Activities may include but are not limited to:
• Train community groups on budgeting, bookkeeping, record keeping and financial literacy
• Support the formation and strengthening of village savings and loans associations
• Train youth and women on entrepreneurship and economic empowerment skills and use of digital tools to promote entrepreneurship
• Train youth, farmers and women on the selection and implementation of viable income generating activities
• Advise farmers on post-harvest handling and value addition to reduce waste and increase profitability through income generating activities
• Assist community members in preparing household gardens
• Train households to prepare nutrient rich foods to improve women’s and children’s diets
• Create awareness and train community members on the effects of climate change and mitigation measures to create climate resilient and food secure communities.

Volunteers work with an array of groups and host-organizations, including farmers, women and youth groups, and coffee cooperatives as well as non-governmental, community-based, and faith-based organizations. Each host organization and community are unique in their needs, opportunities, and challenges. Your ability to cope with these challenges will depend on your flexibility, patience, humility, and good humor. Volunteers do not serve in communities to “fix” things. Rather, you will be most successful when you work with your community and host organization to collaboratively and creatively find ways to address issues with the limited resources that are locally available.

Peace Corps Uganda promotes gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. Volunteers receive training on gender challenges and can implement gender-related activities that are contextually appropriate. During service, Volunteers look for ways to work with community members to promote gender-equitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency. As part of their work, Volunteers will also report on these efforts and their impact. Volunteers invited to this project are expected to work as professionals and will be periodically evaluated.

Required skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any business discipline
• 5 years professional experience in business management

Desired skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following:
• Experience working with microfinance institutions, youth entrepreneurship, or small business development.
• Small-scale farming and experience with agricultural value addition and post-harvest handling

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 accommodations are 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.