Our volunteer reviews

Chris, a graduate of the Freies Gymnasium Zurich, has a passion for programming and cybersecurity. He has worked on numerous projects in these fields and is an active contributor to the open-source community.

For his thesis, Chris designed and developed a novel programming language, earning him recognition as one of the top Matura theses. He is also ranked in the top 4% globally on a prominent hacking platform with over 1.1 million members.

Beyond his technical accomplishments, Chris has been actively involved in extracurricular activities, serving as the head of IT for both the school’s Model United Nations and Finance Club. He later founded his own business club, which focuses on outreach to women in business, and is currently establishing a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in oppressive regimes. The platform he’s developing ensures complete anonymity, allowing women to freely exchange ideas and strategies.

Having tutored programming at school, Chris now teaches coding at the Love Uganda Foundation, with a focus on young women, who are often underrepresented in computer science. He is committed to helping students build skills that will empower them in their future careers.

Ansh Modani is a sophomore at Manalapan High School, where he is part of the Science and Engineering Magnet Program. Passionate about STEM, Ansh is particularly interested in computer science and mathematics. Outside of academics, he is an award-winning Bollywood dancer and a varsity tennis player.
Ansh is the founder of YourGivingBack.org, a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy in Africa, and also volunteers with A-2nd-chance.org, setting up libraries in juvenile detention centers by donating books. His leadership in organizing book drives has made a significant impact, providing educational resources to underprivileged schools in Ghana and youth correction centers in New Jersey.
At school, he established the Read and Recycle Club to foster a love of reading while promoting sustainability through recycling and upcycling initiatives, focusing on empowering underprivileged communities. Ansh is also a dedicated member of Junior States of America, serving as a fundraising agent for the organization’s initiatives. He has received high commendation in the global John Locke Essay Competition for his work on the historical significance of the Colosseum.
His love for mathematics drives him to share his knowledge through tutoring for the Love Uganda Foundation. This opportunity has allowed him to build connections with students from diverse backgrounds and help them grasp subjects like algebra and geometry, encouraging them to develop a positive attitude toward learning.

Ariel is a dedicated advocate for music education and community outreach, serving as a Music Teacher with the Love Uganda Foundation since July 2022. Passionate about empowering underprivileged Ugandan students, Ariel teaches violin and music theory, coordinates violin concerts, and organises fundraisers to support music resources, including instruments.

Since age seven, Ariel has pursued a lifelong passion for the violin. In high school, she was the concertmaster of various orchestras across Asia. For the past two summers, she attended the Aspen Music Festival and School, performing major orchestral repertoire alongside principal players from the New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago orchestras, as well as students from leading conservatories like Juilliard and Curtis. During Ariel’s time at Aspen, she also played in Family Concerts, where she introduced instruments to young audiences and promoted musical outreach in Aspen’s wider community.

Ariel demonstrates extensive service leadership in music and beyond, such as leading a club to bring live music performances to elderly homes and hospitals. Active in both athletics and academics, she competed in Women’s Varsity Tennis and Basketball and tutored peers at the Math and Science Centre in her high school. Now studying at Columbia University, she aims to continue these efforts, sharing music’s transformative power and deepening its impact across new communities.

My name is Rishabh Mohapatra. My primary interests lie in mathematics and computer science. I previously conducted research in the intersection of chemistry and machine learning, using computational tools to investigate ligand binding problems. My interests in this area extend beyond research, where I also explored the structures of addiction through a historical lens with two studies on the causes and roles of historical leaders on the First Opium War. These interests also are tied to my work as a practical advocate, where I was able to collect data on Narcan accessibility and costs throughout my community, while also advocating for access to opioid response drugs as part of a youth advisory group with members across the US. At Princeton, I continue to support these interests through an organization collaborating with harm reduction centers throughout New Jersey to create overdose prevention kits and distribute them across high risk areas in the state. Our goals also are expanding to involve grassroots lobbying related to relevant laws and regulations. This emphasis on advocating for and helping others is part of my reason for volunteering at Love Uganda Foundation (LUF).

Before working with the Love Uganda Foundation, I sought out experiences in my local community to teach, empowering youth to develop their skills in math and programming skills through 1-on-1 instruction and small classroom environments. I thrived upon seeing my students’ progress and was interested in the ability to shape my plans / lessons to better fit their needs.

Experience:
At the Love Uganda Foundation, I was provided with the fascinating opportunity to create a personalized math curriculum to teach students of all ages, that was also designed within a cultural context. I learned about the students’ stories and was able to connect with them, learning about their aspirations and goals. While making sure to teach all necessary math fundamentals, I was able to use feedback after lessons to shape the curriculum to include lessons related to specific interests and important cultural connections. The tournament event at the end of the experience was fun to design and oversee, and it was a great way to collaborate with the other amazing tutors working with this organization while displaying the students’ evident progress in mathematics. Through this experience, I learned more about Ugandan culture while joining a strong community of determined students and tutors. For this experience, I offer nothing but gratitude to the organization and all the staff involved.

Thank you for this eye-opening experience, and I hope to continue supporting the organization in the future in years to come. I forward my best regards to the students and others who guided me during this teaching experience!

To the children at Love Uganda Foundation, I’m affectionately known as “Auntie Emma”—a name that holds a special place in my heart. It reflects the deep bond I’ve built with these incredible children, a connection I treasure dearly.

My volunteering journey with LUF began in April 2019, and since then, every moment spent with the children has filled my heart with purpose and joy. Even though I live in the UK, I make it a priority to visit at least once a year because being present for the children—showing up for them in person—means everything to me.

During my time at LUF, I’ve embraced many roles. In the classroom, I happily serve as a teacher’s assistant, supporting both the students and the dedicated teachers. At mealtimes, I step into the role of dinner lady, making sure every child receives a warm, nourishing meal served with care. But above all, I simply strive to be a friend—someone the children can talk to, laugh with, and share their hopes, dreams, and worries. Beyond my hands-on work, I also dedicate time to fundraising and raising awareness about the amazing work LUF does.

Volunteering has always been close to my heart because I truly believe in the power of community and the importance of giving back. My experiences with organisations like Crisis and Crisis at Christmas, supporting those experiencing homelessness, and Crohn’s and Colitis UK, helping individuals living with chronic illness, have shaped my outlook on life. Each of these causes, along with LUF, has taught me valuable lessons about empathy, resilience, and the strength that comes from compassion.

Every moment I spend volunteering deepens my appreciation for life and the beauty found in human connection. The children at LUF, despite the challenges they’ve faced, radiate strength, hope, and joy—and it’s this spirit that continues to inspire me. In the end, I often feel it is me who receives the greatest gift: the chance to witness the power of love and kindness in action.

This month of volunteering was a deeply moving experience, an immersion that offered me much more than I could have imagined. I had the chance to discover a new facet of life, to be enriched by the lessons that only such an adventure can teach. Living at the pace of the foundation and participating in the development of Love Uganda Safaris has enabled me to understand the power of collective commitment and the importance of every gesture. Spending time with the children has been a real joy. Their smiles, their curiosity and their communicative energy filled me with happiness and reminded me of the essential values of mutual aid, benevolence and simplicity. These moments spent playing, laughing and creating memories together will remain engraved in my heart. This month has not only enabled me to make a small contribution to the foundation, but it has also transformed my perspective, encouraging me to see the world with more gratitude and openness. It’s with immense gratitude that I end this voluntary service, taking with me lessons and memories that will continue to inspire me for a long time to come.

Eshaan is a sophomore at South Windsor High School, Connecticut. He is passionate about learning and has shown deep ability to understand complex themes quickly.
Besides academics, Eshaan is a performing artist for his award-winning High School show choir Choral Spectrum, plays Piano, plays goalie in High School Varsity Soccer team and Connecticut top premier soccer club CFC. He also volunteers at the Boys and Girls club of Hartford where he works with young children, engaging them in various activities.
Eshaan is also a member of his school Model UN Club, Debate Club and Mock Trial Club. Of his many accolades and awards over the years, his score from Royal Conservatory Music exam got him an invitation to play at the famous Carnegie Hall. Most recently, he was awarded the Congressional Bronze Certificate, a very prestigious honor, awarded for outstanding service to community.
Eshaan from a young age demonstrated a keen love for humanity in general and sensibility towards people in need of help. He plays piano on select weekends at an old age home called “The Village” in Connecticut mostly with patients in care. His passion for education motivates him to actively engage in tutoring with the Love Uganda Foundation, where he eagerly shares his knowledge with students from all walks of life. His guidance encourages students to cultivate a positive mindset towards learning, inspiring them to explore their potential and embrace education with enthusiasm.

Aarush Kalia is an advocate for education and youth development, serving as a Math and Science Coach with the Love Uganda Foundation since April 2021. As the Lead Coordinator for U.S. Student Volunteers, he oversees a network of students contributing to educational initiatives, ensuring impactful experiences for both volunteers and communities.
Aarush’s commitment to education extends beyond Uganda. He founded a-2nd-chance.org, a nonprofit that builds libraries in juvenile detention centers across the U.S., providing educational resources to over 1,300 incarcerated youth. He also leads the student research group at Yale School of Medicine, focusing on healthcare disparities and improving access to telehealth.
In recognition of his outstanding service, Aarush received the Daily Point of Light Award, founded by former President George H. W. Bush, which honors individuals creating positive change worldwide. He also earned the John Locke Institute’s Very High Commendation Award for his research on applying complexity theory to understand the collapse of civilizations—a distinction given to less than 1% of the 15,000+ students who apply globally.
A high school senior with a passion for STEM and global outreach, Aarush excels academically, taking advanced coursework in mathematics, and anthropology. Looking ahead, he plans to leverage mathematical principles of complexity to deepen our understanding of societal collapse and contribute to historical and policy analysis.