Important Flight Details
Please book flights to ARRIVE early on start date at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO), this may mean departing the day before if flying East.
Book return flights for late afternoon on the final day
Please Pack Lightly
Placements, Housing & Food
Volunteers will be placed in or near to primary or secondary schools that have requested to participate in our projects. Placements are normally at least dual (2 volunteers per school) so that each volunteer will have the company of at least one other volunteer.
The hosting school may be “closed” for Kenyan holidays & normal activities but open for the AVIF classes, which are available to all neighbouring children, some not normally able to participate in class due to disability, circumstance or other.
Do not expect any luxuries whatsoever. You will need bottled water, boiled water or will have use of solar cooking for pasteurizing. Mosquito nets are provided as standard to keep down health risks, and we guarantee some form of rooved accommodation for you !!!
AVIF’s policy on accommodation is that if the children and staff can live there, so can you. If you do not think you can live traditionally then this is not a programme for you. You will be in direct contact with children who have been abandoned and battered by family and society, growing up knowing little about love, kindness, justice, and security. Some may have had contact with family members, others are orphans or have no contact with their parents. Most have very little to live on and may ask you for help financially or otherwise. Be prepared for this though we advise you do not give money directly to the children.
Only 2% of western Kenya has access to grid electrification and 97% of the homes use kerosene wick lamps. Accommodation may be a simple guesthouse where staff cook as well as wash clothes for the volunteers. You may be cooking over an open fire. You should contribute money for food or buy your own. The staff enjoy cooking for you, but it is your decision whether to cook for them in return some days. This is general throughout most placements.
The staples of the Kenyan diets are beef, chicken, and goat when they can afford it, mainly ugali (maize meal) with kale. Fanta and chocolate are widely available !
Mercy Home Report
Rhiannon, one of our volunteers from earlier this year has just written a fantastic report on the Mercy Home; her expereinces and lessons volunteering in Kenya.
JNMCC Mercy Home Rhiannon Report –