Orphan And Teaching Project, Kenya Highlights

The highlights

• Assist in orphanages, pre-schools, primary and special education schools.
• Work with disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
• Assisting and working with the teachers and carers to enhance the learning environment
• Helping uplift the community through education.
• Gain teaching experience in a challenging environment which is under-resourced, understaffed and over-crowded.
• Work on school and orphanage refurbishment, development teaching aids and other building projects.
• Assist in the general running of the classroom by providing a extra pair of hands and supervision and input to the children , which is greatly appreciated by the already overwhelmed teachers.
• Get a glimpse of life Kenya and have the opportunity to make a difference in a poor and desperate community.
• Make friends for life
• A great platform to experience some of the finest safari destinations on the continent

Optional activities and excursions

Kenya offers a variety of safari options, not far from its bustling capital, Nairobi, perfect for a weekend ‘get-away’ during or after your placement. Our office in Kenya is able to put together a number of different 3-4 day safaris into the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park and Aberdare National Park, as well as trips to the Kenyan Coast, Nairobi’s Elephant and Giraffe Sanctuaries, and much more!

Where will I sleep?

You will be staying at the Brackenhurst International Centre, where you will be staying at our African Impact volunteer house. 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 five in one room). Your room is fully furnished. A chef is provided for our volunteers. Included are laundry (twice a week). The volunteer house also provides a great lounge area with a fireplace and satellite TV, which will be a wonderful social area for all volunteers. We really want our volunteers to feel like this is a home away from home, and to take responsibility for their environment here. Thus there will be a rotational duty roster, allocating different jobs to volunteers such as washing the dishes, making beds, basic cleaning and food planning. To ease the load a bit there will be a housekeeper available for the more intense cleaning of the bathrooms and vacuuming.

Brackenhurst has beautiful grounds that are perfect for having an afternoon nap in the sun, playing sports, such as volley ball, tennis, 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 from the Brackenhurst grounds.

And Meals? You will be provided with three meals a day. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/porridge, toast, 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.

As part of the rotational duty roster, we aim to get the volunteers involved in the meal planning, creating a fun and diverse menu with local cuisine, as well as traditional dishes from the countries the volunteers are from. This helps to create the opportunity to get to know not only Africa, but parts of the rest of the world too. Therefore, come prepared with some ideas of local dishes from your country! A huge variety of ingredients are available. Any other ingredient not available on the shopping list may need to be ordered in advance, so it can be sourced from another shop. Volunteers will be responsible to pack their own lunches and have the freedom to eat breakfast at their own pace before the scheduled departure time.

How do I get there and travel around?

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

What does the cost include?

• 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 and equipment as well as 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

Excludes:

• Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement which must include cover for repatriation
• All transport by air or bus to Nairobi
• All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
• Email/Internet and telephone calls
• Soft drinks, wines an 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

Do I need experience, is there 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.

We accept both qualified and unqualified volunteers on this 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.

A day in the life

Monday - Thursday:

• 7.30 - Get up and start getting ready for your project.
• 8.00 - Head off on the drive to your project for the day.
• 9.00 - Start work at your allocated school.
• 12:30 - Lunch break - packed lunch will either be provided for you by our chef, or volunteers take their own snacks.
• 15:00 - 16:00 - 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.

Friday - Food Programme Friday / Fundraiser Friday:

Every 1st Friday is Fundraiser Friday-volunteers fundraise at a near-by shopping mall to raise money for a food program in a local volunteer project. Every 2nd Friday the volunteers will go to 1 of 2 schools (schools catering for the underprivileged children in our rural slums) to prepare and hand out food to the children and have a fun/sports afternoon with them.