Description of Kenya

The name of the country, Kenya, arose out of Mt Kirinyaga (meaning mountain of whiteness),

 a main landmark with a snow-capped peak. 

Kenya is the most industrialized country in Eastern Africa. Its leading industries are agriculture

 and   tourism. It is very famous for its safaris, diverse wildlife, and national parks. It is a leading

 country in the conflicted East African region in terms of peace and stability. Since its independence

 in 1963, it’s been holding regular elections every 5 years. 

Unfortunately, poverty levels remain high. The millennium development goal was to halve extreme

poverty by 2015, but this is unlikely to come true. About half of the population still lives on less than

$2 a day. Healthcare in the slums and the rural areas needs improvement, to be more accessible to

the people and to reduce the high ratio between doctors and patients. The area of education also

needs attention. It’s on the track of positive development as the country now offers free education.

However, there are still many things in that area that needs to be sorted out. Of course, it’s the rural

areas that are affected the most by all of this, which is why most of our Kenyan projects are in rural

areas. 

Geography

Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is twice the

size of Nevada. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south,

Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. In the north, the land is arid; the southwest corner

 is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of the Great Rift Valley

separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal strip.

Government 

Republic.  

Kenya Volunteer Opportunities by Categories

Medicine – Healthcare

Education – Teaching

Environment

Care giving – Disabled Program

Care giving – Orphanage

One of the main challenges facing Kenya is to make healthcare available to all its citizens. With the

inadequate medical practitioners, the long distances to health facilities, and the high number of

people living in poverty, the overstretched medical facilities struggles to provide medical services

and medical treatment to the people, especially those living in the rural communities and the

densely populated slums. As a result, you’ll be able to join a local medical team that provides free

medical camps to create awareness in general public health, free treatment and counseling, as

well as free screenings for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. The medical

camps are mostly concentrated in the western parts of Kenya and in Nairobi slums where most

of the people are not able to afford proper health care.

Volunteering in nursing is also suitable for qualified and experienced healthcare professionals. 

Doctors,Nurses, midwifes, medical assistants, medical students, nursing students and nutritionists are all welcome to

 apply.  As a nurse volunteer, you will be able to make a meaningful difference in the life of African child and help health

 care profession als in Africa.  

Volunteer nurses and other medical volunteers work with local doctors and medical staff to assist with the daily medical

routine - applying dressings, prescribing medication, recording patient history, patient consultations, minor surgeries, and

counseling patients.  

The hospitals and clinics are often very busy. Other areas that involve nursing volunteer work include:  

 Maternity Wards  

 HIV/AIDS Support Groups  

 Community Outreach  

Student nurse volunteers learn a lot about tropical and infectious diseases in the volunteer nursing and medical placements. 

Participate in the free medical camps.

Work at a hospital or clinic.

Requirements

You should be fluent in English.

Provide proof of age (copy of passport). You must be 18 years old. Those under age 18 may attend

age-appropriate projects with adult accompaniment.

Provide an original or certified copy of a recent criminal background check (less than 1 year old),

since you might be dealing with minors.

Provide an original or certified copy of required qualifications (medical degree or transcript).

Facilities Public hospitals, clinics, and community health centers

Season All year round

Education – Teaching

The volunteering opportunity.

Assist in teaching one or more of the following subjects: English, maths, sciences, computer science,

geography, etc.

Assist with the development of new teaching materials.

Assist local staff in providing extracurricular activities for students.

Requirements

At least high school.

You should be fluent in English.

Provide proof of age (copy of passport). You must be 18 years old. Those under age 18 may attend

age-appropriate projects with adult accompaniment.

Provide an original or certified copy of a recent criminal background check (less than 1 year old),

since you will be dealing with minors.

Target Groups Primary schools or high schools.

Subjects English, maths, sciences, computer science, geography, etc.

Season January-April, May-August, October-December

<pre>Environment

Volunteers will have the opportunity to:

Assist in educating community members to cultivate organic gardens and farms.

Help the local farmers with the use of alternative agricultural methods to reap better crop.

Aid in educating farmers and students to co-exist with the forest.

Join local teams in providing public education about sustainable farming and environmental

protection.

Take part in tree planting exercises.

Requirements

At least high school.

You should be fluent in English or Swahili depending on your purpose of visit.

Provide proof of age (copy of passport). You must be 18 years old. Those under age 18 may attend

age-appropriate projects with adult accompaniment.

Provide an original or certified copy of a recent criminal background check (less than 1 year old),

since you will be dealing with minors.

Season All year round.

Care giving – Disabled Program

This project is partially funded by the government, supporters and volunteers.

Alongside with local staff, you may:

Interact with children through teaching arts and crafts, fun games, English, and/or sports.

Assist with physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

Provide training for families with disabled children.

Educate families and communities about disabilities.

Requirements

You must have a special interest in working with special needs children.

At least high school.

You should be fluent in English and/or French, depending on your purpose of visit.

Provide proof of age (copy of passport). You must be 18 years old. Those under age 18 may attend

age-appropriate projects with adult accompaniment.

Provide an original or certified copy of a recent criminal background check (less than 1 year old),

since you will be dealing with minors.

Season All year round.

Care giving – Orphanage

Volunteering at these homes means you will join local staff in:

Showing love and affection that the children need most.

Helping out with housekeeping, cooking, and serving food.

Teaching basic conversational English and assisting them with their homework.

Developing creative fun activities such as dance, art, music, games, and sports.

Educating about personal hygiene.

Assisting in the dispensary and helping to look after the children when ill.

Requirements

At least high school.

You should be fluent in English depending on your purpose of visit.

Provide proof of age (copy of passport). You must be 18 years old. Those under age 18 may attend

age-appropriate projects with adult accompaniment.

Provide an original or certified copy of a recent criminal background check (less than 1 year old),

since you will be dealing with minors.

Season All year round.

Duration  

We have both short-term and long-term volunteering opportunities across Kenya, ranging

 anywhere   from 1 week up to 1 year. 

Program Locations  

We have opportunities available across the country. Our projects are located in the following provinces of Kenya: Western,

Rift Valley, Nairobi,  

Visas  

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. 

• A tourism visa can be obtained at the port of entry or you can apply in your country before travelling. This cannot

 exceed   a period of 3 months. This may or may not be renewed while in Kenya, depending on the immigration office/officer

 you deal  with. Should you decide to stay longer than 3 months while in Kenya, your in-country coordinator can assist you

obtaining   the appropriate visa. 

• As our programs fall under “volunteer tourism”, a work visa is not necessary. We advise you that when you fill your

application, you put “tourism” or “vacation” under purpose of travel. If you put “work” or “volunteer work” as your purpose of

 travel, some immigration officers might ask you to acquire a work visa and complicate your entry to the country. 

• If you plan on going on a long-term program, please contact your nearest Kenyan Embassy/Consulate for the appropriate

visa   application. 

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required. Also make sure your routine vaccines are up to date. Please note, you should

also be taking preventative measures for Malaria and Cholera. Please visit your local travel health clinic to discuss this with

 a professional and which vaccinations are suitable for you. It is recommended you visit the clinic at least 6 weeks before

your 

You will be provided 3 meals per day (homemade local food). Typically, you will have breakfast and dinner with your host

 family and lunch on the project. The following are examples of food you might be provided: 

As for housing, you will stay either with a local host family or at the project site. You will either have your own room or

 share   a room with other volunteers. You will receive specifics on living arrangements before your departure. 

Free Time  

You will have plenty of free time to immerse yourself in local culture. During the week, you can enjoy mingling with the

 locals   and observing their ways of living. For example, with your host family, you could participate in preparing meals,

learning how to prepare the local foods, as well as you could show them how to prepare meals from your country.

On the weekends, you are  free to go wherever your heart desires and explore the wonders of your host country or

 neighboring countries, if possible. You could visit towns, museums, just walk around the community; climb the local

 hills to oversea your community’s  landscape, etc. The recommended tourist attractions in Kenya are Maasai Mara,

 Lake Nakuru, Nairobi National Park, Tsavo East  National Park, Tsavo West National Park, and National Museums of Kenya,

Giraffe Center, Shimba Hills, Nairobi National Park,   and the Karen Blixen  

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