Volunteer Sharon Williams joined The Great Gorilla Project in September 2025 for a wildlife-focused volunteer trip through Uganda in September 2025. Her experience included gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, wildlife safaris, and impactful community volunteer work. Here’s her story:
FROM SILVERBACKS TO SCHOOLYARDS: A JOURNEY WHERE EVERY DAY REVEALED SOMETHING NEW
Volunteer Experience on The Great Gorilla Project in Uganda
I’d never heard of ‘The Great Projects’ before, until one day I saw a gorilla project advertised online. I travel for wildlife and volunteer experiences, so my curiosity was piqued instantly; I’d always wanted to see the gorillas in the wild, but I’m a solo woman, so I always thought it would be out of my reach, cost-wise. I looked at the itinerary, and I instantly knew this was my type of travelling: small group, two gorilla treks, chimp trek, safaris, boat cruises and incredible opportunities to give back to the local Ugandan community. Two months out, on a whim, and I booked myself on THE GREAT GORILLA PROJECT.
I met my fellow travellers (there were five of us) and our local guide, Peter, in Rwanda at our lovely, central hotel. We enjoyed dinner together, and Peter asked us what we were looking forward to about our trip. We all said the gorillas, of course, but I LOVE anything wildlife and nature, so I mentioned I’d love to see anything and everything we can. I was ALL IN.
The crossing into Uganda was relatively easy, and I felt like my journey had really begun; the landscape was picturesque, with splashes of colour, as we drove through villages, past farms, and past roadside markets. THIS WAS REAL.
The social aspect of our trip was about as good as it gets, and as a group, we were fortunate enough to do some fruit tree-planting for a local NGO, the NGO not only supports women in the local area but also provides eco-tourism opportunities and supports local children with educational needs. We visited Potter’s Village, a crisis centre for orphaned babies, as well as mothers during their pregnancy. The centre is doing incredible work, offering medical assistance and care when needed. We helped paint gates at a school for children with special gifts (Kisoro Demonstration School), and those children brought so much joy to us as a whole; they skipped with their new skipping ropes and had us all laughing until we cried. They don’t get many visitors to that school, so it was a bit of soul nourishment for us all. We donated what we could in the form of clothes, pencils, flip flops, etc. Fortunately, we spent a second day with some children from the Demonstration School, and we went into the forest for a hike and a picnic. Those children completely immersed themselves and took in all they could; the sights, the smells and the sounds. We shared binoculars and looked for birds along the way, and somehow got lucky and saw a golden monkey. A beautiful opportunity for them and a privilege for us. I think this was up there with my favourite day because we could share our time with the children, doing something they had not done before.
We visited the Batwa (Pygmy) Village, where we learned about the changes in circumstances since the Batwa were moved out of the forest, for conservation reasons, several years back. They now live in dedicated villages and try to keep their culture alive. We were treated to some traditional song and dance, with lots of colour and determined, energetic children dancing like no one was watching; they would give any dancer a run for their money. An incredible afternoon where again, as a group, we made a donation of practical food, such as maize.
Both the gorilla treks were absolutely mind-blowing; exploring Bwindi Impenetrable Forest during gorilla trekking in Uganda was more magical than I could have imagined… We visited gorillas at both Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park. I like hiking, so it was fun for me, but if you feel you may be limited in your walking capacity, the good news is, you can hire a porter for a reasonable cost, and they help pull and push you up the hill! We sat tight in both forests once the gorillas were located by the tracking team, and we watched in awe as silverbacks sauntered past, juveniles plonked themselves in front of us for a munch on some leaves, and the family wandered around doing their thing… all right there in front of you, with minimal disturbance.
Our “chimp trekking day” saw us walk only about 25 minutes into the lush forest, we felt like the luckiest group on earth. Our tracker found a family of chimpanzees in a huge fig tree, and they didn’t mind us oohing and aaahing (quietly) at them at all; their antics were exactly how you imagine chimps to be. In that one tree alone, in addition to chimps, we also saw red-tailed monkeys, baboons and blue monkeys, which was such a treat. A black and white colobus monkey also made an appearance on the way out (the one primate I was desperate to see!)
Like I said, every day was just a new surprise and our safari at Lake Mburo National Park did not let us down, we didn’t know where to look, as there was wildlife at every turn; hippos, monkeys, zebras, warthogs, giraffes, birds, birds and more birds. We even did a walking trek with a ranger, and it was up there with everyone’s favourite day.
In all honesty, The Great Gorilla Project exceeded every expectation I had. Our guide was nothing short of amazing. Peter was incredibly knowledgeable, efficient, and relaxed, and he had wildlife-spotting eyes like no one else. Thanks, Peter!
Our group was fortunate enough to see a total of eight primate species, over 20 other mammals and in excess of 120 bird species. I’ve travelled for wildlife my whole life, and this trip was BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS.
If you are sitting on the fence about going on The Great Gorilla Project, trust me, please go… It’s not your ordinary “tour”, you ARE making a difference, you will encounter so much wildlife, and you’ll likely make life-long friends, just like I did. The whole trip was relaxed and flexible, and the food was fresh and plentiful. The accommodation was clean and comfortable in the most beautiful settings.
I’m heading to South Africa and Madagascar with The Great Projects next year; I think I’ll find it hard to travel any other way now! Stay tuned…
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Sharon's time volunteering in Uganda on The Great Gorilla Project combined wildlife encounters, gorilla trekking, community support, and authentic cultural experiences. For anyone looking for a meaningful volunteer adventure in East Africa, this project offers unforgettable wildlife moments and the chance to make a real impact. Want to know more? Get in touch with our expert travel team!
