Kenya

I had always been looking for a reason to go to Africa and the opportunity to volunteer with the Nakuru Kenya Family Project made visiting Africa a life changing experience. I was able to work in the learning centre and I had the opportunity to work within the community by helping the children and their families who are looked after by the project.

Every cent of the money I donated to the project I could see being utilised in the community on a daily basis. The money went toward food, building supplies, medicine supplies, clothing, equipment for the school and more.

This project has a holistic and sustainable approach to offering education, food and shelter to the most in need in Kwatembwa (one of the largest slums in Nakuru).

Susan Saleeba, the amazing director of this project, is brilliantly passionate and has committed her life to this worthwhile cause. I look forward to being able to return to Nakuru and would happily volunteer for this project again.

When I volunteered in Nakuru I was 18 years old (the youngest to volunteer), however I would urge anyone of any age to volunteer as there is always something to be done. Volunteering with the Nakuru Kenya Family Project is a valuable life experience and you would be helping to better the lives of those who are in need.

This was absolutely the most amazing experience I have ever had.  It completely changed the way that I see the world and made me so incredibly grateful for everything that I have.  ABV made it very easy to plan for the trip and Sarah was absolutely wonderful about answering any and all questions I had.  ABV is a fantastic organization to go through and they help you make priceless connections in other countries.  You truly cannot know how much volunteering abroad will change your life until you get out there and do it. The kids at the Makuyu Village Orphanage are intelligent, kind, hard workers.  They deserve all the love that any volunteers could ever give them.  Every morning I would wake up and eat breakfast with the other volunteers.  We would then either help with laundry, cleaning, or cooking.  One day, we worked on demolishing an old rabbit room in the barn so it could be used for storage.  Another day, we worked on the ABV mural.  There is always something to do if you are willing to go ask one of the staff members what they need help with.  We often used the time while the older children were in school to go into town and buy supplies.  A few of the younger kids don't go to school yet, so they are always around to hang out with, play with, and love on during the day.  All in all, this was an amazing experience and I can't wait to do it again.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at cdcottam1@gmail.com .  I am happy to talk to anyone who is considering going.  Despite the corruption, Kenya is a wonderful place full of amazing people and I am so thankful that I discovered A Broader View and had the opportunity to go to the Makuyu Village Orphanage. 

Volunteering in Nakuru was truly an inspiring and life changing experience. I stayed one month with a local family while volunteering at the hospital there. The family was unbelievably welcoming and so enthusiastic to have me stay with them. The people of Nakuru were so kind and excited to have us visit. On weekends I could travel and see the beautiful country. Can't wait to go back!!

Visiting Kenya with Nakuru Kenya Family Project was fantastic.
It was great to see the visible effects of the work over timescales of days and actually meet the people that were benefitting directly.
Those leading this programme have a great heart for the people of Nakuru and go to unbelievable lengths to lift them up and help them out.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kenya and was challenged by both the situations I faced but also the people working tirelessly to help them.

I really enjoyed my 3 week trip to Kenya, and was very glad to volunteer through Frontier and Touch Africa, their partner organisation in Kenya. In particular the support and advice before and at the beginning of the trip was invaluable. Touch Africa picked us up from the airport, and they helped us with any organisation that we had to do, such as getting a bus back to Nairobi at the end of the stay and arranging for us to go on safari. I was working in an orphanage in the town of Malindi (which is about 2 hours from Mombasa) with kids aged anyway from 3 to 14. There was a school attached to the orphanage, and in the mornings we mostly spent the time teaching the class of about 20, although we also helped with washing, fetching water etc. In the afternoons, we entertained the kids, and soon found that one of their favourite activities was colouring in! One of the best parts of the trip was seeing that you really could make a positive impact on the lives of these children even if you only worked there for a few weeks. While in Malindi, I stayed in a homestay near to the orphanage. Although I was nervous about this at first, the family was extremely welcoming and we found that we fitted in much quicker than we thought we would. Frontier kept in regular contact with all the volunteers and if I had had any problems it would have been easy to ask for help. Another highlight of my time in Kenya was the safari that Touch Africa had organised for us in Tsavo. This did cost slightly more than the some of the other safaris on offer, but I think that it was worth it for having such a well-organised trip - we stayed in a really nice lodge and had a fantastic safari guide, which meant that we were able to see many of the 'big 5.' I would really recommend this trip, especially to those who are volunteering for the first time, as the support network is so good, allowing you to feel safe and get the most out of the trip.

My experience with GVI in Kenya was truly invaluable, both professionally and personally. The internship gave me all the tools I needed to create sustainable eco-tourism projects at our partner placement KEEP in Kakamega Forest. I worked directly with the women’s group there and together we create a community tour program, with the women as the tour guides. This alternative lifestyle not only empowered the women with education about conservation initiatives like bee-keeping and tree nurseries, but with supplemental income that will be invested in their families and the community at large. The women have inspired me to continue working in the sustainable development field, specifically in community development and ecotourism. The project also proved to me how community-led and community owned operations and businesses are models that can work sustainably. My greatest moment at GVI came at the end of my 10 week work placement when the women organized, programmed and facilitated a community tour for 10 visiting students. They made enough money to register themselves as a CBO and opened an account to invest in conservation projects, and also gave them a little something to take home for themselves. The women are out of the forest, but not yet out of the woods. They have long-term goals related to conservation that they have laid out to continue their entrepreneurship, education and empowerment. The work I did there laid the groundwork for my masters in sustainable development, and the experience has granted me the tools to start my career in the field.

DO NOT VOLUNTEER WITH THIS COMPANY. I SAW WHERE ONLY AROUND 25% OF MY MONEY WENT AND THE REST I HAVE NO IDEA. WELL I DO - THE POCKETS OF THIS COMPANY. THE PROJECTS WERE FINE BUT WHEN YOU ARE PAYING THIS TYPE OF MONEY I EXPECTED MUCH MORE TO BE GOING TO THEM. THAT IS WHAT I PAID FOR, NOT FOR SOME COMPANY TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES. I FEEL LIED TO AND CHEATED! LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING!

Where do i start with my African adventure with GVI. I volunteered with GVI on a volunteering disadvantaged children programme in Mombasa, Kenya. I have never been to Africa before, other than Egypt yet heard so many great things about it. The one word people associate Africa with is poverty, and while they are completely correct there is so much more to Africa than one can imagine. Many of us have this picture in our minds of what Africa is like yet when you experience it first hand you gain so much more knowledge and most importantly an understanding of what its like.
I flew with British Airways from Manchester which I would strongly advice to anyone doing gvi Kenya as it was a direct flight straight to Mombasa. A lot of volunteers from the UK did not have a direct flight so i felt pretty lucky to not have to stop in Nairobi for a considerably amount of time. While I was learning some phrases in Swahili on the plane such as Jambo etc my excitement went sky high through the roof. As soon as I got onto the plane I just wanted to immediately jump off and be in Mombasa there and then.
Words cannot describe how amazing my experience of teaching was. I was based at Precious, the name says it all....the children were absolutely amazing. Straight away I got use to the name Madam Kate...what I would do to be called that forever, the respect I received from them was just incredible. Every time I think of the children I automatically can visual the smiles that were permanently on the children’s faces. The fact they had so little yet seemed so happy and full of energy truly took my breath away. These children had more energy than me and you put together, especially Oscar, he was a cheeky little boy yet full of life and wouldn’t change him for the world. The word Jambo and habari yako never got old. People you had never seen before would automatically say Jambo to you as you’re walking by which was really refreshing to see how friendly the Kenyan people were. Driving through the slums on the buda budas everyday to the non governmental school was a real eye opener to how hard life is for people in this world. Words can’t describe how upsetting it was to see the conditions adults and children lived in.
They children need our love,guidance,support and dedication to help them progress on in improving in school whether it is their English skills, art, sports, maths or science etc....the key point is your there to teach and to give them hope that they can achieve things in life. One of my favourite quotes by Nelson Mandela is, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. Education is without a doubt the best chance these children have on escaping poverty. No think is impossible which I personally tell myself every day. However big or small the difference is it is still a difference you would be making.
My time with GVI was truly life changing. I learnt so much while I was out there that has made me grow as a person for the better. I found confidence doing this project, happiness in knowing i was contributing to making a difference for these children’s lives, a huge sense of positivity was developed while I was out there and I’m so proud to say that it has stayed with me ever since. I have learnt that education shouldn’t be taken for granted. These children’s faces lit up every time I mentioned I was going to do one to one reading with that particular person. They are delightful children to be around who have so much potential, charisma, enthusiasm and passion which was a wonderful atmosphere for myself and the rest of the GVI volunteers and staff to be a part of.

Love Kate x

If you are looking for a mentally and physically challenging trip that will make a difference, I'd definitely recommend the GVI Kenya program. The training is tough and the living conditions are very basic, but the rewards are unsurpassable. If you're lucky, you should have many beautiful encounters with wild dolphins. We only saw a few but that's just the luck of the draw really, because just after we left they were out again in full force! I strongly recommend immersing yourself in the local culture and using your weekends off to hang out with the locals rather than at the regular tourist spots. My time on Wasini Island and in Old Town Mombasa was the best :)

I recently went to Kenya with my school program and I must say that this experience has truly affected my life. Having a representative from Rustic Volunteer with us to me provided additional support and insight into what it meant to be a volunteer in Kenya. Our rustic representative helped us to make connections with the local people, allow us exposure to the life of a Kenyan, thier resiliance and beauty. In the future I would feel comfortable not going with a representative as I was able to make my own connections with local professionals and those who gave us a place to stay for the duration of our time there. I do think though, that for first time visitors it is highly reccomended to have someone from an organization, like Rustic to help guide you through your experiences in whatever country you choose!

All and all this was an experience I will never forget and feel fortunate to have had the opportuntiy to share so much with the wonderful people of Kenya!