The Most Affordable Volunteer in Kenya - 25K happy Volunteers Since 2006

The HIV Care project just outside of Nairobi is exceptional. Run by a social activist with an infectious personality and endless energy, the experience felt like a graduate-level course in social work. I was given a detailed orientation to learn about the history, purpose and organization of the program. On day one I was also given a schedule for my two week volunteer work, which I greatly appreciated. My work was a mix of teaching/assisting at the school, doing home visits of clients and writing up success stories for social media to fund raise. I also participated in a weekly support group with new clients. The office staff is kind and vivacious, treating one another and guests like family. Accommodations are comfortable but basic a d food provided varied and high quality home cooked meals. I will treasure the work I did here and always remember the resilient women I met who have overcome so many adversities.
I did have some communication issues with the IFRE representative regarding arrival and the location of my placement, so I recommend to future volunteers to be mindful of this and ensure proper arrangements are made in advance. That said, this was an invaluable program and I encourage anyone considering it to take the plunge and work with Living Positive Kenya.

My experience teaching and living in Nairobi was rewarding and unforgettable. I taught 6th and 8th grade “learners” at St. Paul’s public school and collaborated closely with a wonderful teacher. The head teacher, all the faculty, and the beautiful children welcomed me with open arms.
Most of the “learners” are impoverished. I was taken back by the lack of books (one book for each three and sometimes four students) and classroom size (60) and was not prepared for the amount of material which must be printed on the blackboards or on poster boards. Despite these difficulties, the students were very disciplined, polite, and curious about my presence.
There is a lack of government support which is reflected not only in the paucity of books but also in the number of learners (60) in classrooms and lack of individual desks that required many learners to sit together on benches with very narrow desktops. Student sitting at the back of the room had difficulty seeing the blackboard, and I had difficulty hearing them at times in their accented English. The line up for daily porridge for students who did not bring lunch was very large, and even larger when it was announced that learners whose parents did not contribute to the porridge fund (that pays for porridge and the cook) could receive porridge due to a surplus. The teachers told me that the porridge may be the only meal in the day for some of the students.
Due to flooding, there were only three toilet facilities – one for girls, one foy boys, and one for faculty and staff. The toilets were outhouses which required standing up. Everyone had to bring their own toilet paper, including the learners but some could not afford it. There were not enough places for handwashing.
The largely female teachers were very enthusiastic and dedicated, and teaching was only part of their responsibility and deep commitment. The teachers routinely keep track of the tough economic and social circumstances under which most learners live and learn. I saw numerous acts of kindness demonstrated by individual teachers. I watched as my mentor teacher brought in a bag of shoes from her son to give to the “head learner” whom she noticed was having difficulty walking because his shoes had fallen apart.
There was a day of celebration when local elected officials came to deliver sanitary napkin supplies for the first time to the school to end the plague of “menstrual shame” and stop girls from missing school during their periods. St. Paul’s was chosen as a pilot project and each girl having her period would receive two napkins – one for school and one to take home. On another occasion when my mentor teacher pointed out that one boy could not see the text in the shared book, because his mother could not afford to buy him eye glasses, I had a pair of non-prescription reading glasses with me and gave them to him. A whole new world opened up.
I was surprised to learn the language of instruction for all subjects is English, although Swahili is spoken more to the younger children. One suggestion I have is for those who teach English in the volunteer program to receive more specific information about area and school where the will teach, the grade levels, and more precise recommendations on teaching English.
My room and meals in a family home were excellent. As a senior citizen, it was important that I had a single room with shower. But even better was the relationship I developed with the family who were wonderful, understanding, and accommodating. The host father, who is both a minister and a dean of students at Daystar University, was very generous and is planning two projects to assist impoverished youth in Nairobi and in his native village. He also arranged for me to give a lecture to students at Daystar. I wrote a white paper for him outlining some ideas about raising funds and setting up a non-profit corporation in the US. I pledged to donate funds to one of the projects of my host family after an organization is formed. I also plan to send some funds to St. Paul’s to purchase supplies.
As a final comment, I was struck by the role of Christianity plays in the daily life of Kenyans and even in the public schools where there is also a required course on “Christian Living” that I found fascinating. As I non-religious person and American where there is a legal separation between church and state (although changes are underway on this principle), I was not offended at all having observed what is taught which is more about discussing the importance of proper behavior rather and less about religion.

I absolutely loved my time in Kenya, volunteering for HIV positive women under the LPK program. I not only met amazing people (some of the most welcoming individuals I have ever met), but I was able to experience the kenyan culture and contribute to the program in a meaningful way. We carried out home visits to work on each case individually and speak with the beneficiaries of the program. They allowed me to visit the school (in which many students are funded by the program itself) and the slums where many of these women live. It was a culture shock to say the least, but truly eye-opening and humbling. I think everyone should contribute to this program, as it both enriches you and the organization. The food, the accommodation, and the staff members were all great and have made a life-long impression on me. I am definitely coming back for a longer period.

I am applying to Physician Assistant school soon and wanted to have a better perspective with global healthcare. I felt that I needed to see the health disparities with my own eyes to understand that I was fortunate enough to receive excellent care when I had surgery, recovery, and currently today, but it was not the case for the non-privileged patients of these developing countries. Many healthcare professionals in developing countries face the challenge of having inadequate facilities, limited resources, and understaffed clinics and hospitals. Being out of my comfort zone and working in the challenging settings in Kenya has helped build my character, enhance my abilities, and encourage me to collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible health care keeping in mind the circumstances. The last weeks have allowed me to develop adaptability and resilience in these clinics will make it easier to navigate a profession in the health field. The PAs and nurses welcomed me apart of their team and communication to direct patients to diagnosis and treatment options. Being exposed to this environment has given me a better perspective on healthcare. I felt safe in this environment since my accommodation was in a gated community with security guards. I missed home, and to have a home cooked meal every night in my program coordinator's home allowed me to feel comfortable and consider it a home away from home. I knew that if I came to Nairobi that I had to experience a safari and the culture. I was amazed by the beauty of the big five in Nairobi National Park, the elephants from the David Sheldrick orphanage, the giraffe center, and the Bomas of Kenya. This volunteering trip has been one of the greatest things I have had the privilege to experience and I am leaving taking all of the knowledge I have learned to apply in my future profession.

I do enjoy the program. At the first day of my arrival, the in-country coordinator has a lot of patience to wait for me at the airport. He picked up me even I did not call him (the net in the airport doesn't work). He helped me buy a sim card and also exchange money, and then directly sent me to the program. I live in an intern house, which is very quiet and safe. And one lady cooked breakfast and dinner for me. The food is delicious and nutritional. The program I do volunteer encourages women who are HIV positive to build them new life. They already supported a considerable number of women and their families. I think it inspired me a lot. I will 100% recommend this program to my friends, hope they can help more Kenyan women. Overall, it is an excellent experience in Kenya, worth to try in your life!

I served with IFRE volunteers for two weeks total, spending one at the construction project in Machakos, and the other split between AlGadhir and Revivial Med Clinic in Kibera.
Agape school is an excellent fit for anyone with teaching experience, and the kids love spending time playing soccer or learning from you. The construction project I went for was very hands on, as I was able to spend two work days working right alongside the stone mason crew as we constructed a new school building.
At AlGadhir, I was able to volunteer in any specialization for three days, but it was much more of a shadow experience for me and a marketing one for IFRE. The staff was very welcoming, and I’ll miss working there even though it took a couple days to find a niche. If you want to volunteer for a medical clinic work at Revival Med clinic in Kibera. There I was able to assist hands on with a trauma and help delive a child on the same day. The staff there is also very welcoming and I found your time is more necessary in Kibera than AlGadhir. For the price, IFRE provided many incredible experiences that I will never forget.

It was an incredible experience in Kenya, it is hard to describe in words. From the moment I arrived I felt at home and very welcome in the centre. I volunteered to teach English & Math to during my 2 weeks stay at the centre & I was given the teaching aids that were necessary for classes. If I had problems or needed assistance other teachers were always there to help me. Barnabas was a fantastic source of information and advice during my stay. I found the students to be very eager to learn and very courteous in class. It was just such a pity to find them with only one book to work from for the whole class. Nonetheless, the teachers manage with what little resources they have & they are a great inspiration for the children. I extended my stay there by another week but that was still far too little time to be spending with such great children. I will definitely go back as soon as I can organize for it.
I was welcomed into the host family as their own. It really felt like home. My host sacrificed her own time at weekends to bring me to the Giraffe Centre & the Bomas of Kenya. She also helped me to buy provisions for the orphanage – taking another whole day of her personal time. In terms of the livings conditions I found the house to be most comfortable and the quality of the meals I received was excellent.
On the last week of my stay in Kenya I did the Safari as well. It was absolutely fantastic. The driver, Sammy, was very competent – I felt very safe in the vehicle on such rocky roads! He was also very knowledgeable with respect to the wildlife – in terms of both identification and giving us information about specific animals. The campsite was well run – it was clean & even had hot showers on our second day! The food was also very good.

Volunteering abroad ethically, has been an aspiration for my wife and I and we took a chance after a ton of research. Unfortunately we didn't get what we paid for in IFRE's Kenya placement with Boundless Loves, which didn't match their online description of Cultural Conservation. On top of that, communication issues, cost overrun and lack of direction made us leave our project early.

IFRE didn't communicate costs well, and the money we paid for our program placement didn't have a portion go to the project there as the IFRE website claimed. Boundless Loves’ projects didn't have a lead or any actual projects for us to join, and we had to create our own. They put us in front of cute children, trying to make us feel sorry for them so that we would donate more, and “coordinators” were constantly asking for more money. For any project we wanted to start, we had to make our own plans, fund and direct help for them--which from everything we've read is not very helpful because we're simply forcing our biased fixes that may not fit the local needs or culture. Without leadership or proper oversight, and not receiving useful information, we were left bewildered, frustrated, and unable to help in a meaningful, long-term way.

Finally, IFRE or known as Global Crossroads in EU isn't a volunteer organization, they're a volunteer placement group, so if you can connect with a group on the ground, you can save $300+ per person. Additionally, extra services come at a premium, for example our safari cost twice the going rate in Kenya with no difference in experience for the other safari goers who paid half the cost.