Community Volunteering & Cultural Immersion on the Kenya Coast

I spent the first three months of 2025 in Kenya on a programme run by Africa & Asia Ventures. This was far from a certainty as up until as late as November 2024, all I knew was that I wanted to go to someplace different, exotic, and independent. Whilst I may have fallen into the programme like a happy accident, I am confident that I spent those months in the best way I could have, in the best place I could have, and with the best people I could have.

My earliest thoughts on how I wanted to spend my gap year were centred around Africa, before moving my attention towards Asia, and then settling on India as my first-choice location. Whilst searching for a company to do this with, I happened across AV, which I felt offered the closest experience to what I envisioned. However, when the India trip fell though, I was offered a place in Kenya at the last minute, leaving me with little more than a month to prepare for it. Regardless of a handful of weeks travelling Europe with friends in the Summer, I had never lived away from home for as long as this, and certainly not with strangers.

Without getting into song-and-verse, the programme’s structure kept us occupied and productive whilst also allowing us time to explore the remarkable corner of the world we found ourselves in. Inside and outside of our teaching jobs I felt we were as productive and organised as we could have been; as well at no point didI feel exhausted or burnt out at any point. The people I lived with were exceptional and after the first few weeks it felt like I had known these people for years. I spent my birthday out in Kenya with people who I’d never met until just a month before and the effort that they put into it was nothing-short of incredible.

Aside from a first-rate tan, I left Kenya with a sense of independence and maturity that I couldn’t have gained had the programme been organised in any other way. I never felt like I was being mothered or dictated to at any point, but I also felt like I had clear senses of responsibility, direction, and purpose that carried me through the twelve weeks. We were not, however, totally neglected to our own devices as the superb support team of Grace and Khalfan were at our beck-and-call to offer judgement and guidance if we ever needed it. I certainly left Kenya feeling more driven, grateful, and independent than when I arrived and for the character-building alone, I would recommend AV to anyone looking to take a gap year.

I have just returned to the UK after completing 3 months with Africa Asia Venture in Msambweni in Kenya as well as a further 4 weeks of extended travel where I decided to explore Tanzania and Uganda alongside some of the people that I met during my volunteering. I had the most memorable and incredible experience and could not recommend AV more.

I knew I wanted to do a gap year for a long time but had the same dilemma as lots of people which is “What do I want to do? How do I do it? What do I want to achieve from it?” I found myself scrolling endlessly on social media and Google searching for ideas. I was overwhelmed by the amount of websites that offered ‘5 weeks volunteering with turtles in Thailand’ and ‘travel around South America for 6 weeks’ as this all felt far too vague and daunting. I then came across AV.

Right from the beginning I felt supported. AV organised a phone call with me which would be with either Sarah or Andrew to give me some more information before a video consultation to get to know me, make sure I am the right person for the project I had selected as they have multiple and to make sure I really understood what I had signed myself up for. What I love about AV is that the team take the time to get to know you long before you even jet off which, as an 18 year old who had never lived away from home before, was a great comfort.
Once I had filled in the forms, asked my questions, been sent Sarah’s ‘Final Kenya Information Pack’, I was ready to get to Heathrow where I waved goodbye to my mum and met the other 8 people I was to spend the next 3 months with. We were met by Andrew at Heathrow who gave us our final debrief and “Good Luck” as well as our trusty AV wrist bands before leaving us to begin our adventure.

When you arrive in Diani (which is the closest town to where you will be living), you will be welcomed off the plane by Grace and Khalfan who are AV’s in-country representatives. You will spend the first 2 days in close contact with them as they show you the village, the house, the local shops, the different schools, the beach and a briefing of ‘Khalfan’s quick fire Swahili lesson.’ Having this 2 day induction really helps you to settle in quickly to your new home. AV also provide information packs which are in the house with extra tips and tricks from previous AVs as well as an AV cookbook with meal/snack ideas dating back 30 years - very helpful for when you run out of meal ideas.
Due to AVs effort to get to know you on a personal level before you arrive in Kenya, they are able to provide profiles on each person which are sent to Grace. Before Grace has even met you she has an understanding of what you are like and therefore does a fantastic jobs of creating the pairings for each school - the person you will spend the majority of you time with week in-week out.
Grace leaves you after the induction to go back to Nairobi which is where she lives after which you will then receive regular catch ups throughout your time and she is also only a text away if you need her advice! Khalfan, however, lives in Msambweni and is just a few houses down from you all the time with all of the answers to your questions or just for a chat. He does a really fantastic job of getting you involved in village life right from the start.

The very first Monday, you are off to school by boda-boda (local motorbikes) or by foot. After a few weeks, time begins to fly. You spend 5 days a week teaching at the school Grace has selected for you where you teach children up to the ages of around 14. At the beginning, your teachers may be a little shy to speak to you but in no time you will become close! My tip is to find out who teaches the subjects you are most confident with and offer yourselves to them to take a few off of their timetable… they do not mind! I taught mostly English, however, I also taught sport and creative arts. The teachers are very much still the experts so do not be afraid to ask for their help if needs be. Naturally, you will not be teaching 8 lessons a day, 5 days a week. There is still so much to do when you are not. For example, I helped teachers by creating posters for their classes, getting to know the other teachers, painting and offering up myself to help with marking.
We spent our lunches at the local cafes where I had the classic ‘rice and beans’ or ‘chapati and beans’ every day as well as a large bottle of ice cold water! A great activity is to befriend a teacher or local or in our case ‘Aunty’, our next door neighbour to teach you how to make chapati - delicious.

After school, there is so much still happening. The children love to play football and they also love to sing and play games so its good to have a few nursery rhymes and ‘Duck Duck Goose’ up your sleeve at all times! You also do not need to remain at school when the teaching is finished. The house you will be in is a 200m walk to the most gorgeous beach where we spent a lot of time cooling off, washing away the dirt and sweat from a long day and getting to know the locals.
When the weekends roll around you may want to stick around in Msambweni and spend time playing football, going to the beach, attending local weddings or eating with your neighbours or you have the option of exploring further a field. The local town, Diani, is around 40 minutes by tuk-tuk - local transport that fits around 3-4 people. Diani has so much to offer. The white sandy beaches make a great walking, sunbathing or swimming spot as well as water-sports and camel rides. It has lots of restaurants, cafes and bars all ranging in price yet there is something for everyone! Diani has some fabulous hostels to offer as well - our favourite being Diani Backpackers where you meet a whole host of people from far and wide. It also has a great party scene and is where we spent a fair few weekends sometimes even with our teachers too!
Other weekends we spent in Mombasa, Kilifi and Watamu which are a bit further a field yet very accessible via the (cheap) local buses - matatus or if you want to stretch your budget, by taxi. You will also get a half term which lasts around 5-6 days in February time which we chose to spend on safari in Tsavo East which we booked through a company recommended by Grace in Diani however, ask around or ask Grace as there are plenty of other things you could do!

I would 100% recommend AV. Their support right from the get go really impressed me and made me feel confident and comfortable with what I was going to embark upon. Although they support you, they do not bombard you. For me, I wanted a challenge and to live independently rather than having a 3 month itinerary being told what to do. You have the freedom of choice of what you do on a day-to-day basis, what you buy, cook, choose to do at the weekends etc etc with still the awareness that Sarah, Andrew and Grace are just at the end of a text/email if you need them. Having Khalfan as an in-country representative is also a great help as he lives so close to you, yet he also does not over do the ‘just checking in.’
You will gain so much by choosing to do AV without realising it. The amount of skills you gain from the experience is so valuable and really sets you up for life - no matter what your next stage may be. These skills include things from cooking, learning to live with others, learning a language to critical thinking, time management, organisation, patience, teaching, managing money and even more. You learn so much about yourself, gain independence and feel prepared to tackle all sorts of challenges all whilst making life long friendships and memories. The group you are with really do end up being like family. I was so lucky to be with the people I was with as we became so close which made the hard moments (you will have some) so much easier. You eat together every night, sleep in the same room every night, celebrate birthdays together, play games, listen to music, share stories, debate, laugh… you do it all.
It really is the most special thing you will ever do and I wish I could go back and do it all again. All I can leave you with is: Do it. You will absolutely not regret it.

Just over a month ago I got back from Kenya after having an unbelievable 3 months. During my time there, I taught at a school, experienced a Kenya wedding, snorkelling, a safari, experienced an athletics competition, go karting, football games against the locals and many other things!!

One of the many things I liked about this experience, is how much you immersed yourself into the community. Me and the two girls I worked at school with got invited to our Boda Boda’s house, we experienced a Kenyan wedding, we played a football game against the locals, I even watched a arsenal game in this hut/building with a tv with the locals and we also invited our friends round to the house for dinner which was really nice. The neighbours are also lovely!! The other thing I loved is the beach being a 5 minute walk from the house!! This was amazing, after school going to the beach and swimming.

On the day you leave, you meet everyone at the airport, and in our case Andrew (who is another one of the AV team) spoke to us before we carried on our journey to Kenya!! This is likely the first time you will meet everyone, which is nice to spend a couple days with people before going to school. You meet Grace at Ukunda airport, before going to your house in Mswabweni. We then had the weekend to settle in and learnt a bit of easy Swahili by Khalfan and got more of an introduction and really helpful advice by Grace and Khalfan, this helped me understand more about the place that I was going to be living for 3 months.

Working at the school was truly eye opening, learning about school life in Kenya was very interesting and the differences between the school and a typical English School. I taught Social Studies, but I would also help my friend in maths, marking and helping kids in a smaller group to help them understand!! Whilst teaching them, we also had fun!! Seeing them happy after simply having fun for 10 minutes was really rewarding. We also got on really well with our teachers, playing cards but also going to Wassini with a few of them!! We would speak and understand about different cultures in schools in England and became good friends with them.

I think something that made the experience 10/10 was the people, in which is all thanks to AV. I had the best group of people and still speak to them!! I have seen three already and are planning a reunion. We got on so well, we had too cook, clean and live together which made us very close by the end of the 3 months. On the weekends, we would most of the time go away on Friday till Sunday. We mostly went to Diani Backpackers, but also ventured out to Mombasa, Kilifi and Watamu. This was really nice, after the weekdays in the village and the school, it was nice to get away for the weekend to have fun, and most importantly do the weekly shop!!

The main thing for me which made me choose AV over the other organisations, is the support and comfort knowing you have support if you need it. I had a FaceTime with Sarah (one of AV’s team) before going, who was very nice and I felt very prepared heading to Kenya, I also got in contact with a previous person who had been to Kenya with AV. Grace (who lived in Nairobi) Khalfan (who lived a couple minutes away) lived in Kenya, Grace was there at Ukunda airport and we met Khalfan soon after. Grace (who would come every so often) and Khalfan were absolutely brilliant, especially Khalfan who would come over to check on us but equally would be here if we had any problems. Although he looked after us, he wasn’t at the house too much!! He became a very special person to us!! As a 9, we had to organise what to have for dinner, who would cook, wash up and how to keep the house clean. For someone who is going to university in September, I feel like this experience has definitely got me more prepared.

In January I did not think I was going to have as good of a time as I thought, but I had one of the best experiences of my life. Would go back to January and do it all again if it could!

I recently got back from Kenya after spending 3 months with AV on the coast and then travelling to Tanzania and Uganda afterwards. I can confidently say that choosing to do the AV program was the best decision I could have made.
Before we arrived in Kenya, I had a briefing from Sarah, who could not have been more lovely and helpful, which covered everything you need to know about the village, the schools, the house, and the programme itself. AV were so helpful before departure – no question was too silly! We were all put in touch with the other volunteers before leaving which was nice and then met by Andrew in the airport to see us off. We also had an induction weekend where we met Grace and Khalfan who showed us around, taught us some simple Swahili and basically told us more of what to expect at school.

In terms of teaching, I taught Maths, English and PE which was fun and really rewarding but one of the things I loved most about being at school was just playing with the kids after school and chatting to them. When we weren’t teaching there was plenty opportunities to make posters, do some marking, and paint classrooms from their dusty colouring back to white with some murals on the walls! Time at school really starts to fly by and you get into such a routine Monday – Friday.

At the weekends we always went away to Diani or sometimes further up the coast to Mombasa, Kilifi, or Watamu. Teaching is quite full on so going for a swim in the evenings and heading away at the weekends is important and I think we managed a good ratio of work to chill time. I was very lucky with the group that I went with – I absolutely love all of them and we are all still in contact and planning reunions! I’m very grateful that we became so close as a whole group because it meant that the weekends were always fun and being at school 5 days a week and living together never became too much because you’re just having fun with your friends.

One of the main things about AV that makes your time away so special is how immersed you become in the community. We went to weddings, birthday parties, football games, and often had dinner with friends we made. Khalfan was always so lovely and introduced us to so many people in the village and was so helpful – literally anything we needed he would come round in 10 minutes to help us. He became one of our friends and I know we all miss him now we’re home.

The reason I chose AV over all the other gap year companies out there is because of the perfect level of support. For me, I didn’t want to have my hand held and be told where to go and be looked after all the time. I loved that we lived by ourselves, but with Khalfan close by, and that we cooked for ourselves and did what we wanted when we wanted. I would say as an 18/19 year old AV is the perfect level of support that you feel safe and looked after, but also you have freedom.

I cannot recommend AV enough – I absolutely loved it and made memories and friends for a lifetime.

I have recently just returned home after traveling for five months, four of which were spent with Africa Asia Venture. I had the most amazing experience with them and felt that I got to soak up the atmosphere from the locals, from going to weddings to snorkeling trips, to sports competitions at other schools. The privilege and ability to take a long period out of your day-to-day routine to plunge yourself into life in Msambweni are rare, so you want to sign up with a company that will look after you and cater to your wants and needs.

The process right from the start feels super easy as you have an initial consultation with either Andrew or Sarah, who will make sure you have signed up for the right project, as they have many to pick from. AV is a brilliant organization as it is small enough to feel like family, as the people take the time to get to know you as an individual, but big enough that they have a network of connections and contacts who come and look after you. One of the team will meet you at the airport, and that is when you get fully thrown into the experience, as this will most likely be the first time you will meet the people you will be living with for the next three months.

Once you arrive in the local town, Diani, you will be met by Grace and Khalfan, some of the AV team down on the ground, who will then give you an orientation. They make you feel right at home immediately as you meet the locals, take you to their favorite shops, and show you the schools. This for me was something that I thought made AV stand out, because leaving your home to spend 3-4 months halfway across the world, naturally, can feel daunting, so this orientation makes you feel very well looked after.

After this weekend is over the time starts to fly by. Monday to Friday will be spent teaching at your school, I taught Maths, English, and Science, so don't worry if you feel like you don't know the subjects well enough the teachers are there to help! When you are not teaching lessons, there is still plenty to do. I would often chat with the teachers, draw with the kids, or paint murals on the school walls. If you don't believe me when I say you become best friends with the teachers then let me tell you that my friend Layla and I were even lucky enough a couple of times to go over to one of our teacher's houses and learn how to make chapatti and beans (my favorite). Once the school day is over, you have the opportunity to play football or other sports with the children or go to the beach, which is on your doorstep. It is a surreal experience to be able to walk 100 meters and be on a lovely white sandy beach, a perfect way to cool down after an exhausting and sweaty day.

It gets even better, every weekend like clockwork we could wake up on Saturday and go straight to Diani by tuk-tuk, the local transport. In Diani there are so many different things to do, by the beach, you could sail, windsurf, kitesurf, kayak, paddleboard or go tubing. There are also lots of lovely places to eat, all at a very affordable price, and there is a big drinking scene, especially Diani backpackers which was the best and our favorite place we would go every weekend.

So why pick AV?
There are many reasons why I would suggest this company and that make them stand out.
Starting with the strongest, and my particular reason for picking AV, was because of their perfect balance of support. When you are 18/19 and on a gap year, this is often your first time living away from home, and I think AV balances the independence well. They have Grace who lives in Nairobi who would often pop down once a fortnight to check on you and that you were doing okay. However, they didn't smother you in support and overwhelm you by constantly checking in as you still had an opportunity to do things your way and be in control of what food you wanted to cook or what you wanted to do in the evening. They also have Khalfan who lives just a couple of houses down, so he would also check on us a couple of times a week and also will be there if you need any help or support.

Second, you are not doing a project with a big umbrella organization, you are with a relatively small organization that looks after you and checks in, it makes the volunteers feel a lot safer, as the company knows you by name. Often if you do a project like this with a big company, if you have a problem and need help, it is hard because the company is big so they won't know who necessarily you are.

Lastly, the opportunity to improve your skills development is great. I am sure if you ask most people who have done a project with AV they will tell you they feel so much more independent and ready to take on different challenges. This is so true, having done AV is great preparation for the 'real world' and helps equip a young individual to tackle the situations life throws at them.

I wish someone could go back and tell me last January when I was starting this project that there was no reason to be scared and then when it all ended I wished I could go back!

I recently returned home after spending 12 weeks with AV in Kenya volunteering, and an additional 4 weeks travelling in Tanzania after the program ended. I can confidently say that my choice to sign up for this program with AV was the best decision I could have made for myself.
Before arriving in kenya, AV helped us prepare for our travels by sending out information of what to expect upon arrival. We were also put in touch with the other volunteers on the program. After arriving, we had a lowkey, but also very helpful orientation course with our local guides, Khalfhan and Grace.
After settling in the first 2 weeks, I quickly fell into a routine of going to school Monday-Friday to teach and participate in after school activities with the kids, and then going into the local town of Diani on weekends with the other volunteers. We found a good balance between the time we spent volunteering in school, and the time we spent relaxing outside of the classroom.
I was very lucky with the group I was apart of throughout this program. Because you are all living together in the same house, and sleeping in the same bedroom, it is very important that all of the volunteers are able to get along together. I was very happy with the group that I went with.
The main thing that I found so great about the AV project was the cultural immersion aspect of it. This is not a program where you travel from location to location doing very touristy activities, but rather it is meant as a way for you to become immersed in the local culture. This comes very naturally, as you spend the duration of your stay living in the same house among all of the locals. We found ourselves getting invited to dinner at peoples homes, playing football matches with the local team, and many other things.
Another aspect that I found to work well is the balance that AV has found between allowing the volunteers to have their own freedom, while also keeping an eye on everyone and making sure that they are safe throughout. We were able to make plans on our own and travel freely around the village, but we always knew that Khalfhan and Grace were always there in case we ran into any difficulties.
Overall, if you’re looking to sign up for a gap year program, I believe that AV is the best way to go!

I would preface by stating the most important factor is the other volunteers you work with. You spend all day with them - at home, at school, afterschool activities, and weekend activities. I adored the people I shared this experience with and would definitively say that I made lifelong friends. Thus, every experience I had here was elevated by the simple fact that friends accompanied me everywhere I went.

I would say the defining feature of AV was the independence offered. The first few days are simple because Andrew and Sarah guide you through pre-orientation and then, once you arrive in Kenya, Khalfan and Grace bring you through orientation (which they do an amazing job of by the way - the first few steps really help you get accustomed to a new environment before you are thrown into volunteering).

However, the fun truly begins after that. Everything you do is up to yourself and the initiative that you have to make the most of the experience... and I loved that aspect. You have free reign to decide how you want to spend your time volunteering at school, what you want to do in your free time afterward, and, of course, your weekend plans. I can't stress enough how liberating it was to be able to freely choose what you wanted to do. Volunteering is far more fulfilling when it's built on your initiative. Your free time is so much more exciting when you have complete freedom to decide what you want to do. AV gives you the opportunity to craft your own experience. This isn't to say that you're alone because Khalfan and Grace are a doorstep or one text/call away from helping you. You will always get the advice that you need but the best part is that it doesn't interfere with what you personally want to do.

To offer a glimpse of my experience:
At school: I taught 7 subjects, played all sorts of games with the kids after school, and helped decorate the school by painting.

Outside of school: beach trips (you live right next to the beach), football matches, weddings, hikes, safari, tubing, water park, jet ski, snorkeling.

Basically, if you decide to join AV in Kenya, you'll have the same opportunity I did to experience all these amazing adventures with friends.

I went on a trip to Msambweni in Kenya with Av travel and have to say it was an amazing experience. I was there for 12 weeks, spent 8 weeks volunteering in Kingwede School and 4 weeks at Home Streets Home program in Makongeni. The school was an incredible experience although somewhat depressing to see the facilities and daily lives the kids have. We got thrown straight into the deep end, teaching classes by ourselves in English, Science and Pe which at first was slightly nerve wracking however we quickly got the hang of it. The kids are so friendly and constantly want to play to the point where you can easily get very tired. We were kept mostly busy during the week with kids at school and in the village. The house is less than 5 minutes away from a beautiful beach. I felt well looked after and safe at all times, but also left with independence. Got to say especially a thank you to Khalfan who is a lovely man and always looked after us.

Also Msambweni is around 45 minutes from a Tuktuk from Diani, which we enjoyed on many weekends where there is also a beautiful beach and hostels and nightclubs which were also very good fun. There is also possibilities to go to Mombasa and Kilifi which are also not too far. Overall there is plenty in the area to keep you occupied.

I would definitely recommend Av travel in Kenya for anyone who wants a cultural experience in a beautiful part of the world. And it definitely something I will always remember.