Childcare And Development Helper

The program

On this amazing program volunteers work with vulnerable children in community-care centers in either Mombasa or Diani Beach. In Mombasa the local team work closely with two schools in the community. One is a smaller children’s home with 25 children from ages 2-14 years where volunteers can assist with teaching the toddler’s class during the day and planning activities and trips out for the older children. The other option is a larger center and school with 38 orphans and 200 students at the school. Here volunteers can run classes and activities in both the school and care centers. Both sites appreciate volunteers with experience in social work, counselling, construction, building, behavior management and working with special needs children.

The Diani Beach community-care center is situated around an hour from Mombasa. The center is run by a Reverend and has strong religious values. There are 58 children aged from 4-23 years at the center. Volunteers can be involved in teaching the youngest children, plan activities and trips, fundraise, complete construction projects, paint, clean, help with homework and chores. The children have formed a band and visit local hotels to raise money. Volunteers with musical knowledge could assist with this.

Goals of this Project:

• Provide essential childcare to vulnerable children
• Improve the future prospects of the children of Kenya
• Give impoverished children quality care, compassion and a sense of hope
• Enable inter-cultural exchange which benefits both locals and international volunteers alike.

How you can help

Volunteers play an essential role in helping disadvantaged children through this program. Participants will spend their time taking care of children and assist the local staff as needed. Volunteers will be busy working with the children, helping feed them and other care essentials, playing games and are encouraged to use their skills and interests to develop fun things for the children to do. The children supported by this project have been extremely disadvantaged by their circumstances and will have endured a great deal of hardship - much of it holding back their development. Volunteers will be supplying much-needed attention, compassion, hope, encouragement, support and love to vulnerable children. Volunteers support the children to become empowered to face the challenges of their life, poverty and possible exploitation.

Volunteers will contribute in a number of ways on this program and can expect to undertake the following tasks:

• Help to feed and care for the children
• Attend to and interact with the children
• Create activities and entertain the children with games and songs, etc
• Work in volunteer’s field of expertise such as counselling, construction, etc
• Teach younger children

With some of the best beaches in the world, Mombasa is Kenya’s main tourist destination. It is located on the Eastern coastline of Kenya bordering the Indian Ocean. There is a tropical climate all year and the city is filled with many things to do during the day and at night.

Inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2011, Fort Jesus is one of the oldest European buildings on the eastern coast of Africa. The ultimate in indestructible fortresses, it stands 15 meters (50ft) high on the seaward side, where it overlooks the entrance to the Old Harbor, and its stone walls are up to 2.5 meters (8ft) thick.

The Old Town, located around Fort Jesus is a great place to visit. This historic district has mostly been converted into souvenir shops and restaurants. A maze of alleys, many too narrow to allow motor traffic, the Old Town sprawls out either side of the Ndia Kuu Road. A nice place to explore on a Sunday when much of the city is closed down. Mombasa is a truly epic place to visit and be a volunteer!

Diani Beach is a fantastic long white beach with loads of water sports and primates to see. A night at ‘40 Thieves’ beach bar is a great place to hang out for a few tuskers (beers). From Mombasa you can catch the ferry from Mombasa town center across to Diani and then Matatu to the beach -  approx. 1 hour travel time.