Description

What does the project do?

There is no social housing scheme in Kenya which means that those people that cannot afford their own home will be forced to live on the streets, in caves or in slums. The need for simple housing in Kenya is great as is assistance in building for the community itself. This can include classroom building or repair, orphanages or educational centers, accommodations or churches to name a few. These are community run projects and as such the community will decide on the priorities at the time based on funds available and who is available. This is a great opportunity to interact, socialize and work alongside Kenyan people to help them build a better and more prosperous future.

In the Naro Moru area of Mount Kenya, the community is working to continue their social programs of supporting people away from offending behavior, offer additional support to single parents, and other much needed community support. These are true community projects, where they fundraise, build, and make full use of a variety of buildings for many reasons. You will learn much about the social circumstances of many of the poorest people in rural Kenya. The current project is working with a local conservation group to help them build a future accommodation for volunteers to increase their opportunities for help and income.
What's the project like?

The project is located about 10km from Naru Moro town, 160kms north of Nairobi. The local people in the community around here survive mainly on farming, and when crops fail they suffer badly.

The area you'll be living and working in is far away from the daily hustle and bustle of the towns and is definitely an ideal place if you want to relax, take it easy and get away from it all. Mount Kenya, the second highest point in Africa, is just a few kilometers away and the top can be seen on a clear day.

Highlights

Trip Highlights:

* Getting your hands truly dirty working with the local community!
* Spending time in this stunning part of the world
* Exploring National Parks at weekends
* Dancing to Kenyan music - some of the catchiest in Africa!

Qualifications

Why does the project need volunteers?

The projects depend on the goodwill and donations from the local community and sponsors from around the world to keep things moving. They will always welcome additional labor - but don't worry - strong muscles aren't a must. Any particular skills you may have, such as building, organizational, engineering will be gratefully utilized but we can't stress enough that just being motivated and enthusiastic is all you really need for this project!

You will find yourself getting involved in many aspects of the building process, depending on the stage you join the project at. You could find yourself getting stuck into a number of mucky tasks, ranging from helping to renovate established buildings, to finishing off work well under way, or starting a building completely from scratch!

Activities and schedule:

Whilst on the building project, your help would be appreciated between Monday and Friday for around six hours a day. Of course, any additional help that you would like to give will never be turned away, but it's important that you have your time to relax and see more of Kenya too!

You will need to have an appetite for hard work, be very hands-on, and willing to get involved with a variety of tasks. You should be an outdoors person and be prepared to work in different weather conditions. While building experience is not necessary, if you have a specific skill it will be welcomed! The ability to view the bigger picture and long-term goals on the project are essential to the understanding of activities that may seem repetitive and a little insignificant at times.

Very few community building projects have a set timescale for their construction, as local communities will raise some money, use it to buy materials and build until these materials run out. Then they will wait until they have raised more money to start on the next phase. For this reason, building projects in Kenya may change with quite short notice, so you must be prepared to fit in with whatever is currently going on.

You'll find there are many types of building processes in Kenya, ranging from traditional styles using locally found materials such as wood and stones, to the bricks-and-cement style you may be more familiar with, so you'll need to adapt to the materials you're working with.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

USD 1,299.00 for 1 week, USD 220.00 for every week

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Pre-departure orientation/Training

Program Fees Include:

What's Included

* Accommodation: Shared dormitory room in hostel
* Food: Breakfast and dinner
* Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
* Training: In-country orientation
* Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

18-80

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Dormitory
• Group living

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently

i-to-i Volunteering's Mission Statement

i-to-i Volunteering provides unique opportunities for you to travel, work and volunteer abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 16 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations. With over 130 projects on 4 continents, across 22 countries you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching English, community development, conservation, home building, and working with animals.

Year Founded

1994