Kenya’s population is hugely affected by the struggles of HIV/AIDS, poverty and unemployment. It is known to be one of the poorest countries in Africa. There are countless possibilities to impact the lives of those that are affected by these problems, such as in the Nairobi slums, surrounding orphanages, schools, and hospitals.

Project Achievements so far:

From April 2008 to May 2009 our volunteers contributed over 10200 hours to community development on our volunteer projects in Kenya… Our project structures, together with the support and advice of our charitable foundation team at The Happy Africa Foundation, are continuously assessing our work and project strategies to ensure that these hours are meaningful with measurable outcomes.

Some examples of what we have been up to during the last year include painting and maintenance (e.g. building fence) at the Limuru Childrens Centre.  We have also painted the walls at the Nest Orphanage, as well as assisted with teaching, feeding, ironing and doing arts/crafts with the children at the orphanage.

Our volunteers have been involved in the Orthopedic Department of the KiKuyu Hospital as well as getting involved in the HIV Clinic and its outreach program.  We have also assisted in upgrading the School in Kyangombe Slum by brightening up the classrooms with blackboards, desks and providing learning materials such as posters, pencils and books.

Project Location:

Situated on the equator on Africa’s east coast, Kenya offers beautiful landscapes, amazing wildlife, with an ethnic diversity that has produced a vibrant culture.

Nairobi, Kenya’s capital is the country’s principal economic, administrative, and cultural centre and is one of the largest and fastest growing cities in Africa. Just 30km north of bustling Nairobi, amidst the beautiful tea plantations of the Kenyan highlands, you will find Limuru, a community operating at a much slower pace of life than the nearby capital. You will be spending your time as a volunteer in both Nairobi and Limuru, which will give you a diverse experience of life in Kenya.

Project Age Limit:

Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health.

Project Highlights:

• Gain medical experience under the supervision of qualified doctors and nurses at Kikuyu General Hospital and Government Hospitals – please note this is only applicable to those due to study or currently studying medicine or qualified in a medical field suited to the Hospitals needs and requirements.
• Assist in various orphanages and pre-schools in Limuru, by helping with improving or enhancing the actual facilities as well as becoming involved in teaching and caring for the children.
• Get a glimpse of life in the slums of Nairobi and have the opportunity to make a difference in a poor and desperate community.
• Get a taste of the Kenyan culture; learn a bit of Swahili!
• Make friends for life.
• A great platform to experience some of the finest safari destinations on the continent.

Further Information on the Kenya Medical and Community Programme:

Kenya’s health care and provision suffers as much as any other public service sector in the country. Whilst structures are in place for an effective health service, there is an enormous deficit in terms of staff and resources. Which is why the volunteers’ help is very much appreciated by the nurses and doctors we work with.

As a volunteer, you will spend two days of the week in the Nairobi slums involved in our community support programme. The rest of your time as a volunteer will be split up between Kikuyu Hospital, government hospitals and orphanages/pre-schools in Limuru, the beautiful hilly area just outside Nairobi where we are based. This will give you the chance to make a positive impact on the health service in Nairobi, to gain unique medical experience, and to make a profound difference in the lives of the surrounding community.

Both qualified and non-qualified volunteers can join this project. Your medical background will determine your placement at the various hospitals. If you have no medical background at all, you will be placed at one of the orphanages or pre-schools on the mornings dedicated to Hospital work; other than this, the volunteer duties and work will be the same.

Kikuyu Hospital:

This is a large general hospital that offers medical care to the community regardless of whether they can afford their treatment or not. The hospital is therefore buzzing with patients, and doctors attend to around 350 patients a day.

This hospital is particularly well-known for its specialized eye unit. It has a variety of departments and wards that volunteers can get involved in, such as the maternity ward, orthopedics, the HIV and diabetic clinic, theatre/surgery, nursing and emergency care. Unless volunteers are qualified, licensed and have received approval from the Kenyan medical board before arrival, involvement is limited to observation.

Kikuyu Hospital also has an outreach program, in which health professionals and volunteers go into rural areas to give the needed medical care to communities that do not have accessible health care facilities.

There are a host of opportunities to gain medical experience, learn from health professionals, and the exposure to medical care in an African country is certainly an eye-opener.

Government Hospitals:

Medical volunteers spend full days at these hospitals and are able to get involved in various departments and gain much experience under the supervision of a local qualified health professional. Opportunities for involvement include laboratory, physiotherapy, maternity, paediatric and child-care unit, comprehensive care clinic (HIV & TB patients), counselling, orthopaedics, administration, outpatient care, pharmacy and x-ray.

Orphanages/Pre-schools in Limuru:

There are over a million orphans in Kenya mainly due to AIDS, of which only 5 % get any kind of support. There is a huge need for assisting orphanages and children’s homes.

There are several orphanages in Limuru that we are involved with. These children come from backgrounds that have been affected by HIV/AIDS, abuse, poverty or illness. These children are in need of love and attention. Many of them are developmentally delayed and need extra attention in order to promote their development. The children’s ages range mainly between 4 and 15 years.

The orphanages offer opportunities to become involved in:

• Helping with the teaching of the children, and general care such as cooking for the children’s meals or organising sports and play activities to promote the well being of the children.
• Building/improving the facilities to make it feel more like home for the children: by painting pictures on the walls etc. Some of the orphanages we partner with are building to expand and improve their facilities. Your pair of hands will be greatly appreciated in this practical work.

The kids are very energetic and will gladly challenge you to a game of basketball or soccer. You will have a chance to make a huge impact on these children’s lives by spending time with them, and contributing to their learning and development.

Mukuru Slums Medical Clinic and Community Support, Nairobi:

Every year Kenya loses a lot of people due to HIV/AIDS related illnesses and even more to water-borne diseases. 85% of these deaths occur in the slum areas. This is due to unemployment and poor housing and drainage systems.

Slums in Kenya are shanty houses built using torn cartons, recycled wood or even worn out iron sheets. The houses are single rooms of about 2 square metres. Each room houses a family, consisting of anything from a young mother with 2 children, to a family of 9 children. The slums are heavily populated with a single pit latrine serving over 20 families. Those who stay in these slums are generally unemployed.

Challenged by the problem of the increase in child mortality and the decline in maternal health and coupled with the alarming rate of HIV/AIDS-related complications, a local clinic has been created with the goal of playing a part in helping to provide health solutions to a slum population of around 62 000 people.

Volunteers would have the opportunity of helping this local clinic situated on the outskirts of these slums. The clinic provides services such as maternal & child health care, family health care, curative health care, primary health care, voluntary counselling and testing, training in health and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Volunteers are needed to help with the administration, as well as working hand-in-hand with the nurses or visiting doctor. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to be involved in home-based care for those patients that are unable to visit the clinic.

Other volunteer work would be involved in helping teachers in surrounding slum schools, assisting at orphanages and getting involved in the feeding program.

This placement is not a walk in the park, but will give you the ‘real’ African experience in an area desperate for help. It is likely your time spent in Mukuru will never be forgotten.

Project Typical Day:

Here is how a typical day in the life of a Limuru volunteer might take shape. Please note that your itineraries may differ from this, depending on your own experience/interests and the number of other volunteers on the placement at the same time. This is merely to give an example:

Monday, Wednesday & Friday:

• 7:00 – Get up and start getting ready for your project.
• 7:30 – Self service breakfast at Brackenhurst.
• 8:15 – Head off on the short drive to your project.
• 8:30 – Start work at your allocated placement – local orphanages, nursery schools, medical clinics.
• 12:30 – Lunch break – packed lunch will either be provided for you by our chief, or volunteers take their own snacks and our chief prepares a hot lunch for when they return from project.
• 15:00 – Home time – you will be collected by your coordinator/driver and taken back to the volunteer cottage at Brackenhurst.  Here you will be able to check your emails, watch TV, socialize or just relax and unwind in the beautiful gardens of Brackenhurst.
• Evenings are very sociable affairs. Generally, volunteers discuss their day’s activities whilst having supper together and prepare for your project the next day. A hot favorite is also going for a walk through the beautiful walking trails in Brackenhurst in the early evening (or even a run if you’re brave enough, but be warned it’s quite hilly!) and then go for an outdoor swim and drinks at The Limuru Country Club.

Please note: On a Wednesday afternoon volunteers have the option of going to Village Market, a large shopping centre just outside of Nairobi, where you can change money, go shopping, post letters / packages home, have a luxury coffee and piece of cake etc!

Tuesday & Thursday:

• 7:30 – Have a bit of a sleep-in before we hit Nairobi’s traffic! Get up and start getting ready for your project.
• 8:00 – Self service breakfast at Brackenhurst.
• 8:30 – Leave for the slums – this is quite a long drive (1-1.30hr), but Nairobi traffic is an experience of a lifetime!!
• 10:00 – Help in the local medical clinics, schools or home-base care.
• 14:30 – Break for a local lunch.
• 15:00 – Home time – you will be collected by your co-ordinator/driver.
• Evenings as above – you will arrive home from the slums by approximately 17:00.

Please be advised that we endeavor to keep all of our project documents up to date, however, due to the constantly evolving nature of having a sustainable project, the focus of the project often changes or shifts to meet the needs of our community projects at a specific time. Some projects will become self sufficient and no longer require the assistance of volunteers, others will slightly change focus and new ones will begin. Volunteers will be involved in a diverse range of project work as our involvement with the community develops, all of which are moving the project towards a common goal.

Project Cost:

2 weeks: GB£785 / 4 weeks: GB£1,255 / 6 weeks: GB£1,645 / 8 weeks: GB£2,030 / 10 weeks: GB£2,390 / 12 weeks: GB£2,745

Project Cost Includes:

• Project Fee: this entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as building materials, equipment, supplies, foodstuffs, etc. Project fees are also used to buy vehicles/equipment and for developing new housing for volunteers to provide for the expansion of the project.
• All airport transfers from Nairobi Airport upon your arrival and departure.
• Orientation program.
• All daily transfers to and from your projects during your stay.
• Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at Brackenhurst Baptist International Centre, Limuru.
• Weekly laundry service during your stay.
• Assistance in your projects by various African Impact staff and volunteer coordinators. Full support from African Impact and your coordinator throughout your time on your Limuru placement.

Project Cost Excludes:

• Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement which must include cover for repatriation. We recommend WorldNomads.com.
• All transport by air or bus to Nairobi. We can help with this if you wish, please contact us.
• All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other).
• Email/Internet and telephone calls.
• Soft drinks, wines and spirits.
• All visas for border crossings.
• Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary in Kenya e.g. Safari in the Masai Mara, etc..
• Transportation that is not related to the project.

Project Orientation:

Upon your arrival in Nairobi you will be met by an African Impact representative, who will escort you to your new ‘home’. Once you have settled in, you will be briefed on the itinerary of the orientation program. You will receive a detailed Welcome Pack, which will contain all the important information you may need.

You will be orientated to the area that you will be living in, as well as be shown the areas that you will be volunteering in. In the next few days, you will visit the project sites and be introduced to the relevant projects, key people and volunteer coordinators that you will be working closely with.

You will receive relevant information about common diseases & illnesses that you will probably come into contact with (e.g. HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria etc.).

Project Support:

Throughout your stay at your placement you will have the support and guidance of experienced field-workers and coordinators. They are part of our greater African Impact support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.

Project Accommodation:

You will be staying at the Brackenhurst Baptist International Centre, where 2 x 2-bedroomed cottages are kept for our volunteers. Brackenhurst provides secure accommodation with everything that you will need.  Internet and phone services are readily available.

You will be sharing a room with other volunteers (maximum of four in one room). Your room is fully furnished. A cook will be provided to cook for you in the kitchen of one of the cottages. Included are laundry and house keeping services on a daily basis. One of the cottages also provides a lounge area with a fireplace and satellite TV, which will be a wonderful social area for all volunteers.

Brackenhurst has beautiful grounds that are perfect for having an afternoon nap in the sun, playing sports, such as ultimate frisbee or soccer, or going for a jog. On a clear day, you will be able to see Mount Kilimanjaro in the one direction and Mount Kenya in the other.

Please Note: Brackenhurst is a Christian conference centre that forms part of the greater Limuru community. In this culture, drinking alcohol is seen as ‘taboo’ by the local Christian community. There is therefore no alcohol allowed on the premises of Brackenhurst. However, 20 minutes drive away is a lovely restaurant where you can have a couple of drinks in the evenings.

Project Meals:

You will be provided with three meals a day. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/porridge, toast, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be provided for you. Lunches may also be packed or may be local lunches at your placement.

Project Getting There:

Fly directly to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, where you will be met by one of our friends from the African Impact team. International flight routings include direct from London or via Johannesburg in South Africa or Harare in Zimbabwe.

“The program is great and very hands on. You do feel that you get immersed in the lives of the people you work with and build strong relationships therefore enabling you to feel like you are making a difference. I have had a brilliant experience and have gained a renewed optimism for life having seen what some people a lot less fortunate than me are happy with.” Jenny Leech, Age 27 from the UK.

“My experience in Kenya far exceeded my expectations.  I didn’t expect to be given the opportunity to really see things the way I did.  I felt that the doctors at the hospitals were very open minded and willing for the volunteers to learn as much as they could by observing operations and allowing us to help hands on.  I feel that I have seen a lot of things I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise.” Zoe Cartwright, Age 24 from the UK.

Project Travel Highlights:

These are not included in your volunteering fee, but our project managers are able to assist you with making the necessary booking arrangements. See further details on Safari options in our pre-departure information.

Safari Options: Kenya offers an amazing variety of safari options, not far from its bustling capital, Nairobi and perfect for a weekend ‘get-away’. Below are a few popular options, including options for 2 night/3 day trips to experience more of this spectacular corner of Africa.

Maasai Mara: Most visitors to Kenya make time to experience the Maasai Mara National Reserve, the northern extension of the Serengeti. Well known for the renowned migration of 1.4 million wildebeest (usually between July and November), the Maasai Mara is famous for its prolific game-viewing and abundance of predators all-year round, and boasts the country’s highest wildlife density. Spend your days exploring the beautiful surroundings and searching for those unforgettable wildlife encounters. The Mara experience is a must and will never disappoint.

Kenya’s roads in general are not in very good condition. These can make for sometimes long and somewhat uncomfortable travelling days by road. Many people prefer to fly into some destinations such as the Maasai Mara.  We can also provide you with camping and lodge options, both offer amazing outdoor experiences!

Just to whet your appetite(!) the following websites show the camps we would book for the 2 night safaris – all are continually recommended by volunteers as great places to stay and provide amazing game drives!
www.sekenani-camp.com
www.ilkeliani.com
www.serenahotels.com
www.kws.go.ke

Also, for those who fancy something a bit different to your usual overland safari, plus truly breathtaking views of the plains of the Maasai Mara, we can organize a Balloon Safari (sunrise and champagne breakfast) from your camp!

Any volunteer in Kenya is going to make a huge difference to people’s lives. We would love for you to join us. Please contact us today to discuss how we can help you get here.