Living at Onura Sub Community – Southern Sudan

How much does it cost to live at Onura?

There is a guide to typical costs in the extra Costs, flights, etc. Section above.

What clothing do I need to bring?

Please read what to “Bring” below.

Can I drink the water at Onura community?

Yes, you can drink the water as it comes from a running river but we suggest you bring water purifying tablets and use in the water.

Where do I buy my food?

Normally, the volunteers have a “kitty and most basic food can be bought locally, i.e. fruit, vegetable, bread, drinks. There is a supermarket in Magwi town (35km away) where you can buy bacon, breakfast cereals, etc. Your “big shop” will be in Juba where there are a variety of different food shops, pharmacies, etc.

Can I swim in the river water at Onura?

The short answer is “yes”. People are often worried about bilharzias (schistosomiasis) and, although this is present in most African fresh river water, it is normally found where there are reeds, water snails, slow – moving water and people. At Onura, there no reeds and there is good running water, and to our knowledge, none of our volunteers have contracted bilharzias. There are crocodiles in some of deep rivers bank and these occasionally wash further away toward water direction during rainy season. We do advise volunteers not to swim between 4pm and 5am because crocodiles are their most active at night.

How many volunteers will be staying at Onura community, and what ages and gender?

Normally there will be up to 15 volunteers staying at any one time, although there may be up to 18 volunteers at Onura for short periods when volunteer placements overlap. Our volunteers are normally graduates, but we recruit various people who are dedicated to helping the local community and who we feel have suitable abilities. To date, the youngest volunteer has been 18 years old and the oldest has been 50. The normal age for volunteers is between 19 and 25 years old. The majority of our volunteers are female but the number of male volunteers is increasing, and we have also some couples.

This page is still under construction – please visit us later!