Apply by
April 1, 2025

Know by
June 1, 2025

Depart on
October 30, 2025

Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training

For assignments with departure dates through 2027, the Peace Corps is offering Volunteers additional benefits for serving where they're needed most.

Volunteers serving on this project will receive $800 per month toward their readjustment allowance — approximately $20,000 pre-tax at the end of two years — to help them take the next step after service.

Project description

The Peace Corps Uganda Health Project responds to the country’s most pressing heath needs in alignment with the Government of Uganda’s Ministry of Health sector strategic plan. It’s 100% supported by the United States’ President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), guided by the PEPFAR Country Operational Plan (CIO) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Community Health Extension Volunteers contribute the project goal: “Ending preventable child deaths and achieving a resilient and healthy generation of youth by 2030.”

Volunteers will work with community-based, non-governmental organizations and lower-level health facilities to address four major health project objectives:

• End preventable childhood (ages 0-5) deaths and keep them healthy.
• Increasing the resilience of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS improves their well-being, including Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) (ages 0-18) and their families.
• Increase the knowledge and skills of vulnerable youth (ages 12-19) to remain HIV-free.
• Improve community health service providers’ and/or school staff’s skills to address health needs of children and youth.
  
  

Volunteers collaborate with community members and their host organizations to identify community needs and implement appropriate activities. Volunteers will play the role of catalyst for a wide range of activities, guided by the health project framework.

Volunteer Primary Activities Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Promote Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (End preventable childhood (ages 0-5) deaths)
• Formation and facilitation of Care Groups with leader mothers and/or fathers to promote essential maternal and child health best practices (malaria prevention, immunization, water sanitation and hygiene, breastfeeding, and child nutrition).
• Support Orphans and Other vulnerable Children (ages 0 – 17 year)
• Co-facilitate groups for OVC and their caregivers with evidence-based interventions and training in HIV prevention strategies and positive living, including nutrition education, life skills, Journeys Plus HIV Prevention curriculum delivery, referral/ linkages to health or social services.
• Co-facilitate sessions with subject experts on HIV prevention, life skills and mentorship, stigma and discrimination reduction using evidence-based curriculum.
• Youth and HIV (ages 12-19)
• Formation and facilitation of youths’ sexual reproductive health and other health-related interventions including menstrual hygiene management, HIV-prevention education, and referral to HIV testing services and community linkages.
• Co-facilitate HIV prevention evidence-based activities for health, targeting in and out of school youth in partnership with Grassroots Soccer, using the approved grassroot soccer curriculum.
• Capacity Building
• Plan and conduct training to improve skills of community health service providers and/or school staff to improve essential healthcare to the targeted populations.
• Coach and/or mentor community health service providers and/or school staff to improve their skills in essential elements of youth friendly and gender-equitable health services.
• Community mobilization and sensitization for uptake of health services and early health seeking behaviors, and community-level health trainings for social and behavior change.
  
  

For all the technical activities, Volunteers design interventions with a “gender lens.” Volunteers receive training on gender challenges and can implement gender-related activities that are culturally appropriate. As part of their work, Volunteers will also report on these efforts every quarter. Volunteers invited to this project are expected to work as professionals and will be periodically evaluated as such.

Required Skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:

• Master of Public Health degree or Master of Arts/Master of Science degree in Public Health
• Certified Physician Assistant or Public Health Nurse with expressed interest in public/community health
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Health, or Nursing
  
  

Desired Skills

The most successful candidates will have a background or experience in at least one of the following:

• Assessing, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating integrated public health interventions at the district and national level.
• Supporting data management systems to inform data- driven behavior change activities.
• Designing social behavior change communication initiatives and integrated health training.
• Building staff capacity in organizational skills, community mobilization and sensitization.
• Training health professionals including Village health Teams (VHTs), School staff, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWS) on HIV Prevention, behavior change models, maternal child health promotion activities and sexual reproductive health.
• Formation and facilitation of small groups of vulnerable children and youth, women, men and caregivers using evidence-based curriculum.
• Carrying out health surveys using barrier analysis tools to inform knowledge, attitude, behavior and perceptions about certain health behaviors in the community.
  
  

Required Language Skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. Although English and Swahili are the official languages in Uganda, rural communities communicate primarily in the local language indigenous to their community. Using the local language is critical to community integration and effective work, so Volunteers receive intensive training to attain the required proficiency level before swearing in. During Pre-Service Training (PST), Trainees learn through community immersion and practice; one-on-one practice with staff and peers; and self-directed learning at the training venue. In addition, extended tutoring or other accommodation is available as needed to help each Trainee succeed. Volunteers are also expected to continue to improve their language skills throughout the course of their service.

Living conditions

During Pre-Service Training (PST), Trainees will live for several weeks at a training center and then move into a four-week stay with host families. During the homestay portion of PST, Trainees will be provided with a private room with a lock in the host family accommodation. The homestay provides an opportunity for Volunteers learn about the cultural norms in Uganda and practice their language skills. Additionally, PST has many hands-on technical training experiences that take place in communities around the PST venue.

Volunteer communities are usually in rural or semi-urban communities. Housing conditions vary according to each host organization’s resources and may be an independent house or a private room located on a family compound. All housing meets Peace Corps’ housing standards with basic furnishings that may be supplemented with a modest settling-in allowance provided by Peace Corps. Volunteers living in rural areas are likely to have no running water or electricity, use a lantern or solar lamp for lighting and a gas or charcoal stove for cooking. Outdoor bathing areas and pit latrines are likely in rural areas. Volunteers in semi-urban areas may have electricity and running water, but not always. When it is not available indoors, water is available at a communal area such as a community tap or borehole.

Cell phone, Wi-Fi and internet services are available across the country with several telecommunication companies offering affordable internet packages. Volunteers, however, will have to occasionally travel to nearby towns to access banking and other services. USB modems and smart phones are available for purchase and can be used for internet access in some places. Mail and post generally take approximately 2 to 6 weeks, but Volunteers can communicate with colleagues in Uganda and friends and family back home through messaging apps. Volunteers are issued tablets for communication and required reporting. Many Volunteers also choose to bring a laptop for personal use, but it is not required.

In their communities, Volunteers will get around by walking, riding a bicycle, or using public transportation such as small cars or minibuses. Work sites will be no more than 5km from Volunteer housing. Public transportation is available near most communities and allows for transit to and from the nearest urban areas or trading centers. Volunteers are provided funds to buy a bicycle locally, if they choose to do so. Due to safety risks, Peace Corps Uganda prohibits the use of motorcycles (boda bodas) by Volunteers. Volunteers may be up to a 2-3 hours’ drive from another Volunteer in some areas.

Ugandan culture and expectations are broadly conservative, but it is also a diverse society. Traditional perspectives dominate, but you will also find some open-minded people and progressive ideas. We advise Volunteers to take time to learn about their communities and be willing to adjust to their expectations. Ugandans are welcoming and open when they feel mutual respect and understanding.

Peace Corps Uganda provides support to a diverse group of Volunteers of various faiths, identities, and sexual orientations, etc. It is important to note that Uganda has restrictive laws that target certain sexual acts. Volunteers will receive extensive training on cultural norms and country-specific laws. They are expected to be mindful and use good judgment when approaching topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Please refer to the Local Laws and Special Circumstances of the U.S. Department of State's travel page for more information on Ugandan laws: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/uganda.html

Peace Corps supports Volunteers as they adjust and adapt to their new cultural and physical environment. Volunteers find great satisfaction in their work, build meaningful friendships with host country nationals, and feel rewarded by their service.

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Uganda: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical considerations

Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.

Couples information

Peace Corps Uganda welcomes couples. Your partner must qualify and apply for one of the following positions:

• Agribusiness Specialist
• Business Development Advisor
• Early Childhood Literacy Teacher
  
  

During Pre-Service Training (PST), couples will share a room for center-based portions of the training, and they will live together during the host family portion of training. They may be separated for periods up to a few days for certain technical training throughout PST.

During service, couples will live together in a private house that is either a standalone structure or within a larger family compound. Couples can expect to periodically attend project-specific training, medical appointments, committee meetings, and other programming meetings separately as needed. Couples are usually placed in separate schools/community-based organizations within the same or a nearby community. However, they should also be open to the possibility of serving within the same school/organization with separate job assignments, as this does occur in some rare cases.

The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries, like Uganda, where homosexual acts are criminalized. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities. For more information please visit: https://www.peacecorps.gov/faqs/lgbtq/