Karin used her trip to further her career prospects. “I wanted some first hand experience before moving towards a career in community development.” There are also opportunities for work experience in areas such as journalism, medicine and teaching.

Another reason such projects are popular, is the desire for people to escape the rat race and avoid the pit falls of the typical tourist destinations, while at the same time using a company like Mad to ensuring their safety overseas. Madventurer’s crew are experienced travellers trained in expedition first aid and crisis management.

“I wanted to achieve something practical and tangible from my time in the community. I needed to know that the project I was taking part in really was benefiting the local people and wasn’t just a feel-good tourist trap which wasn’t designed to really help the local community or economy.”

Despite a thriving capital of Nairobi, many Kenyans are extremely poor with low standards of living, Madventurer’s projects range from helping build schools to teaching and orphanage work

“I feel I have gained an invaluable insight into real Kenyan life. Not what you see when you go on holiday somewhere but the kind of knowledge you can only get from negotiating local transport, buying food from markets and living amidst the community.”