The Lake Bunyonyi Pineapple Community Project, founded by Ananias Kiconco in 2018, began as a swimming program for local children and has since expanded to include a nursery school. Located in the southwestern part of Uganda, the project serves the communities surrounding Lake Bunyonyi, a region where many residents rely on dugout canoes for transportation. Given the lack of formal education for young children and the frequent drowning incidents due to the inability to swim, the project aims to make children “lake-ready” before they attend elementary school. The nursery school currently accommodates 48 children across three classes: baby, middle, and top class.
In 2023, the project inaugurated a new stone-built schoolhouse with three classrooms to provide a safer and more durable learning environment. The initiative has gained popularity, with over 50 participants, including both children and adults, attending swimming lessons regularly. By combining early childhood education with essential life skills like swimming, the Lake Bunyonyi Pineapple Community Project is enhancing safety and educational opportunities for children in this remote lakeside community.
There’s plenty to get involved in at this project, but no pressure, you’re free to choose the activities you feel most comfortable with.
Teaching & Mentorship
In the Lake Bunyonyi region, access to early childhood education is limited, with most communities only offering elementary schools and a single secondary school located on an island. Until children are old enough for elementary school, they typically remain at home, often under the care of mothers who are already balancing demanding responsibilities like farming and managing the household. With no formal early education available, these early years can be particularly challenging for both children and parents.
To help bridge this gap, we’ve established a nursery school that now serves 48 children across three age-based groups: baby class, middle class, and top class. As a volunteer, you’ll have the opportunity to support these young learners in a meaningful way—whether by assisting teachers, leading playful learning activities, or helping children develop basic skills that will prepare them for primary school. Your involvement can make a lasting impact in giving these kids a strong and confident start to their education journey.
Permaculture & Organic Farming
Most families in the Lake Bunyonyi area have limited income, and many parents struggle to afford school fees for their children. To ensure every child has access to education, we work hard to keep costs as low as possible. A major part of that effort is growing our own food to feed both the children and staff. By producing fresh, healthy meals onsite, we reduce dependency on outside resources and create a more self-sustaining school environment.
As a volunteer, you can get your hands in the soil and make a real impact by helping maintain and expand our organic gardens. Using permaculture principles, we grow a variety of fruits and vegetables in an eco-friendly way that supports the health of the land and the community. Your work in the garden helps promote local food sustainability and plays a direct role in improving daily life for the children.
Swimming Lessons
At Lake Bunyonyi, swimming is more than just a recreational activity—it’s a life-saving skill. Many children and youth in the area rely on small dugout canoes for daily transport across the lake, yet few know how to swim. This lack of water safety has led to tragic accidents over the years. Our swimming lessons are designed to change that by equipping children with the skills and confidence they need to stay safe on and around the water. As a volunteer, you’ll play an important role in helping the kids learn how to swim, making a real and lasting difference in their lives and in the safety of the community.
Other Activities
Beyond swimming, we offer a range of engaging activities like sports and drama to support the physical, emotional, and social development of the children and local youth. These activities give kids the opportunity to express themselves creatively, build teamwork and leadership skills, and simply enjoy being children. Whether it’s organizing a football match, leading a drama session, or creating fun group games, volunteers bring energy and inspiration to these programs. Your involvement helps create a supportive, fun, and enriching environment where young people can grow with confidence.
At the Pineapple Community Project, a weekly contribution of $250 covers your accommodation, three daily meals, and your placement within the project. This ensures you’re well taken care of while making a meaningful impact in the community.
The Pineapple Community Project can host up to three volunteers at a time, creating a close-knit and personal experience. Due to its meaningful impact, stunning location, and hands-on involvement, this project is very popular among volunteers. Spots fill up quickly, so we strongly recommend registering early to secure your placement and be part of this unique opportunity to support the Lake Bunyonyi community.
We do things differently from most volunteer organisations. We are not in Uganda to make money — our mission is to help people. That’s why the cost to volunteer with us is very low.
In return, we ask you to show us why you would be a valuable addition to our projects. If we feel you can bring something meaningful, we will be delighted to host you!
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to get in touch with us anytime via WhatsApp or email — we’re happy to help!
Upon arrival in Entebbe or Kigali, a representative of Joeboentoe will be waiting for you to take you to your lodge (if you arrive late) or to take you to your project (if you arrive early in the morning). The same applies to the return flight; we can only rest easy knowing that you are safe and sound on the plane on your way home. Therefore, our representative will drop you off at the entrance of the departure hall of Entebbe or Kigali Airport (as far as we are allowed to go) so we know that you are well and truly on your way home.
We are frequently asked if it is possible to stay one or two nights in Entebbe after arrival to acclimatize. This is of course not a problem; just let us know when you register, and we will arrange a stay in a nice lodge. The cost will be about $25 a night.
We have multiple local project coordinators who are available 24/7 to provide assistance during your stay. We also have a Dutch representative of Joeboentoe who lives alternately at Lake Bunyonyi, Masaka and Entebbe and he will be available for questions that the local project coordinators cannot answer. He will regularly visits you to see if everything is going according to plan.
Upon arrival at Entebbe or Kigali Airport, a Joeboentoe representative will be waiting to welcome you and take you to your project or to a lodge in Entebbe to recover from the journey.
At most projects, there are two accommodation options available: either on-site at the project itself or with a host family in the surrounding area. In both cases, you’ll have a clean room equipped with all the essentials—most importantly, a bed with a mosquito net. Simple breakfast, lunch and dinner are ALWAYS included.
If you choose to stay with a host family, they will warmly welcome you into their home, eager to share their traditions and learn about your culture and customs. You’ll share a (Ugandan) breakfast and dinner with the family, making it the perfect way to fully immerse yourself in Ugandan culture and enjoy a truly unique experience.
We carefully select host families near the project or school. The family receives a good contribution for hosting you, so they’ll do everything they can to make your stay comfortable and memorable.
The minimum age for volunteering is 16, there is no maximum age.
If you want to come with a group of people (two or more participants) and stay together in a volunteer house or with a host family, we will have to make special arrangements regarding your accommodation/project. So let us know when you register!
The most important requirement is that you are a calm and loving person, ready to help where needed. Age is not an issue here.
We emphasize that it is very important to be flexible during your stay in Uganda. An open mind and the will to help where needed are good qualities to have, this will help you get the most out of your time as a volunteer and be of the greatest value to the project.
Personal appearance is important to Ugandans, so we want you to dress appropriately. In Ugandan culture, a woman’s knee and thigh are something special, so please cover them. For men; shorts are worn by boys, so if you want to be seen as an adult, wear long trousers. To everyone; travel light! Uganda has many second-hand clothing markets, so just buy clothes when you are here and help the local economy at the same time!
Remember to be respectful and considerate to the people you interact with. The staff and community members you work with will have different cultural values than those you are used to. The ‘woke’ ideology of the West is not appreciated, so no ‘I identify as…’ or any outward display of sexual preference. It is not appropriate to kiss your partner in public, holding hands or a hug is no problem. If you are attracted to the same sex and are afraid to come to Uganda; there is no need for that. People generally do not care, as long as you keep it to yourself.
Another thing you have to learn to deal with is time. To be more precise; time is flexible, waiting is fine and ‘I am on my way’ can mean that the person will arrive sometime this week or within five minutes. This also applies to our local coordinators, even though we try very hard to make them more Western in the way they deal with time. So don’t get frustrated, but let our Dutch representative know if you are constantly having problems with your project and/or coordinator when it comes to time.
You are going to live and work in Uganda and based on the length of your stay this is either a work permit or a tourist visa. It is important to discuss with your insurer what your coverage is.
Uganda is a strange country when it comes to volunteer work. When we receive a registration from Uganda, the person assumes that there is payment for the (voluntary) work. This is also the reasoning of the government and for that reason obtaining a volunteer work permit is extremely expensive (2500 dollars per year!).
Thanks to our partnership with the Catholic Church, our volunteers fortunately do not have to pay these kinds of amounts. Depending on the duration of your stay, there are two options;
Short term; you come as a tourist and help (without receiving a salary) during your stay. This VISA costs 50 dollars per three months. This VISA can be renewed two times (a total of 270 days).
Long term; for a stay of one year or longer, we apply for a work permit for you in cooperation with the church. Via the church this costs 250 dollars per year.
In Uganda, some types of medicine are not allowed, so please be aware of this and discuss this with your embassy. Most medicines are easily and cheaply available in Uganda; in most cases, you do not need to bring them. Of course, we will advise you on these topics if anything is unclear.