As a volunteer on this project you will assist with providing daily hands-on support and disability education among families and local communities. Due to lack of support and education around disability awareness in Kenya, many disabled children and adults are hidden from public view by their families. The local culture is built largely around family values and beliefs, and it is expected that children should be able to contribute while at home and then ultimately provide for themselves when they reach adulthood.
However, there are increasing numbers of children born with either mental or physical disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome, who do not have access to support and cannot provide for themselves. There are also many children and adults in Kenya who become disabled through the course of their lives.
This project is well suited to caring and open minded individuals, with an interest to help those those with special needs.
Volunteers tasks will depend on your experience and any relevant qualifications but may include assisting with physiotherapy and rehabilitation for the children or adults, teaching, general supervision, interacting and providing training for the family and supporting community.
Volunteers may not require to have previous experience or training in special needs care to participate as they will be working closely alongside local staff, although relevant experience is required for physiotherapy tasks.
Typical day
First Day: On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.
Weekdays: A typical volunteer day would be as follows:
7.30 AM Breakfast with the host family.
8.30 AM - 2.00 PM Volunteers travel to their placements and meet with the placement staff. Work and hours at the placement are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at. There is usually a morning tea break and lunch break.
2.00 PM - 5.00 PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to their homestays, go sight seeing, or do some shopping.
7.00 PM - 8.00 PM Dinner with the host family.
Please note, this schedule can vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.
Details on Arrival
The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive in Nairobi on the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are traveling in Kenya prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Nairobi on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our local team in Nairobi. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Kenya – Introduction to Kenya, Kenyan Customs, Language Training Details, Rules and Expectations, Safety, Travel Opportunities in Kenya, Introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. Once your orientation is complete, you will be transported to your homestay and introduced to your host family.
Free-time activities
During the weekends, volunteers have free time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Nairobi, wider Kenya and Eastern Africa. Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield (i.e. Mombasa, Uganda or Tanzania), or to embark on a safari. Sunday is a religious day of rest. If you wish, you can accompany your host family to their local church, as a Kenyan church service is a unique and special experience for many volunteers.
Program Requirements
Self motivated
Flexibility
Included Services
Before your journey
On-site services
- 24/7 in-country support
- Airport pick-up
- Program orientation Volunteer placement
- Accommodation Meals
- Admin Costs
- Internet
Most volunteers fly into the country anytime of the day and you will walk across the tarmac to the arrivals building, and pass through immigration control to the baggage reclaim area. Once you have your luggage, you need to go through customs, and be ready to have your bags opened by security staff as this is done routinely even when you go through the "nothing to declare" channel.
As you walk out of the airport building you will be met by a number of people on the other side of the entrance, waving meeting signs. One of our staff will be there to meet you with a sign, and will greet you with your full name (do not go with anyone who cannot tell you your name). If your placement is in Harare, you will be taken from the airport straight to your host family. If you are going to a placement away from Harare you will usually stay overnight in Harare before traveling to your Mutare the following morning.
If your flight arrives in the morning, you will travel straight to your Mutare.
Volunteers are accommodated predominately in one of two neighboring volunteer apartments. Each apartment accommodates up to 4 other volunteers with a maximum of 8 volunteers of the same gender per room. This accommodation is based centrally and is within minutes walking distance of the local team’s office, and steps away from cafes and restaurants.
An Accommodation Manager lives in a self-contained apartment onsite, and he is responsible for general maintenance of the accommodation and purchasing food for your meals. The apartments are cleaned once per week by a cleaner, however volunteers are required to keep their rooms and the common areas tidy.
Our staff know all our host families well. In most cases, our staff do background checks with our host family for your preparations. The levels of comfort in these houses do vary, we monitor families regularly to ensure that every host meets our required standards for such things as security, cleanliness, and availability of water.
Volunteers are provided with three meals per day. On weekdays breakfast and dinner is self-catered, and lunch is provided with an african dish and local drink.Food is purchased on a regular basis by the Accommodation Manager, and volunteers have the option to place their specific requests on a whiteboard in the kitchen.
Bread is commonly served with all meals and as it’s made with potatoes it can be quite heavy. Vegetarians dishes are available.
Program Fees
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