Volunteer

The work of international volunteers has been a fundamental factor in United Action for Children’s (UAC’s) success. Previous volunteers have come from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, the United States, Germany, Austria, and Canada, and we only hope that the list will continue to grow!

If you are interested in a challenging and rewarding overseas volunteering experience, please read on.

Volunteers are a vitally important force at UAC; they provide a constant flow of new energy and innovative ideas, helping to push the organization further along the path set by its mission, which is to help create a caring society for children and young people. Volunteers participate in every aspect of UAC’s operations, so if there is anything on this website that interests you, be confident that there is a role you could potentially play at UAC Cameroon.

Some of the highlights and benefits of working as a volunteer for UAC include

  • Discovering a new culture and country
  • Meeting amazing people and developing lasting friendships
  • Using your skills to assist others in a concrete way
  • Working with an open and flexible organization that allows you to rise to your full potential 
  • Having access to important resources (internet, vehicles) that facilitate your projects
  • Gaining practical development experience
  • Achieving personal growth
  • Enjoying world-class scenery and beautiful nearby beaches
  • Collaborating with other volunteers to come up with even better programs

About the Volunteer Experience at UAC

If you are looking for an overseas volunteer or internship position you are probably aware that many different options exist. Before making any decisions you should think about what type of volunteer experience you are looking for and consider some of the following factors:

  • What types of projects would you like to work on? (Research? Education? Fundraising? Organization? Advocacy?)
  • What level of supervision/oversight are you expecting?
  • How long are you prepared to spend overseas?
  • To what extent are you looking to immerse yourself in the culture, for example, eat local food, and meet local people? Do you want to spend the majority of your time with other volunteers from abroad?
  • What level of commitment are you prepared to give the organization that you’re working for? Are you interested in working 2 hours a day or 8+?

There is no right answer to any of these questions, but your responses should affect the type of position you apply for.

UAC wants to make sure that every volunteer who comes to work with its organization has a positive and enriching experience. To achieve this goal, UAC tries to ensure that volunteers’ expectations match the experience offered by UAC. Considering the factors mentioned above and past volunteer feedback, the UAC volunteer experience can generally be characterized as follows (keeping in mind that it will vary from person to person): 

  • UAC is child- and youth-focused, so many of its projects relate to children’s education and health. However, UAC has expanded to include a livelihood program, so, if you are interested in economic and agricultural development we also have a role for you. There is also a great deal of work to be done by people interested in organizational management, information technology, accounting, fundraising and general HIV/AIDS awareness issues, although these areas will generally be more self-directed.
  • UAC is a grassroots NGO. This means that, should you come as a volunteer, you will get a real development experience but you will also need to be motivated and take initiative if you want to make a difference. Upon arrival, all volunteers are warmly welcomed into UAC and its community but it will be your responsibility to find areas where you want to work and get involved to the best of your abilities. UAC staff members are here to help you get the information and resources you need to help the organization but are not responsible for scheduling your day or telling you what to do.
  • The length of your stay with UAC is variable. If you want to make a real difference, you should consider staying for a minimum of 3 months because it’s likely that any shorter time will be insufficient, both in terms of your personal experience and the work that you can do for the organization. A longer stay provides time for planning out where you can be of the most assistance, fundraising (if necessary), implementing your programs, and, perhaps most importantly, addressing any sustainability issues to make sure that the projects you have worked on will be well run after you have left. This can include more fundraising, training, and leaving detailed reports for future volunteers and local staff. UAC also has longer-term positions, especially if you are interested in being a volunteer manager, who can help to coordinate volunteer activities and address continuity issues.
  • For many volunteers, UAC strikes the ideal balance between integration into Cameroonian society and camaraderie with other overseas volunteers. Volunteers at UAC live in a number of volunteer residences, with meals served at the Project Coordinator, Mr Orock’s house. Volunteers typically make friends with Cameroonians working at the school, as well as other people living in and around Buea. UAC’s volunteers tend to treat each other like family, and often go on trips to the rest of Cameroon together. More experienced volunteers act as a great resource for new volunteers trying to get their bearings in a new culture. In short, you can integrate as much, or as little as you feel comfortable, and UAC will be there to support you.
  • Volunteering at UAC is not like a regular job; volunteers travel here because they are truly interested in working with UAC towards its goals. As such, hours are generally not an issue. The volunteer manual suggests that volunteers work from 8:00am to 1:30pm, but on most days volunteers work more because they have tasks and projects they want to accomplish by self-imposed deadlines. Volunteers take most weekends off, and still have a lot of time for exploring Buea and the surrounding area, swimming at some of the beautiful nearby beaches, and even exploring some of Cameroon’s other provinces.

If you would like to learn more about the UAC volunteer experience, please feel free to read some personal weblogs written by past volunteers –Tom and Anna. You can also read about many volunteers' personal experiences through KidsWorldwide here. Please feel free to get in touch with Mr. Orock, the Project Coordinator, who can put you in contact with past volunteers who can answer specific questions about their experiences with UAC unitedactionforc@yahoo.com.

Your Work at UAC

If you have read through the information above and think you might be interested in a position at UAC, then we welcome your interest. If you haven’t yet, please look through the tab on the left marked “Programs” to explore UAC’s current activities. After reading over our programs, take a moment to think about the areas where you would like to work, as well as any additional skill sets you possess that might be helpful within UAC generally (for example, bookkeeping, first-aid, teaching, language and writing abilities, and organizational prowess) and then get in touch with the appropriate organization listed below.

Volunteers are always needed in following areas:

  • Corner room - working with small groups of children in the corner room, playing with educational toys, supervising art projects, and reading stories
  • Computer room and Cyber Space – assisting with computer classes, fixing computers, and teaching local staff new programs and skills
  • Livelihood Project – working on behalf of villagers to get needed advice from experts, helping to find new ways for villagers to supplement their incomes, and fundraising to help get their projects started
  • Fundraising – searching for grants and other funding sources to support UAC’s many activities and finding donors for the sponsorship program
  • Education – helping teachers through workshops and constructive evaluation to ensure that Jamadianle is a nationwide leader in child-centered education, assisting with the remedial reading and classroom reading programs, organizing special days (sports, art and music), and helping coordinate the sponsorship program
  • Volunteer Coordination – serving as a facilitator in a 6-month + position for other volunteers and helping to ensure the sustainability of programs
  • HIV/AIDS Sensitization – finding receptive groups and then setting up and running HIV/AIDS sensitization workshops in the local community
  • Peer Education –setting up and running peer education workshops with young people around Buea and conducting follow-up to make sure that the participants are passing on their newly-acquired information.
  • Child Trafficking – finding receptive groups and then setting up and running sensitization sessions on child domestic workers using a newly created handbook by the Future Group

In practice, volunteers usually choose to divide their time between a number of different projects depending on their interests, abilities, and project needs. Even if you don’t fit into one of the above categories, don’t be discouraged! There might still be a place for you here at UAC. If you fall into this category, your best option is to e-mail us directly at unitedactionforc@yahoo.com to ask if there might be a way you can help. If you have made up your mind to apply, please look at the list below to find the appropriate organization to contact.

Where to apply

For all others, please fill out the application form on the KIDS Worldwide website or contact the UAC Volunteer Coordinator directly at uac@kidsworldwide.org