Conservation & community volunteering in Kenya
| country: | Kenya |
| departures: | Group departures are early January, early April, early July, early September for three months. |
| price: | From £2725 (3 - 6 months) including flights from the UK,3 day,2 night safari,2 day pre-departure course,induction course with basic Swahili training & accommodation.This trip can also be booked without flights. Minimum stay 3 months. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Come to Kenya if you want to volunteer within a range of projects that have been established from a genuine call for oversees volunteers by the people of Laikipia. These projects were initiated by Gill Littlewood, an active member of the Laikipia community and she has identified a number of volunteering projects that are ideal for UK volunteers. We are delighted that such a compassionate woman has chosen to work with us to send enthusiastic and intrepid volunteers to Kenya.
The projects, include several local schools in the Nanyuki area (situated near Mount Kenya), the Naro Moro home for children with disabilities and the Nanyuki Children’s Home which cares for around 80 abandoned or orphaned children. Alternatively we have a very different option, for those with a keen interest in zoology, helping with research projects at a wildlife reserve including black Rhino and orphaned chimpanzees.
Laikipia is a beautiful and relatively undiscovered part of Kenya, situated right on the equator. It is one of the few areas where wildlife roams unrestricted and where conservation is high on the agenda. Our projects are based in or near Nanyuki, which lies between the Aberdare Mountains to the west and Mount Kenya to the east. These projects will place you at the heart of the community and allow you to experience first hand the things that make Africa special the amazing wildlife of migrating herds, the warmth and friendship of the Kenyan people and those spellbinding moments when the sun rises over the never ending plain and sets behind the breathtaking mountains.
Included in the price is a 3 day, 2 night safari. The term ‘safari’ originates from Kenya (Swahili for ‘journey’) and Kenya remains the country that can offer you the best in wildlife, landscape and culture.
We can place you at one of several local schools in the Nanyuki area. The pupils are friendly and enthusiastic, despite their hardships - some are local Aids orphans. You would help to teach a range of basic subjects or you could specialise in one subject, e.g. as a sports teacher at St Christopher’s School. The schools include Likii primary school a private (though not affluent) primary school and a dynamic state secondary school which prides itself on being self-sufficient (it has its own farm and vegetable patch and relies on solar power).
Alternatively you could help at the Naro Moro home for children with disabilities. Run by three Italian nuns and some highly motivated local staff, it aims to help children become as mobile as possible through physiotherapy and walking aids.
Their dedication, often using home-made equipment, is making a great difference to the quality of life of the children. Your role would be to help care for the children and cheer them up through play and friendship. There is a school on site and they are particularly keen to have help with extra-curricular activities, such as drama in their newly built hall.
The third option is to help at the Nanyuki Children’s Home which cares for around 80 abandoned or orphaned children. The accommodation is very basic and the children have very little in terms of possessions or toys, but the staff and children together make it a happy and loving home. They would value your help with the day to day routines of the home and, especially, with entertaining the children.
A very different option, for those with a keen interest in zoology, is to help with research projects at a wildlife reserve. The reserve is monitoring and trying to increase its population of black rhino. It also has a sanctuary for abused or orphaned chimpanzees. Volunteers will help with gathering and assessing data, as well as with the general running of the reserve and its visitor centre. It’s a great opportunity if you want to see a lot of African wildlife and to understand more about the way the local ecosystem operates. You’ll also get a valuable insight into the conservation approaches used in the Laikipia region. You’ll find plenty of things to do during your time off. You can meet up with friends in Nanyuki and try its bars and restaurants. If you enjoy tennis, swimming and leisurely drinks in the shade you can join the Nanyuki club at reasonable rates. We will help you with organising the loads of opportunities you have to make the most of the amazing Kenyan countryside, climb Mount Kenya, river rafting and canoeing.
The inclusive safari takes place in Samburu National Park and although relatively undiscovered, offers the best of Kenyan flora and fauna. The Park is famed for the Samburu warriors and if you take the time to learn Swahili they will delight in conversing with you. We feel that this safari is a well deserved break from all your hard work.
The projects, include several local schools in the Nanyuki area (situated near Mount Kenya), the Naro Moro home for children with disabilities and the Nanyuki Children’s Home which cares for around 80 abandoned or orphaned children. Alternatively we have a very different option, for those with a keen interest in zoology, helping with research projects at a wildlife reserve including black Rhino and orphaned chimpanzees.
Laikipia is a beautiful and relatively undiscovered part of Kenya, situated right on the equator. It is one of the few areas where wildlife roams unrestricted and where conservation is high on the agenda. Our projects are based in or near Nanyuki, which lies between the Aberdare Mountains to the west and Mount Kenya to the east. These projects will place you at the heart of the community and allow you to experience first hand the things that make Africa special the amazing wildlife of migrating herds, the warmth and friendship of the Kenyan people and those spellbinding moments when the sun rises over the never ending plain and sets behind the breathtaking mountains.
Included in the price is a 3 day, 2 night safari. The term ‘safari’ originates from Kenya (Swahili for ‘journey’) and Kenya remains the country that can offer you the best in wildlife, landscape and culture.
a day in the life of a volunteer
We can place you at one of several local schools in the Nanyuki area. The pupils are friendly and enthusiastic, despite their hardships - some are local Aids orphans. You would help to teach a range of basic subjects or you could specialise in one subject, e.g. as a sports teacher at St Christopher’s School. The schools include Likii primary school a private (though not affluent) primary school and a dynamic state secondary school which prides itself on being self-sufficient (it has its own farm and vegetable patch and relies on solar power).Alternatively you could help at the Naro Moro home for children with disabilities. Run by three Italian nuns and some highly motivated local staff, it aims to help children become as mobile as possible through physiotherapy and walking aids.
Their dedication, often using home-made equipment, is making a great difference to the quality of life of the children. Your role would be to help care for the children and cheer them up through play and friendship. There is a school on site and they are particularly keen to have help with extra-curricular activities, such as drama in their newly built hall.
The third option is to help at the Nanyuki Children’s Home which cares for around 80 abandoned or orphaned children. The accommodation is very basic and the children have very little in terms of possessions or toys, but the staff and children together make it a happy and loving home. They would value your help with the day to day routines of the home and, especially, with entertaining the children.
A very different option, for those with a keen interest in zoology, is to help with research projects at a wildlife reserve. The reserve is monitoring and trying to increase its population of black rhino. It also has a sanctuary for abused or orphaned chimpanzees. Volunteers will help with gathering and assessing data, as well as with the general running of the reserve and its visitor centre. It’s a great opportunity if you want to see a lot of African wildlife and to understand more about the way the local ecosystem operates. You’ll also get a valuable insight into the conservation approaches used in the Laikipia region. You’ll find plenty of things to do during your time off. You can meet up with friends in Nanyuki and try its bars and restaurants. If you enjoy tennis, swimming and leisurely drinks in the shade you can join the Nanyuki club at reasonable rates. We will help you with organising the loads of opportunities you have to make the most of the amazing Kenyan countryside, climb Mount Kenya, river rafting and canoeing. The inclusive safari takes place in Samburu National Park and although relatively undiscovered, offers the best of Kenyan flora and fauna. The Park is famed for the Samburu warriors and if you take the time to learn Swahili they will delight in conversing with you. We feel that this safari is a well deserved break from all your hard work.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The whole placement is geared towards helping the local community. We place volunteers in projects where they will make a valuable and worthwhile contribution to the community. Volunteers will be living within the projects with other volunteers. By working and living locally participants will become immersed in the country and will live in a way that is harmonious with the culture and environment. The accommodation is locally owned and any food provided is locally sourced and cooked by locals.
 Volunteers are need in Laikipia, where there is poverty. The area has little infrastructure and no welfare system. This means that the vulnerable within the society are in need of external help to provide them with basics such as education and healthcare. Gill is certain that volunteers will have a really positive effect on the community. Our volunteers are given a pre departure briefing where they are encouraged to minimise waste and to live in a way that will not have a detrimental effect on the country or communities. There is a special session entitled ‘Responsible tourism’ where we discuss cultural differences and sensitivities as well as advising volunteers on appropriate conduct. Volunteers are given a Swahili language course and briefed on what is considered polite in terms of eating, greeting and dressing. By learning the language individuals will be able to communicate effectively with the local community so minimising possible culture clashes. The duration of the visit means that a real bond can be made with locals rather than just a tourist-host relationship. The visitor will learn more about real Kenyan life as lived by ordinary people in a variety of areas and know Kenya in its real perspective compared to what is depicted in the International News. We are delighted to have Gill Littlewood as our local representative in Kenya. Gill is British but grew up in Kenya and has lived for many years in Nanyuki where she farms cattle with her husband, Michael. She is a very active and popular member of the community. It was Gill herself who identified a number of worthwhile projects in need of volunteers and appealed to us. Gill will ensure that projects are managed properly and that volunteers and the community obtain the maximum benefit. A percentage of the cost of the placement will go to the local projects. The group size of volunteers is small so that the cultural impact is minimal and there is more integration with the society. Our company is an environmentally responsible one that operates recycling and reusing of waste products. We also offset carbon emissions in our office (gas, electricity, business mileage). |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |