Justice Tourism Foundation views volunteering abroad as to travel overseas with the purpose of donating your time, skills, energy and funds to support a community that values your contribution. We therefore started started Justice Tourism Foundation out of a strong desire to provide transformative, immersive slow travel experiences for culturally, socially and environmentally conscious travelers with a purpose and passion to explore Uganda in a meaningful and impactful way with the aim of promoting the local economy and to uplift wellbeing of host communities in Uganda through creation of sustainable livelihoods opportunities in support of many United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) including access to quality formal and vocational education, access to clean safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, climate change adaptation and management, environmental conservation, improved food security, promotion of Human rights, gender equality and the preservation of diverse and indigenous Ugandan cultures while giving travelers the chance to explore Uganda through customized trips (tours). 

Therefore, when  you volunteer abroad with Justice Tourism Foundation you can expect to volunteer alongside local people and other international volunteers (travelers) who are working towards a common goal, supporting the long-term social or environmental objectives of Justice Tourism Foundation and the local host communities which we work with here in Uganda.

We believe in traveling with purpose and our programs are for people who want to make a difference through immersive volunteer travel opportunities and cross-cultural learning. We therefore provide  transformative, immersive slow travel experiences for culturally, socially and environmentally conscious travelers with a purpose and passion to explore Uganda in a meaningful and impactful way. Our engaging and immersive travel experiences go way beyond the tourist scene allowing you to explore the country in-depth while simultaneously engaging with local communities in an authentic, sustainable and responsible way. Each of our  trips features a unique mix of cultural, yoga retreats and educational activities, as well as community engagement projects aimed at directly improving the livelihoods of people in the communities. 

There are a huge number of benefits of volunteering abroad with Justice Tourism Foundation for both your personal development and the needs of our host communities in Uganda. As an organization we stand for justice tourism as “both ethical and equitable” and aligned with the following attributes:

• Builds solidarity between visitors and those visited (hosts);
• Promotes mutual understanding and relationships based on equity, sharing and respect;
• Supports self-sufficiency and self-determination of local communities;
• Maximizes local economic, cultural and social benefits 

And as a volunteer (traveler) here is a few examples of the benefits of your volunteering experience.

• Meet new people and build meaningful friendships easily
• Share ideas, languages, values and culture with other volunteers
• Immerse yourself fully in a different culture by living like the locals
• Cultivate new skills and gain international experience that you can add to your resume
• Explore your career path and form new life goals
• Make a visible impact that you can attribute to your personal input
• Give back to communities and causes that value you as an individual
• Contribute to Justice Tourism Foundation projects that work towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
• Return home energized, motivated and with a fresh perspective on life

Volunteering abroad is a powerful two-way exchange of culture, growth and transformation. On the one hand, it empowers volunteers to make a positive impact in communities in need, while on the other, it enables you to grow and develop on a personal level.

Some Recent research shows that people who volunteer actually experience a boost in their mental health and wellbeing. When we help others, we tend to experience what researchers call a “warm glow”, increase our sense of social connection, build professional skills and try out leadership opportunities.

Justice Tourism Foundation slow travel trips exists to facilitate these kinds of life-enriching travel experiences and make them accessible to everyone. Our volunteer program encourage you to step outside your comfort zone, open your mind to new ways of thinking and immerse yourself in different cultures – all whilst giving back to worthy causes. We ensure our volunteer programs are  as affordable as possible to enable people from all walks of life to make a difference when they travel. Find out more about why we think you should volunteer abroad.

Justice Tourism Foundation is Uganda’s socially responsible impactful travel organization offering Ethical Fair Traded Tourism experiences and most trusted volunteer travel organization. 

We at Justice Tourism Foundation are driven by travel’s potential to do a world of good. At the same time, we recognize the impact of travel on the environment and on local populations.  Our mission—to enrich lives through travel—applies not only to our guests, but also to the people and places we visit. We therefore promote holidays that aim to improve the lives of local people in communities in Uganda and contribute to reducing poverty. We work under principles of fair trade and sustainability using tourism to create equitable opportunities for local communities and to increase the social, economic and environmental benefits for host communities in support of many United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

We Create Adventures: Trips that combine a contribution to meaningful projects – humanitarian, ecological and wildlife preservation – with upscale travel to explore exciting, exotic pristine locations. We believe travel has the power to transform not only traveler, but also our world – a belief that forms the foundation of our business. Sustainable tourism is at the heart of our business, and we have a deep commitment to protecting and preserving the destinations we visit. Our engaging and immersive travel experiences go way beyond the tourist scene allowing you to explore the country in-depth while simultaneously engaging with local communities in an authentic, sustainable and responsible way.  We really want you to explore new places through the eyes of the locals in order to have a truly authentic deeper cultural immersion experience – facilitating meaningful interactions between travelers and locals to foster empathy. Travelers become inspired, locals empowered and their projects find a unique economic support that is key for them to thrive. 

We are also the most affordable way to volunteer abroad in Uganda with program fees starting from just $200 for 1 week covering your entire in-country hosting experience, including accommodation and meals. We make it easy and safe to organize an international volunteer trip and we take pride in providing superior pre-departure and in-country support services to all our travelers (volunteers). Our travelers (volunteers) trust us to ensure they can volunteer abroad with confidence, knowing they’ll be supported at every step of the journey. With pre departure orientation, airport pick-ups, in-country orientations, safe and comfortable accommodation options, and meaningful volunteer projects abroad, Justice Tourism Foundation is the volunteer travel organization of choice for you can trust.  Learn more about Justice Tourism Foundation’s approach to volunteer travel 

We’re a passionate bunch of people and we love what we do. We Are Fueled By Purpose, Adventure, Community, And Love. These are the commitments that we live by.  We started Justice Tourism Foundation in  2017 out of a strong desire to create travel experiences that created an impact in the local communities at the destinations. Justice Tourism Foundation as a new approach to engaging with social impact, with a foundational belief that empathy is a human instinct, but requires firsthand contact: when you see someone in pain or in danger, it is your instinct to help them, rather than turning away and perpetuating suffering. 

We’re proud to offer a range of affordable volunteer abroad projects. Whether you want to volunteer and teach abroad, support conservation projects, volunteer with animals, or provide support to  the women groups,  we have volunteer opportunities to suit all interests and skill sets. If you’re pursuing a career in medicine or nursing, or if you’re a qualified healthcare professional, we have  a range of medical volunteer  projects to suit all levels of experience and specialties also. Browse our affordable volunteer projects to find the project best suited to you

Volunteer requirements vary from project to project as some have minimum age or physical fitness requirements. However for the majority of Justice Tourism Foundation’s projects, the only requirements are a high level of competence in English, a clean criminal background, and a willingness to learn. You do not need to have volunteered before and for most of our projects you do not need to have experience in the type of volunteering you wish to undertake. Please note that for our Medical and Healthcare projects, volunteers must be qualified or training in a relevant medical field and documentation to confirm this must be presented to our local team on arrival at orientation

Absolutely! Friends and couples are welcome to volunteer together and we are able to ensure that you are placed in the same accommodation and on the same project. To apply, one person needs to complete the application process first and select ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Will you be volunteering with a friend, family member or group?’ in the application form. They will then be prompted to create a group and invite the other person(s) to join. An email will then be sent to the invitee(s), so they can follow the link in the email to apply. Following this process will ensure you can be accommodated and placed together

Yes, we can accommodate families on our volunteer programs and we are able to make arrangements to ensure you are accommodated together and placed on the same volunteering project. To apply to volunteer abroad as a family, one person needs to complete the application process first and select ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Will you be volunteering with a friend, family member or group?’ within the application form. They will then be prompted to create a group and invite the other family members to join. An email will then be sent to the other family members, so they can follow the link in the email to apply.

Definitely! Taking a group volunteer program abroad is easy with Justice Tourism Foundation ! We’re experts in creating customized group volunteer trips for 8 or more individuals with student-led, faculty-led service learning, high school, corporate or specialist groups (such as medical students), as well as families and friends. Justice Tourism Foundation has hosted a number of university groups, schools groups, youth groups and corporate teams on our volunteer programs. We offer a range of options for group volunteering and specialize in creating customized itineraries that provide a safe environment for group members to develop and challenge themselves. We achieve this through providing impactful volunteer programs that foster cross-cultural understanding and make a positive contribution to community projects.

We plan and deliver programs that allow volunteering groups of 8 or more to make positive contributions to community projects, foster cross-cultural learning, develop team-building skills and expand personal perspective. Taking a customized approach to each group enables us to work with you on an itinerary that suits your plans and is backed by over 20+ years of expertise in group volunteer travel.

Justice Tourism Foundation is a grassroots heart-centered innovative social impact travel organization focusing on socially responsible slow travel as a way to connect travelers with the indigenous communities with the aim of promoting the local economy and to uplift wellbeing of host communities in Uganda through creation of sustainable livelihoods opportunities in support of many United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). We therefore accept donations on behalf of the local community projects initiatives where we work from as most of our community projects initiatives are 100% funded by our socially conscious travelers.

We recommend applying as soon as you know when you would like to volunteer, and which program you would like to join. This helps to ensure that you can secure your place on the program of your choice, as some programs can be fully booked many months in advance. If you need to make changes after you have completed your registration, you can change your start date, duration, program choice or even destination for free up to 14 days before your start date. You can start your application here.

After you have submitted your application to volunteer with JTF in Uganda, we will review your details to confirm there is availability on your chosen start dates and verify the program is suitable for you. We will then accept you into the program. You will also be connected with your Program Placement Advisor who will help you prepare for your volunteer trip. The next step after this will be for you to complete your application by paying your Program Fee deposit . At this point your place on the program is secure and you will be given access to extra preparation tools including an in-depth Program Guide, a comprehensive preparation checklist, and pre-departure volunteer information booklet. Your  Program Placement Advisor will be able to answer any questions you may have and will collect all the required information from you before you depart. In addition, your   Program Placement Advisor  will at this point email you to welcome you to the program.

To volunteer abroad with Justice Tourism Foundation you need to pay a Program Fee. The weekly program Registration Fee is paid to us  to cover the expenses associated with your stay, including your airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, food and staff support to ensure that your volunteer program goes as smoothly as possible. To see exactly what you receive, visit our Fees page.

Justice Tourism Foundation seeks to provide genuinely high quality, responsible and accessible volunteer travel opportunities. Keeping our fees as affordable as possible allows as many volunteers as possible to make a difference abroad with us. Read about how we are able to keep our fees so much lower than other organizations.

Volunteering abroad with Justice Tourism Foundation in Uganda is one of the most budget-friendly ways to travel. We regularly review our Program Fees to ensure they remain affordable, accessible and inclusive so we can maximize the impact we can deliver as a collective.

Even though Justice Tourism Foundation’s volunteer abroad programs are fully-hosted experiences that include accommodation, meals, airport pickup, 24/7 in-country support and much more, our Program Fees start at just $200 for 1 week. Other volunteer abroad providers charge a lot more. So how is Justice Tourism Foundation able to offer high quality, fully-hosted experiences at such an affordable price?

1. Our programs are run by local people, keeping costs down

Unlike other volunteer abroad organizations who employ westerners to run their programs, Justice Tourism Foundation is an indigenous working directly with the communities we support.

1. Ethical, Fair & Responsible Volunteering

Our volunteer programs are set up to positively impact people, the planet and wildlife. We are committed to ensuring our programs meet strict social and environmental standards and are run in a responsible, efficient and sustainable way. We are committed to regularly reviewing our impact on volunteers, local communities, our employees and the environment. This gives us the opportunity to find new ways to learn and improve in line with our pledge as a Justice Tourism Foundation and as a member of the UN Volunteer Groups Alliance.

Justice Tourism Foundation is the only  travel organization to be a member of the Volunteer Groups Alliance in Uganda – a global coalition of organizations committed to sustainable development through volunteering. The VGA is closely associated with the United Nations, and our membership ensures that every single Justice Tourism Foundation volunteer project aligns with one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Every situation is different and visa requirements are dependent on  your nationality. More information on visa requirements can be found in your Pre-Departure Program Guide which you will gain access to after applying to volunteer with Justice Tourism Foundation.

To participate in Justice Tourism Foundation volunteer program, all volunteers are required to provide a criminal background check to our Program Placement Advisor during their program orientation. To find out how to obtain a criminal background check document in your country, please search online or contact your local police station. To ensure the background check you obtain meets your Justice Tourism Foundation Program requirements, you can refer to your program information booklet once you have applied , or you can ask our Program Placement Advisor . For further guidance, please contact us.

While Justice Tourism Foundation has tried to make sure that each provider will provide you with a quality service, we do not take responsibility for the quality or completeness of the report provided by the organization selected.

For nationalities not listed below, please contact your local police station for advice or contact our Program Placement Advisor.

USA – www.sentrylink.com (The “National Criminal Background Check” is required by Justice Tourism Foundation )

Canada – www.backcheck.net/criminalrecordchecks.html

UK – www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record

Australia – www.policecheckexpress.com.au/individuals

New Zealand – www.justice.govt.nz/criminal-records

France – www.casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr

China – Your application must be done in person. Volunteers should apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Record at the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) in the district of your residence shown on your Household Register (hukou), and then make an application to the notary office for a certificate based on the PSB document. Please note, a professional English translation will be required.

Travel insurance is mandatory in order to volunteer abroad on Justice Tourism Foundation volunteer program. Because the cost of travel insurance varies according to where you live, where you are traveling to, and your age, we do not include travel insurance in our fees. The majority of Justice Tourism Foundation volunteers choose World Nomads travel insurance for their volunteer trip because they offer affordable policies that cover volunteering activities. Visit  World Nomads to get more information, and a simple, no obligation free quote.

The vaccinations you require will depend on which vaccinations you have had previously, however the only mandatory vaccination legally required when entering Uganda  is Yellow Fever and the Cholera . A full list of recommended and required vaccinations is provided in our  Program Pre-Departure Volunteer Guide Booklet, which you will receive once you have applied and paid your program fees.

As a Justice Tourism Foundation volunteer, you will have your free time and weekends available to explore more of your host country. We will be happy to provide recommendations and organize for your tours or trips that you can take. While we believe that a Justice Tourism Foundation slow travel trip is the most authentic way to experience a country through living and working with local people, we understand that many of our volunteers wish to visit and experience sites like regular travelers too. Please contact us to organize your tour excursions. Or visit our tours page.

You can obtain an International Certificate of Volunteering after completing your Justice Tourism Foundation volunteer program, which reflects the date and duration of your volunteer program. This certificate can be a valuable addition to your resume as many employers recognize that volunteer travel is beneficial for personal and professional development, as well as cross cultural competence

Got questions? Message our volunteer Travel Experts. We’re here to guide you through an unforgettable volunteer experience.