In June and July of 2019 I had my first wonderful volunteer experience in Uganda, Africa. I have to say I learned a lot of different things by teaching at the primary school, living and eating with Paul’s friends and relatives. They are very nice people and you can ask any kind of help from them. You will find that the host, Paul, is a very interesting guy that he very likes to learn and accept new ideas from other people and try to let other villagers know about the ideas too. After volunteering for almost 1.5 month, I discovered and thought a lot of things during this time. The school needs financial help for sure since it’s a community based school in a poor village and it cannot get enough financial support from the government. Some of the kids cannot afford the meal, some cannot pay the tuition fee and the younger classes are in a very, very simple and old wooden house. If you can support them financially that would be great. At the same time, because it is a very small village, it does not have many chances to contact the outside world. The children need more international volunteers like us that can bring them new ideas about what the world looks like and what kind of wonderful lives they can have in the future. No matter what you think about Uganda, those kids are the future of this country and if try very hard, they may also become the future of this planet one day.
Weiyu (Weinen) Lee, Beijing China
I first visited Pallisa Children’s Concern Project (Naugalo Primary School) in 2006 and after that brought teams of volunteers back with me, most recently in July, 2018. Having that first opportunity to meet Paul Osillon, PCCP Director, his dedicated team and the wonderful children that they care for, profoundly affected me, changing not only my perspective but also my drive and ambition to join in their efforts to effect change. Over the years Paul has repeatedly proven to be wise and trustworthy as we have worked together on numerous projects in an effort to improve conditions at the school. (Please visit “Our Project” page for more details.)
As a visiting team of four at the school, we were privileged to conduct classes with the students. The four of us split up to share our own skills and abilities over four days with the children including art, music, Canadian culture, health, hygiene, fire safety and Bible lessons. On our last day at the school we planned a party for the kids including games, treats, and a special meal. The students also performed songs and drama which was highly entertaining and special for us.
To say that Pallisa Children’s Concern Project is a worthy cause, doing great work with the vulnerable children of Uganda simply does not do them justice. They always welcome international visitors with open arms and are willing to share an authenic Ugandan experience. Heather Penner, PCCP volunteer and supporter, Manitoba, Canada
In 2017/2018 our “Mission Uganda” team organized a fundraiser for PCCP to raise funds in Manitoba, Canada to put towards the costs of building new pit latrines (washrooms). Heather Penner, the leader of our team, had been to PCCP in previous years so she was familiar with their needs and the director of the school, Paul Osillon. It was decided that we would send the funds as the money came in so the construction could progress in stages. Paul sent regular updates as to the project progressed. We very much appreciated the pictures, videos, and other updates including costs of materials etc.
Our team (four women) traveled to Uganda in the summer of 2018 to view the completed pit latrines and celebrate with them. While we were there we organized some lessons and activities for the children. Paul took amazing care of us all the way through our visit. He had a team of young men (family and friends) that were friendly and attentive chaperones. Paul, these chaperones, the teachers at the school, the hotel staff, and many others made our visit a positive and memorable experience. We felt safe, well taken care of and very welcome. Everyone was very patient and untiringly answered our many questions! The interactions I had with the students has left me with fond memories and a new appreciation for their culture and way of life. I would highly recommend anyone looking for volunteer opportunities to dedicate their time and energy to helping support PCCP. Amanda (Manitoba, Canada)
We had the good fortune of visiting Uganda in January/February, 2018. We knew we wanted to volunteer, and after checking so many organizations that needed help, we ultimately chose to work at Naugalo Nursery & Primary School in a remote area of Eastern Uganda. When we first met Paul Osillon, we knew we had made the right choice. Our experience working with him and the kids and staff at the school was something we will never forget.
We challenged ourselves every day to come up with different lessons to teach them about basic English. The improvement we saw in just over two weeks was impressive! Although we had no teaching experience, we were placed in a classroom with kids who were so eager to learn English. Anything we taught them was unique to what a local teacher could teach them, so it ended up being a very positive experience for everyone. We even had the teachers sitting in on some of our lessons and they were having as much fun as the kids. We taught them about our culture and they taught us about theirs. Singing our national anthems to each other was so memorable. It was beautiful to see how much pride these little kids have in their district and country. We taught them some songs, activities and games, some of which they continue with today. We also spent a week helping Paul put together materials to apply for grants, as there is so much financial support needed for PCCP and this special community.
During your time volunteering, you can stay in basic accommodation next to the school (one of the other volunteers we were with stayed there), but we decided to base ourselves in Mbale instead. We enjoyed so much our rides to and from Nabugalo School every day (45-minutes each way) with Paul, sharing lots of laughs and getting to know each other. He is a gentle, kind-hearted soul and his love and passion for the kids is infectious. He started PCCP because he saw a need for these adorable kids to gain an education and be able to function as contributing members of society.
We also went to a couple of their prayer services that are held on Sundays at the school. Don’t miss it!!! What fun it was to watch how much fun these people have praying!!
If you are thinking of offering your time and talents in Uganda, we highly recommend this experience. Contact Paul and he and the rest of his team will do everything in their power to make your stay a memorable one. The time we spent with Paul and the rest of the Naugalo family will remain in our hearts forever. Thank you to Paul, Fred and Sandra and everyone else who took such good care of us and for giving us an experience of a lifetime! Sheri and Ian Federman – Toronto, Canada
Former student, Abubakery, returning to PCCP 
Abu reunited with PCCP Director, Paul Osillon and Heather Penner 2018 
Abubakery as a PCCP student 2006/07 
Abubakery (centre) as a PCCP student 
Abubakery as a PCCP student
As a former student at Naugalo School, it was an honor to return there in 2018 along with the Mission Uganda team. It was a pleasure to be reunited with Uncle Paul (school director) and to assist the team from Canada during their visit. This school has provided great care and education to many Ugandan children over the years. PCCP came to my aid during a critical time of my life and I am so thankful for everything they have done for me. Abubakery Kirwana, Uganda