Do you love working with children? Volunteer with us Today! We are Action Kenya Initiative, a charity organization in Kakamega County, rural Kenya, East Africa. Our main programs are in Education, Health, and Community Empowerment, engaging youth and women in groups. In the health program, we do referrals through partnerships with other organizations and partner hospitals in Kenya, we also do medical camps where we reach out to the unreached or those families who can not go to the hospital either due to stigma or their economic vulnerability.
In education, we have a community school that educates the vulnerable children in the community. Our pupils’ age ranges from age 4 to age 12 years. We are striving to ensure that the majority of children in the community get free basic education without discrimination and which is their basic right.
We are looking for volunteers to work with kids at the school, talk to youth and women in groups about the issues of mental health, help at our local dispensary (For those with a medical background), The language spoken by the natives is Luhya (Oluluhya)
What type of host are you? ๐ก
- Organization/NGO
What are you looking for help with?
- Administration ๐
- Babysitting ๐ฉโ๐ผ
- Charity Work/Fundraising ๐ฐ
- Cleaning ๐งน
- Computer/Web ๐ป
- Teaching/Language Exchange ๐งโ๐ซ
- Farming/Gardening ๐ฟ๐
- General Help ๐โโ๏ธ
- Health/Medical/Assistance ๐ฉโโ๏ธ๐ฉบ
- Marketing ๐
- Writing โ
What’s the mission of your community? ๐ฏ
Volunteers are welcome to involve themselves in daily activities at our school and interact with the wider community. This hands-on experience offers a deeper understanding of our lifestyle and culture.
Volunteers age restrictions ๐
For those under the age of 18, which is considered as the legal age in Kenya, a special request and consideration is required. Approval from a guardian or parent will be necessary.
Volunteers with disabilities โฟโ
Volunteers who are abled differently can be engaged in classwork by playing with the kids and teaching, and mentoring communities of youth and women in groups.
How many volunteers could you host? ๐
- Up to 10 volunteers
When would you need volunteers? ๐
- All year long
How many hours of help per day? โฑ
- 4-5 hours of help per day…
How many days of help per week? ๐
- 5 days per week – 2 days off
Note about the volunteer work and other expectations ๐
We do not make any plans for volunteers ahead but usually, our volunteers find their way in quickly after adapting to the new environment. The school is in rural Kenya, so it usually takes some adaptation time. We have no internet access at the school but volunteers staying can use modems or their phones through the creation of a shared hotspot, or buy internet bundles to use in their phones.
We have school holidays in April (First Term) August (Second Term) and December (Third Term),
Volunteers stay for free and can eat with the children who love eating typical Kenyan food (Ugali, Kienyeji, Githeri food). Our pupils use stream water, therefore you are advised to carry chlorine tablets to purify the water.
As a volunteer, you can help in lots of different fields, depending on your abilities and experiences. We had volunteers who loved teaching, while others preferred training youth in youth groups, women’s groups, helping at a local dispensary, etc.
As a volunteer, you can also help in the school feeding program by cooking and also serving the kids due tea breaks and lunchtime. The school has a feeding program. Volunteers can also help in charity work around the community as they familiarize themselves with the community, they can also help us in fundraising to support some of our activities.
Are accommodation and food included? ๐ ๐
Yes, we offer food and accommodation
What type of accommodation can you provide? ๐
- Dormitory/shared rooms ๐
- Private Room ๐
- Private home ๐
- Hotel Room ๐จ
- Private room for a couple ๐
Diet – nutrition information ๐ฅ๐ฅค
They will eat with the children who love eating typical Kenyan food (Ugali, Kienyeji, Githeri food). Our pupils use stream water, therefore you are advised to carry chlorine tablets to purify the water.
Fees transparency ๐๐
We do not charge fees, we provide accommodation and meals in exchange for volunteering.
VISA – could you provide Visa support/info/invitation letters? ๐
Yes, we can help with Visa/invitation letters โ
Volunteers’ benefits ๐๐
We provide recognition to volunteers who join our project, after finishing their stay we give them certificates as our appreciation and recognition. We will also give them an opportunity for a language exchange and in the evenings, volunteers can partake in communal cooking, fostering a family-like environment.
What to do in your free time ๐ด๐ฃ๐ฆ
Action Kenya is located in the western province of Kenya, Kakamega County. The county boasts itself as having the Kakamega Forest, a tropical rainforest situated in the Kakamega. It is Kenya’s only tropical rainforest and is said to be Kenya’s last remnant of the ancient Guineo-Congolian rainforest that once spanned the continent.
Volunteers get some days off to tour these places and other game parks and safaris. Therefore, volunteers will be able to engage in some of these programs from Education, Health, and Community. During their free time, volunteers can visit game parks/animal orphanages, explore the country, visit Kakamega forest which is the only tropical forest in Kenya, learn different Kenyan cultures, explore traditional cultures, visit shopping malls etc.
Language ๐ฃ๐ฌ๐ง
English, Swahili
Geography ๐ณ
Kakamega Forest National Reserve has a tropical high-rainfall climate. Due to its proximity to the equator, temperatures are constant throughout the year. Average afternoon temperatures are around 28ยฐC/82ยฐF, but nighttime is cool at around 11ยฐC/52ยฐF. It rains throughout the year, but it peaks in April and May
- December, January & February โ These months are drier, but it can still rain a lot.
- The exact timing of the drier period is difficult to predict, but rain usually starts to pick up again in mid-February. There are more hours of sunshine during these months.
- March โ The rain usually increases sometime in March.
- April & May โ This coincides with the long rains throughout the country. These are the wettest months. Many overcast days are typical, and it can rain all day. Road conditions may deteriorate.
- June, July, August, September, October & November โ Rain decreases a little in June, but itโs still relatively wet. Rainfall peaks in August during this period. It can sometimes rain for days, but there are days with sunshine as well.
Volunteers are advised to carry heavy clothes due to cold nights.
How to get to Action Kenya Initiative centre โ ๐บ
Volunteers may get to our place by Bus, from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Then they can either take a plane to Kisumu Airport or travel by road to Butere, the beauty of travelling by road, they will be able to view monkeys, antelopes, zebras, giraffes on the way, mostly in Nakuru county. Volunteers need not worry as one of our staff will pick them up from the airport and organize travelling arrangements together to our location just to help it might be a problem for the first-time volunteer in our country it might be hard to go around alone.
Is there internet access? ๐
No, we don’t have WIFI…
“Paying guests” Option. Could you accommodate “solidarity” tourists? ๐
Yes, we can accommodate eco/responsible tourists & paying guests ๐
CONTACT DETAILS ๐๐ง
If you are interested in volunteering at Action Kenya Initiative, please feel free to use one of the following contacts:
Facebook page
Main website: https://actkenya.org/
Hostname ๐ Action Kenya Initiative
Host Email โ mutamani@actkenya.org
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