Teaching & Child Development

The program

This essential program aims to help vulnerable children in Nairobi through giving them a solid education. Many of the children in the school’s Love Volunteers works with have suffered much already at a young age. Many are orphaned or have simply been abandoned. They all live in poverty and are at risk. Through a solid education this program aims to support these children and help them to create a better life and to break the poverty cycle. Volunteers will work within elementary and high schools teaching a variety of subjects. This may include mathematics, science, geography, social sciences, history, business education, English, art and music. Volunteer teachers in Kenya are not required to have teaching experience, however this would of course be advantageous. The schools selected on the program usually receive little or no government funding so are very poorly resourced. Extra teaching support is vital in classrooms with very large rolls, and which lack even basic supplies. Any teaching support given by volunteers in the schools is gratefully accepted and appreciated by teachers and students alike.

Goals of this Project:

A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:

7:00am Breakfast at the volunteer house

7:30am Walk or bus to your project site

8:45am Pre-start meeting with project supervisor

9:00am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START

A tea break and lunch break will be fitted in during the day, but often the timing of breaks will change based on the needs of the local staff and number of volunteers on hand.

3:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END

3:15pm Debrief with project supervisor

3:30pm Walk or bus back to the accommodation

Evenings Volunteers are free to explore the local area, check out the multitude of local restaurants, bars and cafes, or relax with the other volunteers.

Situated on the Nairobi River, the city of Nairobi is not only the largest and fastest growing city in Kenya, but with a population of three million plus, it is also one of the largest in Africa. Nairobi is known as the ‘city in the sun’, but its more enthusiastic fans proudly call it the ‘green city in the sun’. Among the cities in Africa, Nairobi has carved a niche in terms of cultural diversity and heritage so even if you are on a short stay, there will be something for you to do here!

The Nairobi city centre is relatively small at just 1 kilometre square, making it easy to get around on foot. Be sure to visit the National museum which is right in the city, and get a glimpse of Kenya’s cultural and prehistoric wealth. While there, consider visiting the Snake Park, which is within the same grounds. For souvenirs, stop and shop at the City Market and the famous Maasai Markets.

The city is filled with many things to do during the day and the night. Visitors can have their pick from numerous safaris (wildlife, cultural, sport, adventure, scenic and specialist), ecotourism tours, restaurants, culture, shopping and entertainment. Volunteers can simply talk to the local project team about weekend Safaris and trips to Hells Gate (see ‘Additional Info’ section!).

Nairobi National Park, just outside Nairobi, is home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Hippo, Rhino and even bird-life (over 400 species). Also in the park is the Nairobi Animal Shelter. Nairobi is a fantastic place to visit and an even better place to volunteer!