I was so lucky to have found Nakuru Hope from this website as I had been looking forever to find the right place to volunteer. I spent 5 weeks at NAKURU HOPE'S Gabriel School which was simply amazing.
I had heard many things of other organisations that it was expensive and when you go there you still had to pay for more, this i had to admit frightened me, but one I booked with the Founder of Nakuru Hope, a really nice lady, Susan Saleeba, I was taken through each step and they don't charge you to volunteer like so many do. Ofcourse I had to pay for my airfare and accommodation but thats normal. My accommodation was great, and meet other volunteers that really enjoyed being there with the kids, who are just adorable. I suppose the best part of volunteering with Nakuru Hope was that it is very hands on, we visited families in their own homes, helped them by getting food, water and even helped in making their little rooms more liveable, i am just amazed still with all that we could do, we just weren't shoved in the back of a classroom, we were made to feel that we could make and difference and by the end of my 5 weeks stay i really felt that i had.
Christopher is the head of the school and works with you in the home visits, he is such a wonderful person, very caring and you can see that he really appreciates all that you do. The teachers are great and welcomed us into help in the class rooms if we wanted to. I liked helping in the kitchen to get the lunches ready for the children, for some its the only meal that they get to eat during the day.
All in all, i am thankful to Susan for all the tireless work that she has done, she began in a little school and now through lots of hard work has a school full of children that have a future, an amazing person, and i got to meet her as she came to Kenya the day before i had to leave. Great sense of humour. I will definitely be back I have to go back as i made so many friends, and saw that all its really true on their website that the money donated goes direct to the many needs of the children and families. I saw this myself, which is amazing nowadays with so many organisations that take money out for big advertisements etc. Susan's work is all voluntary, she has invited me to visit her in Australia and I just might do that one day but not before I come back to Nakuru Hopes school and families. check out the website www.nakuruhope.org
Nakuru Hope
I spent 3 weeks doing voluntourism at Nakuru Hope in 2013. I had previously met the founder and director, Susan Saleeba, when my nephew volunteered at the project in 2011 at just 18. I was keen to see it and also help wherever I could.
We arrived into Nairobi and were met and transferred to the Nairobi Club, an historic and beautiful building, to spend one night. The next morning, we made our way to Nakuru, visiting a giraffe refuge and also an elephant orphanage - well worth it! At the lookout at the Rift Valley, (a Wow moment) we were nearly there. Reaching the homestay, we were welcomed by Rosemary, our hostess. The homestay is comfortable and secure and close to the CBD.
After a day of orientation, we set off to the Learning Centre. Our lone man was seconded as a fixit guy and helped at the land, where our new school was to be built and also in the slums, mending doors,frames,locks, beds, etc. Susan was busy with admin and finalising the plans for the new building ( now completed)! Gail had nursing experience so she handled some minor, and not so minor, medical problems. We all visited families in the slums to check on them and perhaps to offer a food parcel, or to provide immediate food for kids who hadn't eaten for 2-3 days. We sorted lentils and beans and made chapattis for lunches, taught in the classroom, did some office work, and made ourselves useful. And of course spent time with the wonderful children - teaching, playing, singing, dancing, reading , cuddling. Joy!
The tourism part came into play at the weekends, as the school was closed then. We went to the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru National Park ( the one with the pink flamingoes), the Equator, and souvenir hunting. Missed out on some things but there is always 'next time' and there will be a next time for me as I want to go back 2014 to see the progress and just to be there and do whatever again!
If you have been thinking about volunteering in Africa but have absolutely no idea where to start then Nakuru Hope is the place for you.
I spent many months making enquiries only to find that I was required to put up considerable amounts of money with absolutely no idea of where it was going and how it was being spent.
Through a friend, I found an extraordinary woman called Susan Saleeba who has spent the past seven years caring for the most disadvantaged people in the sprawling slum at Kaptembwa on the outskirts of Nakuru in Kenya.
Earlier this year I spent three weeks with Susan and a group of volunteers from various parts of Australia. I would like to emphasise that every cent raised goes directly to the people and you can see how it makes a difference.
The home stay in Nakuru is very safe and comfortable.
Each day consisted of visiting families with Christopher the Operations Manager, assisting teachers at The Learning Centre and helping with food preparation for the children's lunches.
This was an experience I will never forget. The beautiful smiling faces of the children with outstretched arms, always ready for a cuddle.
At the end of 2013 Susan will open her new school and orphanage providing safely and comfort for her "families".
I encourage you to take the step, you will never regret it.
I volunteered for Nakuru Hope for 8 weeks and it was one of the best experiences of my life. It has been nearly two years since my visit, and I still think about this life-changing experience every day. Working at Gabriel's Learning Centre was fulfilling and exciting, I loved assisting in teaching the pre-primary students, playing games with the children, and singing and dancing with them. It was eye-opening to participate in home visitations of the people of Kaptembwa (one of the largest slums in Kenya). Helping the families directly by purchasing food for the week or purchasing various other items in which they needed was extremely impactful. It was fantastic to see the donations given used so quickly and directly towards the cause. In addition, I enjoyed working on projects such as building a latrine and cleaning out the home of a man afflicted with AIDS. As a 19-year old who had never traveled overseas in my life, Kenya was a perfect place to go. Kenyans are so warm-hearted, welcoming and friendly. I felt safe living with Rosemary. She was helpful at accommodating outings such as visiting lake Nakuru and participating in the Masai Mara safari. I can't say enough about Susan Saleeba (the founder of the organization). I lived with Susan for 3 weeks, which was an experience in itself. She has such a beautiful spirit. I have never met a woman as giving as herself who is so dedicated to her job. Christopher, the operations director of Gabriel's matches Susan with his hard work, kindness and patience. This entire experience gave me such an appreciation for life, and I will definitely return in the future.
I spent 3 weeks volunteering with Nakuru Hope over the last summer. I had always wanted to volunteer in Kenya, but was cautious about choosing an organization, as there seemed to be a lot of negative reviews out there! After reading the reviews on this website for Nakuru Hope, I got in contact with Susan, and since then I've found the process of volunteering an absolute breeze (especially compared to some of the horror stories you find out there on the internet!)
I spent 3 weeks teaching at a small school, playing with the kids, and visiting the families of the students in the slums of Kaptembwa. Everyone involved in the organization was friendly, helpful, and genuinely passionate about helping raise the community out of poverty. Although it was difficult to see the terrible conditions that people endure in the slum, it was a pleasure to work with an organization that squeezes the most value out of the resources it has.
My time in Kenya exceeded my expectations, and I would strongly recommend Nakuru Hope to anyone interested in volunteering overseas.
