Africa looks like a big, scary place from afar, especially in its current state of medical unrest. But, for Suzy Gillies, who has made nine trips to the enormous continent in less than a decade, it doesn’t have to be this way.

“The people there are so loving and accepting,” she said. “A lot of people who go say they find a piece of themselves.”

Gillies is looking for 15-20 volunteer “change makers” to travel with the African Promise Foundation to Uganda for two weeks in the summer of 2015. These individuals will do a variety of volunteer work, such as digging wells, taking disabled children swimming and teaching HIV/AIDS awareness.

The trip will be run through a branch of the nonprofit foundation, called African Promise Expeditions, which also focuses on adding cultural and educational aspects to the volunteer work. Volunteers will pay their own way at a cost of $2,300, plus airfare. Gillies described the expedition as 90 percent volunteer, 10 percent learning.

“Our main focus will still be volunteer work,” Gillies said.

The nonprofit, located in Maple Valley, sells handcrafted recycled paper jewelry at the Maple Valley Farmer’s Market and does fundraising with Tahoma’s schools.

Gillies said the trip is open to teenagers and up who are highly flexible, not looking to stay in five-star hotels, willing to immerse themselves in the culture, and not be afraid to get their hands dirty – literally.

There’s inherent danger traveling to any undeveloped country, but Gillies says there are major benefits as well: disconnecting from technology, soaking in a new culture, turning off the stress of a daily clock and growing as a person.

“It’s very healing,” Gillies said. “We are learners as much as we are there to teach.”

Gillies said the organization always travels to Uganda because they are “extremely well connected” from previous trips to the country.

Uganda has primarily been in the news recently for its controversial Anti-Homsexuality Act that criminalized same sex relations with life in prison. The bill was signed into law in February but was ruled invalid in August.

Gillies said politics are not part of this trip and where the volunteers travel — the bush rather than the big cities — the topic never comes up.

“What we see is sensationalized in the news,” Gillies said. “I wish (the news) harped on the suffering and rebuilding effort.”

Uganda is located in East Africa, roughly 3,000 miles away from the major Ebola infected areas.

Gillies said worry of Ebola, an outbreak that has currently killed nearly 3,000 people in western Africa, in Uganda is like worrying about something in South America while in Seattle. The distance and medical expertise are completely different.

“Their health care is tremendously advanced compared to Liberia,” she said. “I’m not going to go to Uganda if it is unsafe either.”

The Foundation is inviting the public to an informational meeting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 28 at Gillies’ home, located 23820 SE 283rd St. in Maple Valley.