Hey Uganda Team!

It’s finally time to give you a few more details about your trip! This Summer is going to be incredible. You’re going to see God do great things in you, and in the people of Uganda. It will be hard at times, but know that it’s all worth it. Get excited!

Your team will be working with Victory Outreach Ministry in Lira, which is in northern Uganda about 5 hours from Kampala, the capital city. Here’s some information about the ministry:

Ministry Vision: Victory Outreach Ministries is a missions-minded church with many diverse ministries. Currently, the church has two schools (primary, secondary) with est. of around 1000 students.  They are running a monthly HIV-AIDS program to give check up for locals.  Also, other ministries include sports (netball, soccer), farming, etc.

Ministry Summary: The team is going to get do a wide-variety of ministries this summer. The following are the ministry activities Victory Ministries in Lira:

1. 7 Primary schools and 1 High school.

2. 4 Child development centres (Compassion driven).

3.  Ministry farm. 

4.  People living with HIV/AIDS (about 1000 People).

5.  Church Ministries (Daily lunch hour prayers, daily radio program, preaching branch churches, praise and worship, discipleship class, youth ministries).

6.  Evangelism (door-to-door, crusades).

7.  Prison ministry.

8.  Hospital ministry.

9. Water hygiene and sanitation.

10. Office work.

11. Computer training.

12. Small group meetings.

13. Community visitation - loving them.

14. Rest.

15. Media (Photography and documentation).

16. Services in our Health units.

17. Tractor and motor vehicle repairs.

(Please do not contact the ministry on your own or allow your parents to contact them either. We want to protect and honor their privacy.)

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Cultural Norms and Sensitivities:

Religion: Uganda has a fairly conservative Christian/Muslim based society. Most Ugandans go to church/mosque regularly and consider religion an important part of a moral society. As such, travelers should never criticize religion in presence of a Ugandan. Shoes are taken off upon entering a sacred place.

Greeting: Conversation should be initiated with some sort of greeting. Shaking hands is the most common form of greeting. It is uncommon to use first names of people when they are not well known. Some local women kneel when greeting men in their homes.

Receiving Gifts: Objects should be received with the right hand.

Holding Hands: Adult men sometimes hold hands with good friends, which is a normal practice in Ugandan society and is considered a sign of close friendship. Homosexuality is forbidden by law and is harshly punished. Public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex is also considered inappropriate. 

Dress: Travelers should dress relatively conservatively. Due to the warm climate, many people wear lighter more causal clothes. Shorts should not be worn outside the obvious tourist destinations, as no adult Ugandan would wear shorts. Travelers should wear a pair of light trousers to blend in better. Skirts/shorts for women need to be below the knees.

Tipping: At local hotels and restaurants, tipping is not very common; however, tips of 10 percent are expected at tourist-oriented establishments. It is customary to tip guides and drivers. 

Taking Pictures: Photographing military, government installations, and personnel is prohibited. Visitors should also refrain from photographing the airport and any other locations that may be considered sensitive. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, visitors should always ask permission before taking photographs.

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These are already listed on the general packing list but I want to emphasize them:

• Sleeping bag and pillow (there are things called Sleeping Bag liners that are like thin sheets. These are good in case it’s cold to double up under your sleeping bag, or if it’s super hot, you can just use that instead of your sleeping bag.)

• Sweater or jacket

• Headlamp (flashlights are fine too…but headlamps are AWESOME because you get to have both hands free. Hands-free is good for going to the bathroom outside at night, reading while your teammates are sleeping, and even for dance parties!
• Water bottle (Nalgene brand is really great.)
• Outlet Adaptor (Do research and see if outlets are different than in the U.S.  If anything, you may need an adaptor, not a converter. You probably only need a converter if you're bringing something high powered like a blow dryer. You can get an international adaptor at Wal-mart or Target.)

As always, if you have any questions about anything listed here, please let me know!

Lauren Williamson

Email: laurenwilliamson@adventures.org

Phone:  770-983-1060 x 231