Volunteer in Kenya with Village Volunteers

Morning: We'd wake up as the sun rose to the crow of roosters and shower by dumping soapy buckets of water on our hair before joining Joshua, the director of the Pathfinder school and the Common Ground Project, and his family in his hut for a breakfast of hard boiled eggs, popcorn, and toast with hazelnut spread. Then we'd work on writing a play for the preteen boarders to perform or drop by some of the grade school classes to help with the lectures.

Afternoon: Joshua wanted us to get a firsthand glimpse at some of the other organizations Common Ground had partnered with, and would bring us to visit neighboring farmers or a local medical clinic. Eager to explore the world outside of Pathfinder’s gates, we'd follow him and flag a boda boda, or bicycle taxi, from the school and the drivers would deliver us to the matatu stand on a street corner where a crowd of villagers waited for the next community-shared van to arrive. It was interesting to live with locals and then to travel outside of our home base to get an inside glimpse of the culture and issues that the locals faced.

Evening: Every evening, after playing kati and dodgeball with the preteen boarders or teaching them dance classes until it was almost too dark to see, we’d get cleaned up and head into dinner. All the volunteers eat dinner in Joshua's home as well. When I was there years ago there really weren't any other food options or things to do at night. We'd listen to poems the students read out loud or head back to our huts to read books. It was pretty remote and low-key, and really allowed us to immerse ourselves in the local culture.

Highlights: Volunteering with Village Volunteers was a great experience because they work with locals on the ground to help them help themselves. This helps empower the local people and serves as powerful inspiration to the volunteers.

Take for example Joshua, the program director at Common Ground: Not only did he take care of his family and his farm, he also granted those a chance at education who otherwise wouldn’t have it, and he organized the Common Ground project to teach organic farming to his neighbors so they could be self-sufficient rather than have to rely on food from the markets. He was a living example for the children he stewarded that one person could make a difference. It made me see that I didn’t have to save the world, but that I should do whatever I can, great or small, to give back when I crossing paths with someone who needs it.