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Kenya - Community Building and Teaching

Challenge:: Building and Teaching
Destination:: *Kenya, Africa Combos
Departure Dates From:: 03/04/2010

If you would like to chat online please email elainel@madventurer.com or give us a call on 0845 121 1996 for more info.

Madventurer projects in Kenya are located deep in the Rift Valley near both Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha with spectacular panoramas and breathtaking escarpments. With opportunities to visit world-famous national parks like Hells Gate and the Maasai Mara or relax on the palm fringed beaches of the Indian Ocean, Kenya is the perfect location to indulge your senses.

Latest News from Mad HQ 01/02/10

Our summer projects are starting to fill up fast. If you are interested then don't delay and get your deposit of GBP £150 in to secure a place. Please note our Mar/Apr and Jul/Aug projects currently have only 8 places left for each trip.

Probably the regions most popular tourist destination, Kenya is a land of exceptional natural beauty. A country where you can see traditionally dressed Maasai and their herds traversing the expanse of rolling savannah, visit world famous national parks and lounge on golden beaches, however few tourists venture off the established trail. Kenya is also a land where most of the population of rural village's lives in abject poverty and where the cherished grasslands and lush forests are under threat from the dramatic onset of desertification. Yet despite its troubles, you will be warmly greeted by the people of the rural areas. Madventurer projects have slowly been working their way along the Great Rift Valley, beginning in the foothills of Mt Kenya in 2000.

The Rift Valley is one of the wonders of the world. It is part of a 6,000 km rift system running from Northern Syria through Kenya and Tanzania to Mozambique. In the past this area was the centre for great volcanic activity thus the scenery is breathtaking and the approach, via road or rail from Nairobi, takes you gently through the highlands and brings you suddenly to the edge of the Rift Valley which drops away to a ribbon of green in the valley floor below. Our project sites overlook the extinct volcano Mount Longonot, Lake Naivasha and the Aberdare Mountain range...stunning!

Building

The core of each Madventurer project is the building work that we undertake in the village. This is the most tangible contribution that we make to the host community, and forms a focus for the group. We try to plan projects such that there are a range of activities for Venturers to get involved in - those less keen on heavy building work usually take up the lighter, but equally important, work such as painting or plastering.

The key to any project is the partnership between our team and the local community. As well as bringing essential funding to the project, the presence of a team of Venturers in the village community can be a great motivator to local people. On every project, it takes time for villagers to get used to the idea that Venturers - especially girls - actually want to help with manual labour, and initially you will find people trying to do all the work for you. Once you explain that you genuinely want them to teach you the basic skills (eg. how to mix cement or lay bricks), the partnership really begins to develop, allowing everyone to get stuck in.

Teaching

With the average Kenyan wage of 1-2 dollars a day, most communities find it difficult to find the funds needed to repair schools and build further facilities which are necessary for a standard learning environment. In this area especially, where agriculture is very difficult due to lack of rainfall, communities must rely on a few cattle to fund an entire family. This makes funding anything other than daily life for a family difficult.

Classrooms are usually quite basic, comprising brick or wooden, a tin roof and simple wooden desks. Windows may be simply holes in the wall, or may be fitted with frames and glass. Resources available to teachers and students are limited, with a blackboard and a few textbooks for the class to share being about all many schools have. Some children have to share pens and pencils so these can be useful items to donate via teachers.

At what level, and to what extent, teachers get involved is up to each individual. During the first week of the project, the Madventurer Crew Leader will introduce Venturers who want to teach to the Principal of the local school to discuss the Venturers interests and skill areas, and how these fit in with the school's needs.

The term times in Kenya differ somewhat to our own in that the start of the school year is in January. There is then half term during Easter (around 3 weeks off), and after taking all of August off, the second term starts in September through to November. Please be aware of this when planning for your trip - if your trip does coincide with a holiday, it is possible to arrange some extra curricular activities with the children if you wish. Crew can discuss these possibilities with you on your arrival.

Why not join one of our amazing adventures after your volunteer project......

Kenya and Tanzania Safari 19 days Nairobi to Dar Es Salaam adventure

If you would like to team up your volunteer project with an amazing overland safari then check out our "Kenya and Tanzania Safari 19 days Nairobi to Dar Es Salaam. You can experience the best of Kenya and Tanzania including The Massai Mara, Nakuru National Park, Lake Naivasha, Serengeti National park and Ngorongoro Crater. Visit Sheldrick's Elephant Scantuary, the Giraffe Park and a Massai village.

Just drop us an email or give us a call if you would like to check out dates for this excellent combo! Don't leave it too late as places are going fast.....

Volunteer Feedback Kenya community project

Volunteer Matthew Easton Kenya project July/Aug 6 weeks:

"The experience has been so life enhancing and has given me memories that will stick with me for a lifetime. I have made a lot of great friends this summer with whom I intend to stay in touch with for years to come".

Day in the life of a Kenya volunteer - "Wake up early to the sound of a cockerill screeching and find that you have your face stuck in a mosquito net. A plentiful breakfast of fruit and bread before jumping into your muddy wet boots and embarking on a long walk to the project site. Speak to the siteforeman first thing to see where he needs you to work that day then grab a shovel and get stuck in. The morning session is always a good one as the temperature has not quite reached max yet and you have chai time to motivate you. Rose and Anne would turn up at 11 with chapattis and tea to give you an enery boost and chance to rest. Most days you would have at least one or two lessons of teaching before lunch. After lunch finding the motivation to get off the sofa and drag yourself back to the project site was always testing but became part of the daily routine. In the afternoon you would have to cope with the scorching heat and falling energy levels but the prospect of a tusker at the holiday inn bar after work would always keep me going. When it was four o'clock we would down tools for the day and clean up. Several times a week we would gather a team of madventurers to take on the schools football team in a very competitive clash between Kenyans and Mzungu. Then we would no doubt end up in the holiday inn to drown our sorrows after yet another defeat. The evenings often involved a bit of washing, a bucket shower and lots of card games. Dinner would be served around seven and then depending on the day of the week we may or may not have organised a night entertainment at the house or venture out to one of the bars in nearby Gilgil. At the end of the day you feel shattered but satisfied after an honest days labour and the thin mattress on the floor looks like the most comfortable bed you have ever seen".

Recent News from Mad HQ - Please note our places for the Kenya projects throughout the year are filling up fast. We are already at over half capacity for our our summer projects so don't delay in getting your £150 deposit down to secure a place!