Flying Kites
Programs and Reviews
Flying Kites works to improve childcare standards and accessibility of opportunity for the poorest children in the world. As a non-profit organization, Flying Kites aims to provide the children opportunities to succeed in a fast-paced world and contribute to society through education, imagination, and resolution. They will be able to give back to their community by focusing on compassion, advocacy, and leadership.
Flying Kites emphasizes assisting children in need globally through the Ambassadors Program at the Flying Kites Leadership Academy, a home and school for neglected, abused, and orphaned children in Kenya. Located at the foot of the Aberdares Mountains, the academy has become a safe home for many vulnerable children.
Programs Abroad
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Reviews
80%Overall
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90%Overall
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Flying Kites expects a great deal from its ambassadors; They ask for hard work, endless compassion, high levels of energy, a deep & lasting commitment, but they do so for very, very good reason.
As an ambassador, you spend at least three months (they may let you get away with just under 3) living & working at Flying Kites Leadership Academy, a home for 26 orphaned children and a school for about double that. During that time, you become part of a part a vibrant, love & laughter-filled home and more importantly, you live as a part of their family. You will come to know and love the children so very well that it is only fair they ask for your deep commitment on all fronts.
I found the fundraising challenging but once I really dove into it, I learned a huge amount about my own skills and was blown away by what I accomplished when I appealed to my networks with genuine passion & creativity.
I found this experience amazing because not only was I able to create real impact in the area of my great passion- in my case education- but I ended my long days with a bedtime stories and goodnight hugs from the very kids who's futures we worked relentlessly each day, all day to brighten.
100%Overall
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I will never forget my time, experience and the family I was welcomed in to at Flying Kites. My daily routines involved tutoring children at the school for a couple hours, working on private projects for the kids, organization and home that I was passionate about and hanging out around the house, playing and taking in the heartwarming experience of being a part of such a special family. I also received tons of assistance when I ventured out into the surrounding regions of Kenya. The staff always went out of their way to make me feel safe and a part of their family. The relationships I forged with staff, children and volunteers will be with me forever and it's a place I hope to volunteer at regularly for the rest of my life.
Alumni Interviews
Staff Interview
Meet Julianna Morrall, Flying Kites Volunteer Coordinator
GO: Tell us a little about Flying Kites and your role at the company.
Julianna: Flying Kites was started when a little boy living in an overcrowded orphanage in the slums of Nairobi challenged a small group of volunteers to see him as a child, and not as an orphan.
Orphans need bowls of rice. Children need families, people to invest in the quality of their education and the possibility of their dreams. They need nourishment and inspiration and adventure and security; they need to be shown that the world cares about who they are and who they will become.
At Flying Kites, we believe in children.
And so, in the Aberdares Mountains of Kenya, we have built a Home and Leadership Academy for orphaned children who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. Through our emphasis on exemplary care, education, and compassion, children who have suffered the devastating effects of poverty are being empowered to change the world.
Believe with us.
GO: How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?
Julianna: Three years ago, I began working in the field of international volunteering as the Volunteer Coordinator for Flying Kites. Since then, we have transformed the volunteer program from one of short term engagement and limited impact, to one defined by the deep, long lasting dedication of participants and community- altering impact. Our ambassadors literally drive the organization forward and upward and it is a privilege to work with them.
GO: What makes Flying Kites unique?
Julianna: Flying Kites is unique in its acheivement of creating a home- in every sense of the word- for children who had no where else to turn. The children at Flying Kites are loved, nurtured, and educated to the same degree you'd want for your own children. They are given the opportunity to be unique, to adventure, to be curious and active and compassionate. Flying Kites may care for orphan children, but it does not run an orphanage in any typical sense of that word.
GO: In your experience, what characteristics make a good international volunteer?
Julianna: First and foremost, humility. Alongside humility, you must possess a vast openness and eagerness to learn. International volunteers absolutely must be ready to serve others- to truly put others' needs before their own and do so with a sensitivity to the limitations of their knowledge. Someone I respect greatly recently reminded me to be a learner and always listen when told you don't know anything. I think that is an incredibly important attitude to maintain when volunteering, and especially when volunteering abroad.
GO: What does the future hold for Flying Kites?
Julianna: The future of Flying Kites is as bright as the smiles of the children we care for. I believe that Flying Kites will continue to strengthen it's ability to deliver family style care and high quality education to orphaned children, and within the next few years, be able to expand its reach to more children in desperate need of a home, support and opportunity.
I also hope Flying Kites can continue to strengthen its Oasis network through which many childcare institutions in Nairobi, Kenya have begun to share their best practices, explore new funding resources, and work to a higher standard of care in partnership with each other.
Volunteering with Flying Kites gave me an opportunity to work and live alongside an extraordinary team of people absolutely dedicated to their work. They made me feel as I were a part of their family, and they made it clear to me how I impacted the children in their care, as well as the the overall organization.
I was able to work in their school, assisting their full time teachers, working with other volunteers to teach gym and art, and tutoring some of the hardest working kids I've ever met.
Though fundraising was hard for me, I loved being at FK and knowing I'd help fund nearly a full month of operating costs.
And I liked that they didn't hide the struggles from the volunteers; we saw the financial difficulty, the infrastructure breakdowns, and the outbursts of the kids (few and far between) and because of that inclusion, I walked away with a much deeper, and more real, understanding the of the difficulties of working in resource/infrastructure poor settings.
Do it. Join their team.