Volunteer in Kenya

Probably the region’s 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.  Its the perfect place to spend your GAP year, or career break and so Go Mad and involved in some volunteering in Kenya.

Volunteer in Kenya

If you are looking to volunteer in Kenya for 2012 or 2013 then the Madventurer community teaching and building project is right up your street.  Kenya is a land where most of the population of rural villages live in abject poverty and where the cherished grasslands and lush forests are under threat from the dramatic onset of desertification. Yet despite its troubles, our Kenya volunteers are always warmly greeted by the people of the rural areas.  Volunteer in Kenya and help us to continue the amazing work and really Make A Difference in this wonderful country.  Whether its working with children, teaching English, or building sanitation blocks the community projects are great fun to get involved in.

Madventurer's Community Building and Teaching projects have slowly been working their way along the Great Rift Valley, beginning in the foothills of Mt Kenya in 2000.   Our Kenya Volunteers have been working along the Rift Valley which 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.  Our community project sites overlook the extinct volcano Mount Longonot, Lake Naivasha and the Aberdare Mountain range – stunning!  A great place to spend your GAP year in Kenya. 

Volunteer Building Projects in Kenya

The type of building projects in Kenya we get involved in varies and depends on volunteer numbers.  In the past volunteers in Kenya have helped to build sanitation blocks, water storage tanks, school classrooms, clinics, community halls and basic housing. 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 Madventurer Volunteers in the village community can be a great motivator to local people. No previous building experience necessary, we hire local tradesmen or craftsmen to do the specialised parts.

Volunteer Teaching Projects in Kenya 

Teaching English in Kenya is also part of the Community Project.  At what level, and to what extent, teachers get involved is up to each individual. During the first week of the  Community project, the Madventurer Crew Leader will introduce Volunteers who want to teach to the Principal of the local school to discuss the Volunteers interests and skill areas, and how these fit in with the school's needs.  Most volunteers teach English, no experience is needed as we provide you with a Madventurer Teacing pack that will help you to plan lessons.  Volunteers can also get involved in teaching Maths, Sports Coaching or any other part of the school timetable, depending on the schools resources. 

Kenya Volunteer Project Information

Ages: Min of 17 years and most volunteers in Kenya are GAP year students and career breakers

Food:  Breakfast normally consists of bread and jams, fresh fruit salad and sometimes a treat of a delicious cooked breakfast with eggs and beans. Mid morning you will have a tea break served with chapatti's (very popular in Kenya and you'll see why when you taste them!). Lunch and Dinner are the larger meals of the day often consisting of meat (often in stews) with locally sourced vegetables, rice or beans.

Accomodation: Accomodation does vary from project to project but you will be staying in a basic house in the village and sleeping on mattresses on the floor! Electricity and running water are not always available but its quite atmospheric sitting round chatting in the evenings with the only light from the oil lamps and getting up to a refreshing bucket shower!

Weekend Travel: The Rift Valley has an abundance of places of interest to visit on the weekends! Why not take a trip to Lake Naivasha to see the hippos and stay in some of the lively backpackers along its shores? There are many game parks such as Lake Nakuru National Park, Aberdare National Park or even Hell's Gate where you can go mountain biking, visit a massai village, gorge walking or rock climbing. Nairobi as well is only 2 hours away and there are various towns nearby where you can access internet, restaurants and shops.

Weather: During the day its usually nice and warm with an average temperature of about 18c however it can get a bit chilly in the evenings so its best to bring a fleece or a hoodie!

Volunteer Activities: This is a combination of Teaching and Building and becoming a member of the local community. No experience is needed for the building or the teaching.

Location: All of our projects are based in the Rift Valley near both Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha with spectacular panoramas and breathtaking escarpments. The nearest town is Gil Gil and from here you can easily get to any of surrounding places of interest or to Nairobi. 

Highlights: Receiving such a warm welcome from the community, getting to know all the friendly faces, being involved in village development, independent travel, chapatti's! 

"An excellent group of volunteers, we've all bonded very well. The crew are brilliant and the ladies at the house are sweet, funny and kind" Alex Lugnani, 2010

"Seeing the first classroom being painted - it was a great feeling giving the kids a better learning experience."  Tara Dickinson, 2009

"The best bit of the project was the people with whom I shared this great experience."  Matthew Easton

"The whole project was a real eye opener for how much I used to take for granted. Seeing how happy the community was and how they make the most of how little they have." Katie Heron, 18, 2007

"You get to teach with some of the happiest children in the world, build with some of the best builders in the world, and live in one of the best places in the world. It was truly the best experience of my life. I would go back at the drop of a hat." Volunteer in Kenya, 12 weeks, 2007

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If you have any questions on our volunteer projects in Kenya then just get in touch on 0845 121 1996, 01434 633137,  request a call back to save some money on your phone bill, or email team@madventurer.com .  You can get involved in Teaching in Kenya or building, or both, its totally up to you.  Give us a call for a chat about your GAP year plans......