decide whether additional vaccinations or preventatives are indicated. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have contacted a medical professional and/or travel clinic at least 6 weeks before the date of the project. You must ensure you have all the necessary vaccinations and that you get any boosters in sufficient time. 

Vaccine requirements

In order to participate with Mission Rabies, we require proof of a full course of rabies pre-exposure vaccinations. If this primary course was longer than 2 years ago we also require a booster within the past two years or proof of adequate titre within the three months prior to the trip. Proof of current tetanus vaccination is required as well, whilst proof of yellow fever vaccination will also be required upon entry. 

Regarding other vaccines, we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor or a travel clinic prior to coming to Uganda and decide whether additional vaccinations or preventatives are indicated. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have contacted a medical professional and/or travel clinic at least 6 weeks before the date of the project. You must ensure you have all the necessary vaccinations and that you get any boosters in sufficient time. 

Please also inform us of any medical conditions you have, or in case you have any questions about your ability to participate, so that we are aware and can discuss these with you and can then make any necessary provisions.

The NHS has a helpful website for travelling, fit for travel , that can provide you with advice but this should only be used in conjunction with, and not instead of seeking medical advice from your medical practitioner/local travel clinic.

Malaria

Malaria is endemic in Uganda. We strongly recommend that you consult your physician and/or travel clinic to discuss options and indications for an adequate anti-malarial while you are in Uganda. We also advise you pack mosquito repellent and wear long sleeves and trousers to reduce the chance of insect bites.

Zika Virus

Uganda is listed as being an area at risk of Zika virus on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. Please follow the advice on their website and discuss this with your doctor when considering participating in this project. 

Dog Bite Protocols

Mission Rabies takes dog bites and potential rabies exposures very seriously. We follow strict protocol in line with the latest WHO recommendations in the case of dog bites. Post-exposure prophylaxis is available in Uganda so injections can be obtained if they are needed. You will be briefed before you travel, and in-country on our procedures for your own protection and there will always be a member of Mission Rabies staff to answer any questions on this.

Food and Water Safety

There is always the risk of ‘travellers diarrhoea’ when you travel due to different food and water. We recommend consulting your doctor to discuss treatments that you can bring along and signs and symptoms to look out for when travelling. As a rule, we recommend that you stay away from tap water and rely instead on bottled and/or purified water. We will have a constant supply of safe, clean water to drink so please bring a reusable water bottle to fill up! With regard to food, we will provide a variety of local vegetarian dishes - many people state that steering clear of meat will go a long way in preventing illness; anecdotally this does appear to have been true for many of our previous volunteers.

While you are welcome to purchase alcoholic beverages when available at the hotel/restaurant, costs for these will not be covered by Mission Rabies.

Do bring:

• Practical / comfortable clothes to work in
• Light raicoat / clothing for the evenings
• Towel
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Toiletries
• Prescriptions & over-the-counter medication (eg. Imodium, Paracetemol etc)
• Electrolytes
• Plug adaptors

You should arrive into Entebbe International Airport, where a member of the Mission Rabies team will collect you and bring you to your accomodation for the night.

Please note that you are responsible for booking your own flights and that transfers are only included on the stated arrival and departure days, and only to and from the stated airport.

All other in-country travel during the campaign is organised by Mission Rabies.

Mission Rabies is well aware of the fact that travelling and experiencing new cultures can be an overwhelming experience even for seasoned travellers. We want your time with us to be as rewarding and comfortable as possible. Our team are more than happy to answer any questions you may have before you travel, and there will always be members from the Mission Rabies Leadership Team to be your point of communication in-country. They will be on the ground working with your team, helping you get to grips with the tasks and activities of the project and will always be available if you have any questions, concerns, or particular needs throughout your time in Uganda.