Volunteer in Kenya

Volunteering in Kenya programme

There are no proper advertised dates for ‘Volunteering in Kenya’, every placement is based on dates which suit you and the places which we partner with. Normally this does parallel with school term times but not always. If you are interested in working with children and you do get accepted then we ask that your minimum volunteering time is at least one school term. If you want to volunteer with our adult skills transfer programmes, IT, office management, projects or events then the minimum time can be as little as two weeks.

All volunteer placements are tailor made in the sense that there is no one size for all, we need to look at your skills and interests and match them to the needs of the communities where we work with Moving Mountains. Volunteering however is for all ages, skilled and unskilled, long term and short term; every application would be individually discussed and assessed, and we really welcome people on sabbaticals or work breaks, career electives or just someone looking to come out and help with something immediate. Here's one of the schools we have developed over many years into a primary and secondary school with boarding facilities up in Western Kenya, which is our most popular destination. 

All the programmes we support have been identified, researched, assessed, and approved by our charity Moving Mountains. You can see a description of the locations in the Cost tab on this page. We do need a lot of assistance with the running of the NGO in Kenya (accounting, correspondence, social media, promotion, grant finding) and also the local management committees, so there is normally quite a lot of data collection, analysis of expenditure, impact assessment reports, and collecting information so that we can justify the money we spend on behalf of our donors. We are particularly looking for people who have expertise in grant applications to help the charity with getting some income for the long term programmes we run. 

We do work with a lot of schools and clinics but we try to avoid the stereotype 'teacher assistant' role; we like skills transfer with adults and in particular the background work that the charity does on behalf of institutions like residential centres for children, early child development centres, schools, clinics and rescue centres for street children. This sort of administration includes office work, correspondence, accounting and book keeping, project management and staff training; it is all vital to ensuring the integrity of the charity! There is normally quite a lot of responsibility given to volunteers, which is one of the reasons we provide so much training beforehand. Sometimes volunteers get to work with our builders or 'fundi' to learn about local building techniques like mortar mesh technology:

Travel and adventure during a volunteering placement

This volunteering placement is a great chance to live in a country for a while and travel around, get to know the people, learn the language and go on some great adventures. In Kenya there is so much to do and so much to see. Obviously seeing wildlife is a big attraction, but there is great trekking and camping, conservation parks to visit, train journeys, rafting, beaches to lie on, diving, historical buildings and a very vibrant social scene in the towns and cities. With our staff you can do anything you want and always have the safety of a guesthouse to come back to. Lots of volunteers make very good friends with the Kenyans they meet and end up with a busy social life. This is a chance to travel safely and make new friends and at the same time do a little bit for a great charity that has been making a positive difference in the communities for a long time. We tackle the big questions about volunteering and aid, and try to make sure that this trip stimulates new experiences and ideas: 

Volunteering in Kenyan schools

We don't use your placement to take the place of local people, but we do ask the local authorities to tell us where best your help is needed. In schools this is always with non-examinable subjects like music, sports, art and drama. The Government of Kenya requires that every school child takes part in some non-examinable subject every day, but many schools lack those resources. Moving Mountains fills that gap, and we have been working with ten or twelve schools in western Kenya and Embu for well over a decade to help supplement that gap in the education of the children. The charity has also rebuilt and renovated many schools with volunteer fundraising and school trips, so you will find yourselves getting a very warm welcome. Here's some volunteer teachers working with children at Wagwer School on mathematics and ceramics:

You might choose as your placement project to put on a play for the community, or run a sports competition. We also run clubs, especially for after school which is when a lot of children go AWOL because their parents are out. We would like our volunteers to run reading clubs, literacy programmes, homework clubs and after school visits to local sights. This might even include a visit to the safari park, a lot of these kids have never seen an elephant. But there is also a lot of work in the administration of the school where you can help, for example invigilating exams, marking papers, setting homework, helping with non-curricular activities, and sometimes mentoring pupils who need particular attention. Clearly this requires some skill and knowledge, so it entirely depends on your abilities and preferences. Here's some children in Embu Country Primary School who have been donated musical instruments by a charity called Musequality and tutored by volunteers to prepare for the National Music competition:

Volunteering with other skills

Moving Mountains supports quite a lot of programmes and delivers a number of services, including family support groups, community health programmes, early child development, some special needs groups, football coaching, small business start ups, IT training and counselling. Some volunteers are interested in these from a career point of view and can certainly work with our qualified staff to get some practical experience, while others have very valuable skill sets that could be put to good use.

And here is Fredah who Rosie is talking about!

We run an NGO in Kenya that is registered with the NGO council and accepts grants of nearly £75,000 per annum, so there is always help needed with the administration and management of the office in Nairobi and in Embu, recording Board minutes, book keeping and filing, correspondence and data analysis. Each area also has small management committees and we are always looking to get feedback on what we fund, information and ideas for improvement.

Accommodation while volunteering in Kenya

Accommodation will be provided in comfortable shared rooms at either of our two guest houses. This allows you to immerse yourself in everything Kenyan but with the knowledge of the security that is provided by our staff in each location. A weekly allowance will be provided in Kenya which you will use to buy and prepare your own food, with the guidance of the local staff for those local dishes! There is plenty of time for socialising, reflection and local events to visit, often with our staff or other groups coming on holiday, and sometimes with Kenyan children who are on their school holidays. Volunteers tend to find themselves immersed in local life, and we try hard to make sure the holiday is diverse and fun but also useful and productive. 

Daily routine while on a volunteering placement in Kenya

Your daily routine should be quite diverse but there will be some scheduled commitments, like for example a football coaching session every afternoon at 4pm. We don't expect every day to spent in a school for example, but once you have met with the headteacher and agreed to commit to a particular class time then you must keep that promise. Most non-examinable subjects are taught in the afternoon but you will need time to prepare, especially a music or drama event. Additionally you will want time for yourself, shopping and cooking and learning Swahili, living in the house and socialising. Here is a day in the life of Ulamba Childrens Home, where there are some guesthouses for volunteers onsite that help fund the whole centre and an Early Learning Centre for 150 children:

You may plan some weekends away or choose to go to the cinema or dancing. We only ask that any commitment you make is adhered to, because you are representing the charity and you will be a role model for lots of people. Administration and office duties are done during office time, and we would expect that you correspond with the Trustees and managers back in the UK so that there is a good communication and you can feel you are part of the operation of the charity. 

Often there are several volunteers in the guesthouse, and also medical elective students, so generally there is plenty of time to socialise and make new friends and organise weekend trips.

Volunteering trips – company and charity and what each do

The volunteering programme is run by three organisations and it is important to explain what each of them does and how they will all help you to have a safe and productive time abroad. All of them are interlinked to create a supportive network and staff structure which enables us to run these trips and be confident that they are safe and that they represent ‘clever’ aid and relevant sustainable developmental aid.

Adventure Alternative is the company that provides the trip and all the logistics and support and staffing. There is an Adventure Alternative UK and there is also an Adventure Alternative in Kenya and Nepal and Tanzania. Each regional company receives investment from the UK and runs with its own staff, who will look after you. 

Moving Mountains is the charity that determines the projects and the programmes. It is financially supported by the company so that the donations go to the beneficiaries and not to administration. There is a Moving Mountains UK and a Moving Mountains Kenya and Nepal. Each NGO receives the funding for all the projects and programmes it implements from the UK charity.

Some of that money comes from donations, some from fundraising events (Gavin has climbed Everest six times for example), and some of it comes from volunteers who fundraise for the charity and go out on trips to get involved with the local NGO and learn about development in action.

AA UK provides                     all the administration for the group going on your trip
                                             financial protection for your money
                                             monitoring of your trip throughout                                           

AA Kenya provides               the staffing in-country, eg drivers, cooks and guides
                                             the local tour license to run the trip
                                             the office back-up and implementation of your trip
                                             all the transport and facilitation of the activities you will do
                                             all the logistics of being sheltered, fed and safe during your stay

Moving Mountains                all the pre-trip training and post-trip support in the UK and abroad
provides                               arrangement and running of all the projects and programmes
                                             a professional underpinning of all the field workers you work with
                                             the allocation of your fundraising to all the aspects of our work
                                          

The money you pay to Adventure Alternative covers all of the logistical elements of your trip, office staffing and back up, plus the equipment and vehicles and accommodation we keep in-country for your use.

The money you fundraise for Moving Mountains covers all of the projects and programmes that you will be taking part in, plus materials and specific donations to the institutions which host you. Every volunteer gets a paper detailing how the money he or has raised is used to pay for training, staffing, materials, donations and resources. You can see more about this in the Cost tab. 

Volunteering in Kenya cost £595.00 (first two weeks) and £200 for extra weeks

INCLUDES

• Accommodation in our guest house
• Weekly allowance in Kenyan Shillings for food, bottled water and local transport
• All internal transport to and from volunteer locations, including airport transfers (accompanied by staff)
• Pre-trip preparation and training, support during the placement & post-trip reference/advice
• Support from our staff for all ground logistics and activities, including mentor and advisor
  
  

EXCLUDES

• Moving Mountains fundraising target; £100 per week - see the notes below for this breakdown
• International flights to Nairobi and any accommodation needed in Nairobi
• Personal travel insurance
• Vaccinations & anti-malaria tablets
• Tourist Visa (currently $50 or £30)
• Personal costs

Payments

A deposit of £100.00 is required on booking to secure your place and we ask that the remaining balance is paid in full 4 weeks prior to your departure. When you book with us you're given your own secure online account which you can access 24/7. Through this account you can edit your booking, add flight, health, insurance and dietary details and also make interim payments. We make payments as flexible as possible and you can choose, if you wish, to pay a bit off your trip fee whenever it suits you.

Volunteering in Kenya Fundraising total breakdown

The fundraising total is separate to the money you give to Adventure Alternative, and is only used to pay for the charitable costs associated with your trip.

Part of your fundraising goes on the training and preparation of your trip, some of it on staff who manage the programmes who are going out to see and experience and some of it on your visit. None of it goes on your food, accommodation and logistical backup and support, that's what is covered by the Adventure Alternative trip cost. Here's how the actual fundraising money is split up:

20% to training and preparation
80% to the programmes you will be visiting and working with

20% training. This is used specifically for the training and preparation sessions we will run in preparation for your trip, and also the preparation of the trip itself. We employ an experienced manager in the UK who will work with you in the run up to your trip and help ensure you arrive well prepared. We also have a lot of videos and information to share, plus you will be able to skype the staff in Kenya and get to know them a little bit. It is very important that your expectations are met realistically, but also that your visit achieves the aim of the charity and the needs of the local people, so much time will be spent on training and preparation. There are also lots of practical aspects, like vaccinations, flights, clothing, visa and making sure you can keep in touch with home easily, perhaps with a blog.

80% NGO programmes. Thisis allocated to the programmes we run in Kenya which you will be taking part in. For example we pay salaries for the social workers, teachers and the staff at the homes and centres we support. These are the people who will give you the insight into life for an NGO employee, and your trip will directly contribute to their livelihoods.

 Depending on where you go, this fundraising money will pay for the following items:

 Embu Rescue Centre:

• Daily feeding programme for over 100 children
• Electricity and gas for the showers for street kids and for the cooking facilities
• Staff salaries for social workers and counsellors at the centre
• Educational materials and teachers salaries
• Vocational training programmes for street kids
• Provision of educational workshops for street kids
• Equipment for the Black Cats football programme

Solio Village Community - Construction Projects:

• Puchase of raw materials
• Transport costs of raw materials
• Labour costs for the Moving Mountains Work Team and local ‘fundi’
• Training programmes for street children in construction

National programmes

• Social welfare and educational costs for children in primary and secondary school
• College costs and vocational training costs
• Community Health Programmes (HIV AIDS, sex education)
• School exam fees
• Salaries for counsellors, teachers and medical staff
• After school ‘clubs’ such as Homework Club, Reading Club

Volunteering in Kenya - our principles 

Volunteering in Kenya involves representing a charity and learning about issues of international development, social welfare in a developing country and of course your own values. It's a transformative experience, and one that will stay with you forever if we do our job right. Young people and adults alike report that the experience of volunteering in Kenya has been a very special and fulfilling one. But we do not want to ever feel that we're dominating others with our best ideas about how to make the world better, it has to be a joint process of reciprocal learning and respect.

Inclusive and relevant volunteering placements

Our placements are open to anybody, subject to a selection process which includes interviews and a requirement for a DBS check if necessary, as well as a clear understanding that any volunteering placement can only exist if there is a need that is identified by local stakeholders.

We have an equal opportunities policy and strict policies regarding child protection and safeguarding.

We ensure that the emphasis on personal development and international development is balanced, and that your placement is always part of a long term aim which has been properly evidenced through established processes and data analysis.

Training and preparation for volunteers

Our support includes preparation from staff in the UK and a period of integration on arrival in-country. This ensures that your time with us is productive and enjoyable and effective. Our training staff are qualified and experienced in managing volunteer expectations who will also be on hand to monitor your progress and provide support and feedback for improvement, and to ensure that any issues are easily dealt with.

At the end of your trip there will be a proper debrief and an opportunity to stay involved, as a charity we would like to ask for your help in encouraging others to get involved.

Development impact of volunteering placements

Every placement aims to achieve some kind of development impact which has been developed in partnership with Moving Mountains which has  experience in social welfare, education and health in developing countries.

We analyze the processes of change that occur in institutions where we send volunteers so that there is clear evidence for the need of a placement, and evidence that the placements are contributing to a need successfully. We try not to perpetuate ‘aid’ for the sake of it, and regularly adjust our programme to reflect latest government aims and sustainable development goals.

We communicate with all relevant stakeholders and ensure that the placements are collectively agreed, for example with education authorities, regional administrations, community committees and of course parents.

Shared learning for volunteers and beneficiaries

Volunteering opportunities and career internships are provided for local students in Kenya as well, which gives an opportunity for shared learning and cultural exchanges as equals. This principle aims to foster confidence and self-esteem and a sense of social responsibility.

Integrating with the community as a volunteer

The living arrangements for placements ensures that volunteers develop a real insight into the lives of the community, which includes shopping locally, cooking local recipes, travelling on local transport and using community facilities and attending community events.

Volunteers are hosted in secure and comfortable accommodation. They are assigned a mentor whose responsibility is to ensure their wellbeing at all times, provide assistance with local logistics and language, introduce them to community members and assist them to participate fully in community life.

Long term commitment

During the trip there is always opportunity to meet with experienced staff who can help with evaluations and reflection, helping to build on the skills and knowledge and experience being gained. These aims follow an established syllabus of personal development used in social work and even in business.

One of the biggest aims of the programme is to encourage young people to engage in society on their return and take part in many incentives to promote global development and social responsibility, for example the Sustainable Development Goals.

Tackling stereotypes and promoting equality in volunteering

We promote equality and empowerment and this means tackling stereotypes. The engagement we want to encourage should be built on knowledge, not stereotypes. Unfortunately stereotypes are used a lot in fundraising campaigns and in marketing voluntourism, and this creates apathy and cynicism instead of action.

We all agree that we need action to tackle the problems caused by poverty, conflict and hunger. Aid programmes do work, but on their own they are not enough. Organisations like ours are just one of many that deliver social welfare and development to needy people and communities, but we don’t want to simplify these issues through stereotypical imagery, which ultimately hurts both the cause and the people being portrayed.

The reality is that a few pence per day is not all that is needed, and neither can poverty be solved by money alone. The world needs systemic changes to solve its problems, and perhaps our small contribution is to avoid the dangers of stereotyping and give people a chance to empower themselves by treating them equally.

Here's 'Happy' to explain how a bit of belief in her abilities enabled her to get out of the poverty trap she was in and achieve her ambition to become a social worker with Moving Mountains:

We would like to make sure that we communicate the issues of poverty and development in an appropriate way, without presenting unwarranted or sensationalist expectations, and this is particularly important for the volunteers and school groups who go out to support our work. Their benefit is partly in going to a place and readjusting their values and hopefully challenging their stereotypes and learning something about the complex nature of social development in different environments.

Bringing gifts

We try to promote the following thoughts in people about to come on a volunteering trip:

• Concentrate more on what makes us equal than what are our differences
• Let people tell their own stories about their own lives
• Remember that what people want and need is based on their wishes and needs and rights, not what you think
• Stop focusing on pity as the main catalyst for action, but encourage creativity and independence through pragmatism and humour.
• Be open to the difficult questions like “what has aid ever done for anyone?” and look deeper into the subject and question those so-called ‘facts’.
• Treat people with more intelligence when it comes to the great dilemmas about poverty and inequality, instead of resorting to sad stories of anonymous ‘poor’ people.

We think Jessie J gets it spot on!

Volunteering in Kenya - applying

Please just contact us for a chat first of all and we can discuss how your expectations can be met with the programmes we run. It's important that anyone coming to help our staff in Kenya understand the working environment and the nature of the job. Some people want to volunteer as part of their gap year experience or to gain some work experience, while others are already qualified and experienced are are looking for a chance to share their skills and knowledge. Either way volunteering is a personal experience and comes with lots of motivations and thoughts on social responsibility and giving back.

While this is an experience in Kenya which involves travel, adventure, culture and a lot of fun, it is also an experience which involves your impact on other people. We really like to know what motivates people to volunteer, here's a video on how you might not want to be seen by others!

Clearly we have to protect the rights and safety of children and we have to look after the welfare of the communities and institutions which you visit, as well as ensure that the reputation of Moving Mountains is kept intact. Therefore we may ask for references and we may ask to do a DBS check on our volunteers, depending on age and the nature of the volunteering to be done.

Once the dates and time in country has been agreed then we will create a booking link for you to register on and pay a deposit. The costs for Adventure Alternative cover all of the logistical expenses such as transport, accommodation, meals and support. Your money is protected by our bonding arrangements. You would then have to buy a flight to Nairobi and get some travel insurance.

We then ask you to set up a fundraising page for Moving Mountains itself and this amount helps support the actual work you will be doing for the charity.

After applying we can put you in touch with the staff in Kenya directly to help prepare you for the trip and also to discuss the finer points of your stay. You may well be in Kenya with other volunteers and it would be great to meet up or get in touch with them beforehand.

Applying for the trip is quite easy, we aim to ensure you are well prepared for going on a trip like this and have lots of support. People talk of Moving Mountains as a family, and after so long working in Kenya it very much has that feel. We are confident that as you get involved you will feel the same sense of fun and security and purpose that everyone in the charity does.

Volunteering in Kenya - why us?

A trip to a developing country to volunteer and 'help out' became very popular with the advent of gap years in the UK, but the volunteering 'industry' ran unchecked for a long time and only now are there significant moves being made to advise and perhaps even legislate on trips like which may promise a lot but deliver little.

We have been a part of that in helping to found the Fair Trade Volunteering movement. Here's Gavin talking about commerce supporting charity and how the volunteering trips work. 

It's vitally important that we can justify our right to offer a trip like this so that you can feel confident of our experience and knowledge. This is a list of some of our answers to the Why Us question, they represent our principles and ethics towards responsible volunteering:
 

• We have strict policies on child protection and we provide information on the protection of children, and we ask that volunteers submit to a DBS (police) check where necessary. We also improve our own standards by training any staff who are working with children.
  
  
•  We do not allow untrained inexperienced volunteers to work with children unsupervised and without proper guidance beforehand on the issues surrounding child care and education in the area they are visiting.
  
  
•  We have a code of conduct which we expect all volunteers to adhere to, and a zero tolerance policy towards people who abuse that code.
  
  
•  We employ staff full time both in the UK and abroad to manage volunteers, whose job it is to ensure a safe and enjoyable and productive time for all involved. 
  
  
•  We ensure that no financial pressure is put on host communities or institutions, and that our placements are always part of a long term developmental aim.
  
  
•  We focus on educating volunteers and school groups about aid and international development issues, and especially stereotypes, in order to help them make more informed choices.
  
  
•  We prefer skills based volunteering, where individuals are matched to their skills or particular interest, and where possible expertise to help solve a problem.
  
  
• We ask that volunteers work with the charity on data collection, impact assessments and skills transfer between adults.
  
  
•  We partner volunteers with local staff, professional and otherwise, to deliver programmes together.
  
  
•  We try hard to encourage volunteers to commit to longer periods of time in order to build more effective relationships and have a more positive impact.
  
  
•  We partner only with professional institutions and organisations that have the authority and expertise to carry out social welfare programmes or educational services.
  
  
•  We promote experiential learning and education, encouraging our volunteers to learn before doing, and we encourage them to use their experiences to give them a better sense of social responsibility and global citizenship.