Responsible Travel

Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation

Why choose Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation?

Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation (ASTCF) is a registered (Non-Governmental Organization in Uganda offering many possibilities of volunteer service for men and women who wish to devote a few weeks or up to two years of their lives to international volunteer work. We provide an integrated development experience consisting of practical leadership opportunities, International Internships and participation in a global learning environment. We aim to put our volunteer’s skills to use in supporting the development initiatives of local communities in Uganda.

Founded
2014

Reviews

Default avatar
Amy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

This is a wonderful organization!

My family and I spent more than a week in Lake Bunyonyi, Entebbe, Fort Portal, and Kampala through the ASTCF, and we had an absolutely fabulous experience! The visit was focused on spending time with and learning more about the communities here. From our 9 year old up to our 55 year old, we all learned a lot, had great fun, and felt like we meaningfully engaged and connected with the wonderful, warm, and kind people of Uganda. The programs are worthwhile and important for creating educational value, cultural sustainability, and environmental sustainability as well. From learning traditional dances to planting crops to cooking together with a family to learning how tea is farmed to singing with a group of children we met on a hike by chance, it has been a life-changing and unforgettable visit! We recommend this organization most highly!

What would you improve about this program?
Nothing. Everything was wonderful, from the planning to the travel to the food to the accommodations.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Roy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Time with a Village Bank with Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation

After raising money thru a GoFundMe account to fund the start of a New Village Bank in Fort Portal, Uganda I was able to share my experience as a business adviser, via the teaching of personal finance classes (curriculum was provided to me by ASTCF) to 12 women in the Village so that they could become certified to participate in the bank and micro lending opportunity.

The opportunity to live in the village and connect on a personal level during class time, with these women was very fulfilling. The opportunity to stay in touch and be updated with the results of the lending and savings program gives me great feelings to stay involved going forward and to visit Fort Portal in the future.

I highly recommend any of the various service opportunities that ASTCF offers, as James and Joyce are nothing less than professional and genuine.

I am thankful for my time in service to the Village and to my continuing contact with all in the NGO and the village.

Roy F. Glassberg

Default avatar
Courtney
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unique and Grassroots Volunteer Experience

This volunteer experience was like no other. You are able to interact with the local communities and work together to support and encourage growth, development and change for the future. The staff are wonderful - you are welcomed with open arms and feel at home as soon as you touch down in the country.

Bring a water bottle, book, sunscreen, small purse for coins and always try and carry small notes.

The program can be flexible depending on what you would like to do, so if you come with an idea of how you would like to create positive change for the community then this will be productive. It is also useful to ensure you raise funds before you begin the project.

The chimpanzee tracking and mountain gorilla tracking is an incredible experience.
The local food is amazing, I miss Joyce's cooking everyday :)

Default avatar
Pierre
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Former ASTCF volunteer

Hello,
This summer I went to Uganda to volunteer for ASTCF and would like to share my wonderful experience working in the local communities and helping out the locals there. During my stay there the days were put to great use building various thing in the local villages such as a water well and pit latrines. The place we were staying at was a very secure compound with all basic amneties and some very nice folks working as supervisers. ASTCF is a great place for a long term stay such as a few months since you are get to meet all the locals and are consistently checked up on by the kind hosts and some friendly volunteers. If you're looking for a chance to make a difference for people in local communities while at the same time learning about and exploring a new country, ASTCF is the way to go.

Pierre
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Former ASTCF Volunteer

Hello,
This summer I went to Uganda to volunteer for ASTCF and would like to share my wonderful experience working in the local communities and helping out the locals there. During my stay there the days were put to great use building various thing in the local villages such as a water well and pit latrines. The place we were staying at was a very secure compound with all basic amneties and some very nice folks working as supervisers. ASTCF is a great place for a long term stay such as a few months since you are get to meet all the locals and are consistently checked up on by the kind hosts and some friendly volunteers. If you're looking for a chance to make a difference for people in local communities while at the same time learning about and exploring a new country, ASTCF is the way to go.

Programs

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

We partnered with Off Season Adventures and the Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation to plan our time in Uganda. We were drawn to the focus on cultural immersion, sustainable contributions to communities, and time spent with local people.

Our hope was to come away with a real sense of the place, its people, and the culture, rather than a whirlwind tour of sights and attractions.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

We did not have to organize anything ourselves. Once we discussed what kinds of experiences were most meaningful to us as a family, Tanner (Off Season Adventures) and James (ASTCF) did the rest! It felt like a gift to not have to organize logistics while moving through the country. It allowed us to enjoy what was happening rather than worrying about the next steps.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Be ready for a life-changing experience. We were and are deeply moved by the time we spent in Uganda. Traveling in Uganda is a captivating experience - the traffic moves like a fluid dance, very different from the US, and so we recommend having a local driver who knows the steps. It was fascinating to us!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Every day was so different. Some featured hikes in remote areas and visits to villages to spend time with families there. Others involved visits to specialized markets and coops near the capital. Still, others involved traveling through lakes to visit village schools and historical sites. No two days were the same!

All of it was beautiful.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

We feared that there might be too much novelty to get our feet under us, but that was totally unfounded. From the first day to the last, we dove right into the food, the surroundings, interacting with everyone we met and were sorry to have to leave at the end of our stay.

The novelty I'd feared was instead a source of great memories and growth.

What should people know about Uganda?

We were stunned by how green and fertile Uganda is. The food basket of Africa, it seems as though you could drop seeds literally anywhere and have a healthy garden in days. The way that this richness supports the food needs of the country is powerful and opened our eyes to a totally different way of sourcing and preparing food.