Nai Nairobi
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P Population:
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44.35 million
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Currency:
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Kenyan shilling
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Official
Languages:
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Kiswahili and English
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Local
Languages:
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Numerous indigenous languages
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Major
Religions:
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Protestant, Roman Catholic, Islamic, Hindu and traditional
religions
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S Seasons:
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2 rainy seasons and 2 dry seasons
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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:
Breakfast:
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Bread, milk tea, eggs or rice porridge. Arrow roots or sweet
potatoes occasionally.
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Lunch:
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Rice, beef/bean/chicken stew, ugali (polenta) and vegetables,
githeri (corn and bean stew), fried plantains.
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Dinner:
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Potatoes, spaghetti, chapatti (round flat bread), ugali, rice with
beef or bean stew or vegetables.
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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.
A typical day’s schedule
IPCA aims to make your volunteering day in Kenya a combination of
valuable voluntary work, sharing of cultural experiences, and free time to loosen
up and reflect. The schedules do vary
from program to program. The following is a general
schedule:
7:20 am
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You will have breakfast with your host family or
with other volunteers, depending on your living
arrangements.
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7:50 am
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You will travel to your project by matatu (mini bus)
or it might be walking distance.
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8:15 am – 1:00 pm
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Work at your project site.
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1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
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Lunch break.
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2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
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Work at your project site.
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4:30 pm – 4:55 pm
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Work usually ends between this time-period,
depending on your project.
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6:40 pm
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Dinner with your host
family.
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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
Contact us
Contact Name: |
Kenya Office
International Peace Center
Africa
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Contact Telephone: |
+254735167475
+254723721553 |
Address: |
P.o.box 8263-00100 |
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Nairobi |
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Kenya |
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E-mail: |
info@internationalpeacecenterafrica.org |
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