YWAM Hopeland is a Christian training center to raise up young leaders for their ministry in Uganda and beyond. We train students in discipleship and vocational skills, and we reach out to our community with a primary school, giving out clothes, evangelism, and more.

YWAM stands for “Youth with a Mission” and is a non-denominational network of worldwide Christians to train people in discipleship. The goal of YWAM is to “Know God and make him known” in our world. Our courses are taught according to the YWAM-curriculum “University of the Nations”. So, at YWAM Hopeland, our approach to our mission is to train Christian workers through University of Nations Schools to contribute towards a creation of a hope-filled community.

YWAM Hopeland is located just East of the Nile in Wairaka, about 10min drive from Jinja city center. Jinja is right by lake Victoria, where the Nile starts its long journey to Egypt.

Poverty is a struggle for many people, and we have much ministry work to do. But even still, Jinja is mostly safe and welcoming to outsiders.

We have beautiful weather much of the year, and very good fruits and vegetables grown in organic soil. The natural beauty of lake Victoria is stunning, including a wide variety of wildlife, such as many bird species. A boat tour to the “Source of the Nile” will show these natural wonders to you up close. And if you’re in the mood for some shopping or going to town, Jinja offers both westernized and local-style shops, markets, churches, etc.

At YWAM Hopeland, we train Christian workers to transform communities. This doesn’t mean we only help Christian community members, but it means we see a living relationship with Jesus as the foundation to bring long-lasting change: Once people know Jesus for themselves, their attitude towards life and other people changes, and with it, their circumstances. So, our goal is to train Christians to live out their faith in a mature way, and to then take their gifts to bring long-lasting change to their surroundings, in Uganda, all of Africa, and beyond.

At our base, we have 2 main categories of ministry: Training leaders, and outreach to the community.

For Christian leadership training, the first step is the DTS (Discipleship Training School), which takes about 5 months. The SBS (School of Biblical Studies) takes this foundation a step deeper with about 1 year of studies. Apart from the discipleship and biblical training, we also do vocational training for young adults in the area (1 year).

As for outreach, here are some examples of what we do: running a nursery and primary school, distributing food and clothes in local slums, children’s ministry, visiting prisons and hospitals…

Great to see you want to learn more about our trainings!

Click here to learn more about the DTS.

Click here for more on the SBS.

Click here for the VTS.

The DTS is around 5 months: 12 weeks of lecture phase, 8 weeks of outreach.

To complete an SBS you will need around 10 months.

And to complete a VTS you will need one year of training.

YWAM Hopeland is based in a low-income country, so our residents cannot afford the same prices as international students.

To facilitate ministry costs while also giving everyone a comparably equal entry opportunity, we have 3 categories of pricing depending on your country’s average income level. Check here to determine what price category your country is in (A: high-income, B: middle income or C: low income).

The purpose of a YWAM school is to have a deep, focused time to grow your relationship with God and apply your new experiences. Therefore, the schedule is deliberately intense and leaves little time for other things. If you plan on coming, you should fundraise before arrival and have your job or family obligations taken care of by other people for the duration of the course.

It will depend on your exact issues: The more you can manage your condition through medication on your own or simple measures, the more likely you will be able to participate.

For example, we can’t accomodate food allergies in all cases, as we cook local foods in large batches. But if you have allergies, you might find the overall lack of wheat, sugar, milk and artificial flavoring helpful (they are sometimes used but not as commonly as in many other countries). However, if you have issues with peanuts, carbs or meat, you will need to cook your own meals.

If fatigue is an issue for you, then please note that a DTS, SBS or VTS is quite focused and requires a lot of focus. We mostly start in the mornings around 8am and days can go until the afternoon, and in the case of the SBS, there is a lot of homework. Finally, the outreaches can be physically and emotionally challenging, as participants sleep in tight conditions or might walk long distances and need to handle stress.

If you’re unsure whether you can participate, please reach out at info@ywamhopeland.org (Contact person: Charles Syemi). Either we can make arrangements for your participation in the schools, or we might be able to find a volunteer position for you instead.

Great, we can always use more skilled workers in different areas, such as teaching or children’s ministry. But if you don’t have a specific skill you were trained in, that’s ok, too: we have many types of ministry and you can try out where your gifts best match the local need!

The main criteria is that you are a Christian who wants to serve with their gifts in the kingdom of God, and that you are willing to be flexible and hands-on. If that sounds like you, feel free to reach out to us at info@ywamhopeland.org (contact person: Charles Syemi).

We do! Anyone who wants to work with us for more than 6 months would be considered “staff”, if they fulfill the following requirements: You need to have completed a DTS with a YWAM school anywhere in the world, speak English, and want to serve God in a wholehearted way. If you are interested in more of a guest-speaking or other “outside” capacity, feel free to ask us about the requirements in those cases. In all cases, you can send us an email at info@ywamhopeland.org (contact person: Charles Syemi).

Any staff or volunteer member must fundraise for their own expenses. We recommend saving funds well in advance and asking for support from friends, family, and other contacts. You can keep them updated and engaged with your mission by visiting them when you are in their region, and by writing a regular newsletter to people as you are on the field. If you are unsure how to fundraise for your stay, send us a message at info@ywamhopeland.org and we will see if we can advise you.

Got to the Donate page on our website and either make a donation via PayPal (overseen by YWAM Kona) or by sending an international bank transfer. Both procedures are explained step by step from there!

As of now, we are a registered non-profit organization in Uganda. This means we sadly do not offer tax credit to US- or other overseas donors.

You will need a visa (available here) unless you are a citizen of a visa exempt country (Kenya, Rwanda, DRC or one of these countries). Depending on how long you stay, you might need to check each country’s exact rules and visas: most visitors will need to renew their visa after 3 months or leave the country and return with a new tourist visa, while others might have a 3-month visa-free stay or more. In general, we find the single-entry tourist visa the easiest to apply for, but if you are staying longer than 6 months, we can also assist you with other visa types.

Finally, you will need proof of vaccination for a yellow fever shot (see next question on medical requirements), proof of where you will be staying in Uganda (hotel address or our address if you’re staying with us), and (oftentimes) proof of your flight return ticket.

By law you will need proof of vaccination for a yellow fever shot.

And though this isn’t an official requirement, it’s highly recommended to get other tropical vaccinations. And, though we provide mosquito nets, you should bring adequate bug spray if you wish to use it: this will prevent Malaria. You can bring anti-malarial drugs with you, or purchase them for cheap prices at a local pharmacy.

Uganda has a tropical climate with warm weather year-round (between 25-30 degrees Celsius, or 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit). There is a rainy season and a dry season, but these are merely rough distinctions: There might be short rain showers year-round, and even the rainy season gets lots of sunshine.

If you are light-skinned, bring sunscreen and adequate sun protection (such as a hat or sunglasses). Bring light clothes but also pack a few light sweaters or jackets: it can get down to around 18 Celcius/65 Fahrenheit at night, which will feel cold since we have no indoor heating. However, you won’t need heavy duty winter clothes unless you plan to travel to a snowy area like mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Bring clothes that can be easily washed by hand and are modest in style: Uganda is a more traditional culture than what Western people might be used to, so pants should cover the knees and shirts should cover the shoulders.

Bring a mix of casual daily clothes, work clothes, and a few nicer things: People dress up for church here, and you never know when you might be invited to a local wedding!

Also, if you have sensitive ears: bring earplugs, as church services/larger gatherings get quite loud with the speakers!

For the DTS and SBS students, we have dorm rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms.

Volunteers and short-term guests stay in the guest house rooms with their own bathrooms.

If you are flying into Uganda, you first land in Entebbe international airport.

Next, you take a rental car, hired car or a local minibus-taxi to Jinja. Drive across the big Jinja bridge to the East side of the Nile and drive towards Wairaka. Turn left at the first paved bigger road after the Wairaka stage (Kakira Road, signs to Global Theological Seminary). Keep going until you reach an intersection, then turn right. The first gate on the right will be YWAM Hopeland!

If you need help arranging transportation, just let us know at info@ywamhopeland.org (contact person: Charles Syemi).

We recommend that you bring USD-bills to Uganda (100-dollar bills give you the best exchange rate!) and change them at a Forex cash bureau in Kampala or Jinja (not the airport, or you’ll get a bad exchange rate).

Then, in Jinja, you can also get cash either from an ATM at a local bank (average exchange rate: 1 USD is about 3750 UGX, and 1 Euro is around 4000 UGX).

It is recommended to avoid using your credit card as much as possible since most things are bought with cash here, and if you get cash from an ATM, you might have service charges depending on the bank.

You can hire a car to get to the YWAM base, it will cost around 100 USD if you are coming from Entebbe airport. Once in Jinja, transport is cheap: a trip to town or back will be between 4000-8000 UGX (around 1-2 USD), either by motorcycle taxi (“boda”), or by hopping on public buses (“taxis”). Though Jinja is a safe area, we recommend that you go with a local on your first boda or taxi ride, just until you get used to the area and the process.

Jinja is a nice town by lake Victoria, so there are boat tours to the source of the Nile or to see the lake. You can visit some nice cafés and restaurants in Jinja city center (such as the “Rolex Joint” or “The Deli”), or if you’re feeling adventurous, try some bargaining at the Jinja Central Market: many vendors actually offer foreigners fair prices, but you will occasionally be overcharged unless you haggle a little.

There are also many churches in the area, which are worth a visit if you want to experience a lively service with music and dance. For example, Watoto church is more “Western” in style, while the Jinja Christian Center are a big African church, and the little “Trim Church” in Kakira have a small, more local flavor. In any case, if you’re sensitive to noise, we recommend bringing earplugs: churches and public gatherings get very loud here!

And you can take tours to other parts of Uganda like Murchison Falls National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (home of Uganda’s mountain gorillas).

Everyone can take part in the mealtimes on base during weekdays in the main dining hall:

There is a breakfast tea from 7.30-8.00AM, lunch is served around 1.00PM, and dinner is served around 6.30PM. We eat traditional Ugandan foods such as Matooke (like mashed potatoes but made with steamed starchy bananas), noodles, beans, Posho (stiff corn porridge) or rice. This is served with meat/fish stew and cabbage, and sometimes, with G-nut-sauce (made of ground peanuts, we call them groundnuts).

In addition, we might have local fruit as a dessert, and our little kiosk serves sodas and some practical items for life around the base (toilet paper, notebooks, laundry soap, toothpaste…).

During the weekends/off days, students and visitors can cook in common cooking areas or get food from staff or local shops: The DTS and SBS each have a kitchen, and some guest rooms have a simple kitchen area available to them.

The base has no Wi-Fi, but you can still have internet: Get a local SIM-card and set up a hotspot through your Ugandan number. This isn’t so hard to do, and a local SIM-card will remain active for several years even if you travel out of Uganda and return later. Just ask one of the YWAM employees on site how to do that when you arrive.