Kenya

I was allocated to work as a volunteer nurse at a small medical clinic called Kibera Human Development Project Clinic. The medical clinic is situated in one of the most deprived areas of Nairobi. I started working there 22 Nov/15 and i will complete 8 weeks working there.

I was received very professionally by an honest local representative of Kenya Global Crossroads, named Barnabas. He introduced me to the Doctor in charge and the staff of the Clinic.

I was honoured to work with Dr Stanley who is a wonderful caring, honest, dedicated and knowledgeable man. I admire him for his courage in undertaking this challenging work in a slum area of Nairobi.

I have learned a lot from him through observation and consultations.

I thank Global Crossroads who connected me to this volunteer opportunity.

Regards

Soraya Roberts

I worked as a volunteer one week in Tanzania and then
went to Kenya for a week safari. In Tanzania, it was a challenge since the children were young and most did not speak English, and also ! am used to working with older students. I would recommend the program to volunteers adept at working with younger children with limited English. The program is very valuable to the sites and Deo was an excellent, friendly coordinator. I learned a lot and am grateful for the opportunity.

I visited Kenya for one month, and at a time in my life when I felt it would be most beneficial to travel and learn about other cultures and be able to help where I could. Through IFRE I was not disappointed. I read many reviews before making the decision to journey down here and all were accurate. I stayed with Barnabas and his family, and he was there from the very beginning. He was in constant contact with me before I left the States, making sure I had everything I needed; and once I arrived he was at the airport waiting to take me to his home.
The family is increasingly friendly, like any new place it took a few days to get adjusted to the idea of living in an area entirely different from my home but the family made me feel welcome. I share a room with a family member of the same gender who is so sweet and very friendly. From the moment I arrived they assured me they wanted me to feel at home here and asked me what food I like to make sure they cook meals I enjoy. I have learned so much from them and the lifestyle down here. I have consistently meandered through the streets looking at the shops and traveling into the city. I feel very safe in the area, the people here don't seem to be in a hurry and are friendly as I walk down the streets. Public transit makes it easy to travel around and I have used it to its fullest. I am learning a little about the language and I have enjoyed working at Havilla Children's Centre and spending time with the kids.
This has been a truly enlightening experience. It is important to immerse yourself as much in the culture and I have succeeded in doing so with the help of Barnabas and his family.

I volunteered on a Masai cultural conservation project in Ewuaso, Kedong County, Kenya. I studied the Masai culture, and was given the chance to attend two ceremonies. One was an age group ceremony, the other a thanksgiving ceremony, in which the locals slaughtered and roasted a cow. My host family was very kind, and the man was very knowledgeable on the surrounding area and wildlife of Ewuaso. We even went on a long hike to Mt. Suswa, and got to see some pretty cool things along the way. I would highly recommend this program for anyone who is curious about the Masai culture.

Hey everyone! My name is Matt – and I’m a medical student from Canada. I was super fortunate to be able to do an elective with the Elective International.

I went to Mombasa in Kenya, and did my placement at the Coast General Provincial Hospital. I participated in several medical disciplines, such as internal medicine, emergency medicine, and surgery.
Day to day, I helped out in taking histories and physical exams for patients entering the ER, rounded on inpatients in the general medicine wards, and assisted in surgeries for minor procedures. I also helped out with day clinics to provide free checkups for hundreds of orphans and children living in slum areas.

Doing medicine here was a fascinating experience. It shared similarities with doing medicine at home, but was also vastly different from back at home. For example:

1. Resources were often very limited
- I learned to take appreciation for the very simple things such as water, hand sanitizers, face masks, and gloves that often weren’t available.

2. Smartphones and computers weren’t ubiquitous the same way they are back at home – you had to rely more on memory more than ever instead of relying on being able to look things up.

3. Some doctors were so talented and intelligent: they were up to date with the latest international guidelines for management of conditions, but also had to improvise and work around the resource barriers they faced day-to-day

4. Patients were so grateful for any care and advice you and the hospital staff give them – this is often in contrast with medicine back at home where patients often feel entitled to their healthcare.

5. The shocking amount of good handwriting by doctors. Blew my mind. Normally, doctors’ writing is illegible back at home.

6. Lastly and most importantly, this experience reminded me why I wanted to do medicine in the first place – simply, to help people. In the western world, physicians can easily get bogged down with the unfulfilling, impersonal and mundane clerical and financial tasks (in other words, the business side of medicine). All this can really retract from the personal side of medicine. Here, it was you and the patient, and what you can do to help them. Here, it was very obvious that the patients really needed the help, and the ability to provide that was very gratifying.

I lived in student housing in a nice area in Mombasa, Kenya. Several other students were here and it was a blast. We had spacious rooms with mosquito nets of course, a shared kitchen with a cook, a huge dining room, and even an in-ground pool.

In my spare time, I took some time off and did some fun stuff, like kite surfing, snorking, safaris, and after my elective, I went down to Tanzania and climbed mt Kilimanjaro.

Overall, I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. In particular, Manu was my physician mentor and Prishita was the elective coordinator, and both made my elective with Global Aid Team unforgettable.

Very good home stay experience staying with Barnabas in Nairobi, Kenya. Barnabas and his family of 5 work hard to ensure you are getting what you need and they truly make you feel as if their home is yours while you are there. The house is comfortable and my wife and I had our own room. The kids each had their own bed and slept in a room with a member of Barnabas' family (same gender).

The Kenyan people were quite friendly and we felt safe there. Given the elevation of Nairobi, the weather is very good and hovers between 20 and 29 C most of the year.

We worked at a nearby Children's Center where there were about 120 children between the ages of 4 and 8. The kids were active but very friendly. I helped the teacher in the oldest class while my wife and two kids (ages 12 and 14) helped the teachers and kids in the younger kids' classes.

Global Crossroad was responsive to our questions during the planning stages and they were one of best values we found for volunteering.

Darren (from Canada)

I'm volunteering in a slum-project in Kenya right now and am glad that there is no time limit of volunteering. All in all it's much better than expected. The particular institution, where I work, is a primary school/childrens centre [charity], basically for vulnerable and orphans, sick children and others, who are not able to attend a public school.
Probably the first thing you notice in this job, is that the kids are very excited about meeting a "mzungu" which means in Kiswahili white or European. As a volunteer you have much freedom in your work, in what to teach for example. For me personally it's the first job without having the feeling to play for the wrong team.

I also got an impression of how the children live in the kibera slums, but the accommodation for the volunteers is quite a contrast to that, though it's not exactly the most decent area of Kenya. A funny thing is, that in contrast to tourist-areas of Kenya you won't be bugged to buy things you don't want or similar things. In the slums you are not seen as tourist but as someone who's there to help. So the inhabitants are trained by the government not to chase you away. At least that's what I've been told.

This is my second week now, yet an educative experience for a lifetime. I can recommend the organization RCDP Nepal to anyone who intends to volunteer in Kenya.

I was sent out to the small town of Ewuaso to work alongside a modernized Masai family. I assisted with the herding of the cattle, along with many others. My main job while I was there, was to learn as much as I could about the Masai. Questions were answered in the form of one of the sons, who of which I worked with to herd the cattle. He taught me about the different Masai age groups among men, as well as the value of family and the cattle. The mother taught me about how many of the Masai are converting over from indigenous beliefs to Christianity, and how many of the women are dealing with emotional issues from the polygamy beliefs of the traditional Masai. It was a very interesting visit, and I learned a whole lot. I will be going back in the future.

I arrived in Kenya and was immediately picked up to my satisfaction even though the airport pickup fee was a bit high. I made it to Kibera, near Nairobi, where I stayed for a night at the country coordinator, Barnabas' home. The country coordinator and everyone else was very welcoming and courteous and made me feel at home.
The next day, I was driven to Maasai land where I stayed with a host family for four weeks. I helped with the family jewelry business and I learned a lot about how to make keyrings, bracelets, bangles, and necklaces. I also learned a lot about the Maasai culture, customs, and clothing. I even learned some Swahili during my stay.
I was very sad to leave but I can say that this has been an experience that I'll never forget. I made lifetime friends and connections with people across the world. Helping others, I have discovered more about myself and the people of Kenya.

I'm volunteering in Kenya for the Global Crossroad's health program in the Kibera slums, I've been here for 3 weeks and there are 2 weeks remaining. I've been helping a doctor in a clinic since I'm about to finish my career. My tasks here are attending patients with the doctor in charge, I take their vital signs, do the examination and discuss with him the plan to follow. I've also been helping in a school, playing with the kids, helping with their lessons and cooking the first week. I think that this is a country with a lots of needs, and volunteering is a good way to see the reality, to know the people, who are really grateful by the way, and to make a little change in their life. I don't think that by volunteering I'm doing a great change neither that is no worth in doing it, but at least I'm seeing the country with my owns eyes and now I can tell everybody how is living in Kenya and how much do they need a help. I've know lots of people so as to keep helping and making projects in the future. At overall until now I think this is a life changing experience, although you have to be strong enough so as to live the cultural shock of the first week, and get over it. I think that working here and with this company worth it, but be in mind that kenyan are not well known by their planification neither their organization. So don't be worry if they don't pick up from the airport on time, neither if your working place is not totally aware about how many weeks are you staying or what are your skill, or in what you can help. I feel that with a best planification, having especific tasks where there is need of a volunteer, and making it clear since the very begining it could be much better, but that also a cultural issue. I would reccomend it if you are a person who can handle with this kind of issue and can get over the cultural shock, if you are so and you are seeking for adventure you should come.