Kenya for Volunteers

Kenya is a great country to volunteer and travel in. Here you can witness the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Masai Mara National Reserve, taking in unforgettable wildlife experiences in the country’s national parks and preserves while seeing endangered lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard, and rhino populations.

Though amazingly beautiful, Kenya is still a developing country, with the typical problems facing much of the third world. Poor economic diversity, lack of opportunity and education, along with rapid population growth, all conspire to keep half of the population living in poverty. Unfortunately, this affects poor communities, children, and women the most.

Today, many local organizations work to help poor communities and children desperately need volunteers more than ever.

There are many volunteer opportunities In Kenya for you to get involved with and make a difference through. You can teach in schools, serve in medical clinics, or offer support in orphanages or help in an HIV/AIDS awareness program. No matter what program you join, you will have the opportunity to share your passion, and change the lives of others while changing your own.

Volunteer Opportunities in Kenya: Fees & Start Dates:

Start Dates: Our Kenya volunteer programs usually start every Monday, although we allow for flexibility due to travel constraints and if you require another start-date, we can usually accommodate your needs.

Please check the program page for the available dates

Fees:

Since 2010, Travellers Africa has been the most trusted and respected volunteer abroad organization in the world, and also the most affordable. We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality volunteer programs at the lowest fees, which make it possible for everyone, especially students, to volunteer internationally and make a positive impact in the lives of others.

When you join our volunteer in Kenya program, IFRE arranges your accommodation and provides supervision for your entire volunteering trip. You will stay with a well-screened host family throughout the project, who will provide a secure and comfortable living environment for you for the entire duration of your stay.

Like hundreds of past volunteers, you will experience a home away from home while living with our host family in Kenya, as they will welcome like a family member and ensure that you are safe and comfortable every step of the way.

When you live with a host family, you will get to live like a local, participating in their rituals and ceremonies as well as share authentic and delicious food with them. It also provides an ideal opportunity for you to immerse yourself in Kenyan culture and practice the local language.

Our Kenyan host families are located in beautiful areas of Nairobi and rural Kenya, and the homes are clean and sparsely furnished but also equipped to cater to all your needs.

The host families selected are socially respected, educated, responsible and hold years of experience in hosting international volunteers. Our main criteria when screening and selecting potential host families are our volunteers’ safety and comfort as well as the cultural exchange that our volunteers can enjoy when staying with them

Facilities in the Host Families

The host families have multiple comfortable bedrooms equipped with two single beds, tidy bedding materials, mosquito nets, electricity outlets and other required facilities. In most situations, you will share your room with another volunteer of the same gender.

For those not comfortable sharing a room, single rooms can also be provided, however this will come at an extra charge.

Internet access is provided free of charge to volunteers during our volunteering in Kenya projects, with the exception of projects in Machakos, where poor infrastructure makes this impossible. However, you can still buy a local SIM card and use mobile data to access the internet.

Clean and comfortable bathroom facilities are available, equipped with western Toilets and running tap water in Nairobi, while in Machakos, toilets are traditional pit latrines and volunteers shower using buckets. Laundry services are offered at the accommodation in both cases.

Necessary amenities like ATMs, healthcare clinics, hospitals, grocery stores, internet cafés, restaurants, supermarkets and others are available near your accommodation, and your project placement is located 30 minutes walking distance from the host family.

Meals

As part of the fee for our volunteer in Kenya project, IFRE also arranges your meal plans. Our host provides you with a wide variety of delicious and authentic Kenyan meals, and you will share 3 quality home-cooked meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) together with the host family.

For breakfast you can expect tea/coffee, egg, pancakes, bread, sausages, peanuts, fruits, and oats, while lunch and dinner will consist of rice (both spiced and regular), ugali, beans, beef and vegetables.

Ugali is a staple food in Kenya and is eaten daily, with other common dishes being Sukuma Wiki, Nyama Choma, Chips Mayai, Mutura, and more. Staple ingredients used to prepare Kenyan dishes are grains, fresh vegetables, beef, fish, flour, and spices.

Ugali is prepared with maize , sorghum or millet flour, and is commonly enjoyed together with beef or bean stew and serve as a good source of iron. Sukuma Wiki consists of collard greens that are cut and marinated with onions and tomatoes prior to cooking.