Organise a music festival with an indigenous tribe in Uganda

This volunteer experience will be unique, rewarding, educational and utterly amazing!

This is a one-off opportunity to genuinely get to know and make friends with some of the fascinating people from the Batwa tribe (pygmies) in Uganda and work hand-in-hand with them to organise of a mini music festival for December. This isn't a huge scale event but aims to be very well organised, rich in culture and an awesome day for both locals, tourists and government officials.

A little bit of background: The Batwa tribe are treated as inferior members of Ugandan society and we're working towards strengthening their voice, creating new opportunities and celebrating their cultural values - with respect. This is just one project we're helping them out with. The Batwa once lived within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park side by side with the Mountain Gorillas. Since gaining protected status, their old home is now a strict conservation area with no human habitation and the Batwa have been forced to reside along the edges of the forest with few opportunities and a disappearing culture. The elders are also seriously knowledgeable about the ecosystem and invaluable for conservation efforts. They love dance, singing and drama - it's integral to their daily life. These days, families are often visited and stared at by the stream of international visitors but their true story and culture is rarely admired, and the focus is rarely taken off poverty. This is an important event for the Batwa, the other local tribes, the government and international visitors alike.

We're looking for motivated individuals eager to get involved with various aspects of the mini music festival from events management, music and performance, research and marketing. There's a lot to do and we have roles for people with relevant experience as well as those with just plain good initative to offer.

All our volunteer programmes are bespoke and will be designed around your background, abilities, interests and the needs of the project.

You can also get involved in other projects (such as in schools, enterprise projects, conservation work) whilst you're there if you're keen which gives you the chance for a really varied volunteer experience.

We have places available from 2 weeks up to 12 months. Ideally we would like Batwa music festival volunteers to join for at least 3 months if they can. The event is planned for late December so this could form part of your placement if you're able to commit for longer.

Where will I live?

We want to make your trip as comfortable as possible and make sure you have a good home whilst you're sharing your time to help Africa. You'll live in a Big Beyond house with the rest of the volunteer team, it's not 5 star (!) but very comfy, clean, and has incredible views of Bwindi forest from the garden. Our legendary cooks prepare you three lovely meals a day and true to the ethos of Big Beyond you'll be living right in the heart of the community making many new friends and learning from another culture every day.

Who can join the team?

We're looking for a diverse range of applicants so whether you're employed in the corporate world, have reached a career cross roads, are enrolled in a relevant degree or have retired from your profession you could be a really good fit. We need people with motivation and a willingness to adapt to a different way of life, enthusiasm to contribute to the project goals and commitment to respect the community and environment they're based. The only thing we ask is that you're over 18 and have the right attitude to volunteering and living in rural Africa.

When can I go?

ASAP for this project!

We do run programmes throughout the year though and are building the teams for 2013 so you can reserve your place now.

How much will it cost me?

The fee to participate in Big Beyond programmes is a hassle free package inclusive of all accommodation, 3 meals a day, bespoke placement design, pre-trip and on-site project management, orientation programme, airport transfers, local project transport and a few more bits. This ensures a seamless experience and also big outcomes for the projects on the ground. When you're out there, you won't need much spending money except for optional travel on weekends and social drinks. It's approximately US$4,000 for 3 months and US$5,500 for 6 months (we're headed quartered in the UK so depending on exchange rates from GBP).

Email answers@bigbeyond.org for more info today to grab one of the last places on the music festival team.