Description

Volunteering on a Care project in Kenya is a rewarding way to help improve conditions for disadvantaged local children. Volunteers with qualifications and experience are welcome but you do not need to have either to volunteer. Energy, passion, and a commitment to the children you will be working with are all that is required.

While Kenya is the most industrially developed country in East Africa, the HIV and AIDS epidemic has had a huge impact on the population. The number of new cases of HIV is slowly decreasing; however, the situation is unlikely to improve significantly for years to come.

Thousands of children in Kenya have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Many orphans are taken in by extended family members, but those families already afflicted by poverty may struggle to cope both financially and emotionally and find themselves unable to care for these already traumatized children. The children are therefore often placed in orphanages and care homes.

We have a variety of volunteer options in Kenya, working in both orphanages and care homes with children aged from 0 to about 14 years old. Our Care placements are located in and around the town of Nakuru, 160km northwest of Nairobi.

We also have some placements in smaller care homes and day care centers that look after children from single parent families or the children of homeless parents.

Whichever volunteer Care project you join in Kenya you need to be ready for a challenge. Many of the children are desperate for attention and there may sometimes be children in your care who have health problems or who need special attention due to disabilities.

Highlights

Your role as a volunteer will be spending quality one-to-one time with the children, playing games with a group of children, and finding a way to put a smile on their faces. Providing much needed attention and affection is what makes volunteers so valuable.

Whether you are feeding and bathing babies and toddlers, taking a group of children out for an afternoon trip, helping older children with English homework, or playing a game with the younger ones, you will be an essential part of their development. Please let us know about any extra interests or skills that you have that could be used at your placement.

Qualifications

None

Type of Programs

• Community Service / Volunteerism

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

Please see our websites for details

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Written materials abroad

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Childcare/children
• Community Development
• Orphans
• Street Kids
• Volunteering
• Youth

Age Range

16+

This Program is open to

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

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement

As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded

1992