Program Overview

The 2025 trip is designed for adults and students. The trip is scheduled for November 15-26, with an option to extend to November 29th. The objective is to provide an immersion experience in rural Uganda while assisting Three Crosses Primary School in Kagadi with a construction project. The trip is open to participants 16 years and older, with CEZ hoping to have a group of 24 participants.

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The trip will include 4 days on the school site working with local community members, mixing cement, pushing wheelbarrows, and carrying bricks. Three Crosses Primary School is located near Kagadi in western Uganda. Participants will also spend a day and night in Murchison Falls National Park and visit a coffee farm. The trip will conclude in Jinja, with options to extend through Thanksgiving to white water raft the Nile River, visit a school from a previous project in Iganga District, or tour Iowa State's Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods facility in Kamuli.

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Trip Details
Dates: November 15-26, 2025 (May extend to November 29)
Participant Capacity: 24 people
Estimated Total Cost: $3,000-$3,400

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Contact

Timothy Mooney – Café el Zapote President

Email: 107mukiibi@gmail.com

Phone: (515) 715-3584

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Itinerary

Nov 16: Arrive in Entebbe

Nov 17: Bus from Entebbe to Kagadi (4-5 hour journey)
Nov 18-19: Stay in Kagadi, work on school project
Nov 20-21: Murchison Falls National Park visit
Nov 22: Return to Kagadi, continue school project
Nov 23: Visit local coffee farm
Nov 24: Bus to Jinja (4-5 hour journey)
Nov 25: 1-2 hour drive from Jinja to Entebbe; Relax by the pool in Entebbe; Prepare for midnight flight

Nov 26: Arrive in the U.S. early afternoon

 

Optional Extension:

Nov 26: White water rafting on the Nile River. Mooney said, “It’s safer than walking around in Des Moines at night.”**

Return flight according to individual schedule

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Volunteer Service
School Construction: 4 days working with local community members
Location: Three Crosses Primary School near Kagadi, Western Uganda
Activities: Mixing cement, carrying bricks, collaborative construction work

 

Recreational Activities

White water rafting on the Nile River
Visit to schools in Iganga District
Tour of Iowa State's Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Kamuli

 

Cost Breakdown
$1,000: Meals, water, lodging, transportation, national park visit
$1,000: Building materials for primary school
$1,000-1,400: Airfare from Chicago/Minneapolis

Option to purchase your own ticket.

 

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Registration Requirements

1. Passport valid through June 2026

2. $1,000 deposit to Café el Zapote

3. Purchase personal visa ($50)

4. Recommended vaccinations from travel clinic

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** Note: As a 501(c)3 non-profit, Café el Zapote, all donations are tax-deductible. Please ask if your employer will match your donation to Café el Zapote. It could cut the cost of your trip in half.

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SIGN UP TODAY!

1. Contact Mooney

   1. Email Mooney​ with a picture of your passport photo page

      1. Passport must be valid through June 2026

2. Submit Deposit

   1. Write a $1,000 check to Café el Zapote

      1. Mail to: Café el Zapote P.O. Box 2294, Ames, Iowa 50010

3. Book Travel

   1. Purchase your own ticket or have Mooney book it by November 15th

   2. Current fare is about $974 from O'Hare

   3. TIP: Book early for the best prices

4. Visa Requirements

   1. Purchase Uganda entry visa ($50)

   2. Apply online HERE

   3. Visa process typically takes 2-3 working days

5. Health Preparations

   1. Check CDC travel recommendations HERE​​

   2. Schedule vaccinations at McFarland Clinic's Travel Clinic

   3. Recommended: Yellow Fever vaccination certificate

 

** Program is limited to 24 participants, so act quickly! **