Solidarity travel to an orphanage, school and reception centre
Live together with abandoned babies in Nairobi or help children living at a temporary shelter in the Kenyan coast
This NGO, which was founded more than 20 years ago, offers free education and a place to live to minors who have been abandoned by their families, or who due to circumstances cannot take care of them for a period of time. It is a large project that has three centers to collaborate:
Centers 1 and 2.- Founded in the 90s and located in a slum area in Nairobi (Soweto and Kayole). In each of the centers there are more than 80 children ranging from newborns to 16 years. Some of the minors have special disabilities, both physical and mental (autism, cerebral palsy, etc).
Center 3.- Founded in 2003 and located in Malindi. It is not a permanent home, but rather a rescue center for a period of time after which the 80 boys and girls (between the ages of 2 and 16) reintegrate into the community. Here are children of mothers who are in jail and girls rescued from child marriage and prostitution. In this center they make sure that they have a correct child development. They also have a farm and orchard. You can only collaborate in this center when the kids are on vacation (3 weeks in September and from mid-November to early January).
This project works towards achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals
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Project Location
Nairobi and Malindi, Kenia. -
Volunteer hours
From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. -
Volunteer activities
Baby care, help at school (Montessori type), help with homework, preparation of workshops and playful activities, help in the garden. -
Minimal collaboration
2 weeks -
Incluido
Tumaini accompanimentHot waterLunchAccommodationDinnerLocal CoordinatorTraining courseBreakfastAirport pick-upVolunteer liability insuranceWIFI -
No incluido
Tourist activitiesKitchenTravel insuranceFlight
Galería
According to the volunteers, the best thing about this solidarity trip has been seeing that by contributing with a little grain you help the mountain a lot, the reaction of the local people always thanking you and the little ones always hugging you and smiling.
Volunteer Program
Voluntary activities
- Care of the little ones: help them to eat, change them, play with them, etc.
- Helping in the Montessori-type school by supporting her classes.
- Helping the people who work in the center with daily tasks: preparing meals, cleaning the children's rooms, etc.
- Helping children with their homework when they come home from school.
- Recreational workshops: arts and crafts, music, dance, theater, etc.
- Help in the farm and vegetable garden.
- Mobility training with children who have some type of disability.
Profiles required
- Level of English (intermediate level equivalent to B1, no diploma required).
- Be of legal age or, in the case of minors, be accompanied by adults. The minimum recommended age to participate is 17 years.
- Be open-minded, tolerant, supportive and willing to learn. Flexibility is essential, as tasks may change depending on the needs of the NGO, similarly the ability to work in a team since volunteering is done in coordination with other people.
- People who like babies
- People looking for a project in which you live with children as a big family.
- People interested in knowing the reality of Kenya
- Physiotherapists, nurses, teachers, social educators, etc.
A day in the project
"In the project in Nairobi our work was very defined: every day I was with a group of babies and took care of them all day. The routine was to change their diapers, feed them, play with them, and so on.
In Malindi, on the other hand, everything was more free and changing, every day we did different tasks: some days we went to fetch corn from their farm, others we taught classes, others I spent hours cutting carrots. And we spent a lot of time with the children."
Victoire Caufriez, August 2018.
Project Location
Project
- Nairobi Centers: Located in the slums area of Soweto and Kayole in Nairobi just 3 km from each other. It is a very humble area with high rates of social exclusion.
- Malindi Center: Located on the Kenyan coast, specifically between Malindi and Watamu. It is an area that receives a lot of tourism, hence many girls from this center have been rescued from child prostitution.
Climate
Nairobi is located at an altitude of 1,661 m, so there are cool evenings and nights, especially in summer months (June, July and August). It has two rainy periods: in the months of April and May and in the month of November.
In Malindi and the entire Kenyan coast, the climate is temperate all year round, with temperatures varying between 22 and 34º. The rainy season is usually in April.
Shared room:
- 2 weeks: 520 €.
- 3 weeks: 600 €.
- 4 weeks: €670
- 6 weeks: 820 €.
- 8 weeks: €985
- Search for the solidarity trip that best fits your profile and interests to provide an enriching beneficial experience for both travellers and NGOs.
- A guide of the project with useful up-to-date information on the status and needs of the project.
- Support during the preparation of your trip: visas, vaccinations, tips for buying your flight, advice on what to visit, essentials to carry in your backpack, practical information (money exchange, transport, timetables, culture, etc.).
- Tumaini coordinator (Mónica) available by mail or by phone whenever you need to answer all your questions. Sometimes, if possible, face-to-face meetings are also held.
- Online course on solidarity travel and responsible tourism, mandatory for volunteers to get the most out of their experience.
- Contact, if possible and on request, with volunteers who have already been in the project.
- Contact, if possible and on request, with people who are going to travel on similar dates to chat before the solidarity trip, resolve doubts or organize it together.
- Basic Tumaini Dictionary Swahili - Spanish.
- Accident and liability insurance specialized in volunteering.
- Follow-up during the solidarity trip.
- Letter of reference or certificate of solidarity travel/volunteering on request.
- CO2 compensation by planting a tree and monitoring it for three years on the island of Borneo in Indonesia.
- Accommodation in a shared dormitory.
- Full maintenance throughout your stay :).
- Internal road transport from Nairobi airport to the project.
- Local Coordinator.
- International ticket
- Travel insurance (compulsory)
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) 35$
- Extras such as personal excursions, shopping, etc.
- A contribution to Tumaini for the efforts and assistance of the volunteers.
- A contribution to the project for board and lodging.
Services
- 3 meals included
- Hot water
- WIFI
- Located in city
- Pick up from Nairobi airport