Overview
Orphanage Volunteering in Kenya, Africa

Based in the vibrant city of Mombasa, East Africa this project takes you to the Bombolulu slum where urban migrant and disadvantaged communities live next to the upmarket residences of Nyali. At a children's centre you work alongside volunteer teachers providing education to the most vulnerable children, improving literacy, supporting counselling, environmental and social awareness. Out of school arts and sports programmes help combat social pressures that lead to substance abuse and crime. You will also volunteer at an orphanage for HIV / AIDS orphans, helping this local charity care for and educate the children in their care. This project allows you to gain an insight into the challenges faced by communities in East Africa and learn how grass-roots organisations offer real opportunities and care for the children most in need, with minimal resources. Experience history, traditional Swahili culture and cosmopolitan Kenya in the nation's second largest city. Visit Haller Park, home to giraffe, hippo, crocodile, monkeys, antelope and giant tortoise.
Other training options available at this location include a short term community development internship.

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I feel truly blessed to have worked with the children's centre and the people involved. Words simply cannot describe how appreciated your time and energy are in a project where the children and staff have so little to work with, but are making such positive strides. A life changing experience for any volunteer and the children receiving your help.

Tessa Doogue, GVI Volunteer

What Difference Does This Project Make?

The children's centre aims to provide under-privileged children with free education, and critically, lunch - hunger is one of the most common reasons children fail to attend government schools. In a holistic approach the centre offers counselling to children from broken or abusive homes or who are orphaned, as well as to parents. Entirely reliant on independent donors to rent small, basic classrooms, and volunteer teachers, the centre achieves remarkable results - children sponsored to go onto private mainstream education are typically within the top 10% of their class. The orphanage was set up as a charity to care for HIV / AIDS orphans, often abandoned as young babies. Children receive a secure homelife, education and medical care. This project delivers opportunities to children from disrupted homelives, supporting health and social awareness in an area with high HIV prevalence, prostitution and drug abuse, and limited access to healthcare. Volunteers not only make a direct contribution caring for and educating the children but increase the capacity of the centres to improve facilities, programmes and funding.

Highlights

A life changing experience caring for orphaned and vulnerable children; support primary education and receive training in communicative teaching; develop health, social and environmental awareness programmes through arts and sports; guide children on trips to Haller Park to view giraffe, hippo & crocodile. Put your skills and experience to use improving facilities and resources or fund-raising. Live amongst, learn from and support Kenya's urban impoverished communities; learn Swahili. Explore Mombasa's history, culture, beaches and nightlife.

Location

Mombasa sits on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast. Bombolulu is the city's largest slum area, adjacent to the wealthy suburb of Nyali, north of Mombasa island. The area includes the marine park and Mombasa's finest beaches, bars, restaurants and nightlife.

Field Conditions

The accommodation will consist of group living in a basic house with access to electricity and running water. Volunteers will be in mixed-sex dormitories and share cooking and cleaning duties. Food will be simple and nutritious, cooked on rotation, with fresh fruit and vegetables daily, and meat or fish a couple of times a week.