Volunteer with Children in Kenya | Non-Profit

Volunteer with Children in Kenya | Non-Profit

4.85 · 41 reviews
Location
  • Kenya
    • Kisumu
Length
1 to 42 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
15
Age Max
55
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse
Groups
Small Group (1-15)
Travel Type
Budget Solo Women

Pricing

$290
Price Details
Volunteer fees vary depending on length of stay. We are a non-profit. All proceeds are used to support our Education Fund.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals SIM cards Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Apr 07, 2026
Sep 30, 2025
4 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Volunteer with children in Kenya, teaching English, Creative Arts, Music, Swimming, Life Skills, or Sports.

In Kisumu, many children face limited access to quality education. Poverty and a lack of resources hinder potential. Better Me, a registered non-profit, supports local programs, like the Korando Educational Center, Kisumu Children Remand Home and Nyalenda Youngstars football club in the slums to change their story.

As a Better Me volunteer, you’ll directly impact these communities. You'll teach English to children, lead Creative Arts, Music, Swimming, Life Skills, and Physical Education activities. Your efforts will nurture abilities and confidence that last a lifetime.

You’ll work with different age groups while collaborating with local educators in Kisumu to create engaging, hands-on learning experiences. Our programs prioritize community engagement and local support.

Join the Better Me family and make a real difference in Kenya.

A Better World starts with a Better Me.

Program Highlights

  • We’re local: Our team lives and works in Kisumu. It’s their home and this work is close to their heart. Every volunteer fee and donation directly supports local people, schools, and community projects.
  • We’re ethical: No orphanage tourism. No staged photo ops. Just real, human connection and community-driven development.
  • We’re experienced: Since 2015, we’ve welcomed volunteers from 34 countries and built long-lasting partnerships with schools, organizations, government departments and local leaders.
  • We’re sustainable: Our programs continue with or without volunteers, ensuring lasting impact that’s rooted in the community, not in dependency.
  • We’re transformational: Our approach combines personal growth with real-world impact, because we believe a better world starts with a Better Me.

Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here. Learn more about how Better Me is promoting ethical volunteering.

Video and Photos

Impact 🌎

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Better Me. Our programs are community-owned and Kenyan-led, built to flourish whether volunteers are present or not. This means projects don’t pause when a volunteer leaves—they continue to grow, guided by local expertise and long-term vision.
Every contribution—time, skills, or funds—feeds directly into lasting systems of education, empowerment, and opportunity. Rather than creating dependency, we strengthen schools, families, and community initiatives so that they remain resilient and self-sufficient for years to come.
We invest in local leadership and capacity building, ensuring that knowledge, skills, and decision-making stay where they belong: in the community. By combining personal transformation with responsible development, Better Me creates impact that endures—an approach where growth today becomes strength for tomorrow.
At Better Me we believe that true change begins within and grows outward. As a registered nonprofit rooted in Kisumu, Kenya, our work is led by local hearts and minds and shaped by the community we serve. Every volunteer experience and every euro of support flows directly into schools, families, and grassroots initiatives that make a lasting difference.
Our approach is built on respect and authenticity. We reject quick fixes, orphanage tourism, and staged photo opportunities. Instead, we cultivate real relationships and projects that continue to thrive whether volunteers are present or not. This ensures that the impact remains sustainable and never dependent on outside help.
Since 2015, people from more than thirty countries have joined us and discovered that volunteering can be both deeply personal and profoundly communal. They come to share skills and curiosity, and leave transformed—more connected, more aware, and more empowered to shape a better world.
Better Me isn’t about “fixing” Kenya. It’s about walking alongside the people who call it home, learning from their wisdom, and growing together. Through this exchange of hearts, cultures, and ideas, we create change that is ethical, enduring, and alive with possibility.

Program Impact

At Better Me, we believe that true change starts within—and grows outward into the community. By volunteering with us, you’ll help children and youth in Kisumu gain confidence, creativity, and essential life skills that open doors to a brighter future.

Our programs are designed to last: they continue with or without volunteers, ensuring sustainable impact rooted in the community. Every moment you spend—whether teaching English, leading arts and sports, or simply offering encouragement—contributes to long-term growth, both for the children and for yourself.

Together, we’re not just creating opportunities for today—we’re shaping a ripple effect of positive change that reaches far into the future.

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Program Reviews

4.85 Rating
based on 41 reviews
  • 5 rating 85.37%
  • 4 rating 14.63%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.8
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.85
  • Value 4.65
  • Safety 4.85
Showing 33 - 40 of 41 reviews
Pablo
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a lifetime

I arrived to Korando when the project was in the beginning, and once i set foot in that place i got abducted by the energy of the people and the place. I still remember how the children arrived in the early morning to the school and the sense of community they have helping each others and greeting to me with a big smile, i feel like i could stay every morning there, just seeing that scene for the rest of my life and would be enough to be happy. Thanks Korando for one of the best weeks of my life

35 people found this review helpful.
Judith B.
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Three times I visited Better Me!!! And I would love to come back!

Being part of this family is such a unique experience that words are not enough to express the impact that volunteering with them has had on my life.

Better Me program is designed to give you a full immersion, is flexible, and guided by local people with a lot of experience. I value how hard and honestly they work to improve the lives of so many children and families.

To stay in the beautiful dome home, to eat authentic Kenyan food cooked by the Kenyan mamas, to share time with the children and other volunteers, to feel the love and the care that erase all boundaries and differences, is something that you should experience by yourself. Don't miss the opportunity to join this wonderful team.

Pros
  • Better Me team will take very good care of you to have an excellent experience
  • There's a perfect balance between the time to volunteer and time to explore the local culture
  • You share time with the kids, teachers, local team and other volunteers
31 people found this review helpful.
Johannes
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

It has been an amazing experience

I have stayed two times with Better Me: once for 10 weeks (in total 2 weeks longer than planned) and again for 6 weeks (for dedicated purpose). Both times it was a great time.

Better Me as an organisation is well connected with the communities, does have a measurable impact on communities and schools and is very supportive and caring to all the volunteers as well as its staff, supporters and communities. The volunteer home is super inviting. Better Me also supports Mama Dolfine, an outstanding lady taking care of many children by giving them a safe place and providing them the ability to go to school. These children were always part of my days and they have now a special place in my heart. ❤️ There's not much more that one could need.

Thanks to Better Me's excellent network I got involved many different projects and local schools such as the St. Williams school and Kudho Secondary school. Also the Kisumu children's remand home is of a high importance to us to either teach English or discuss life skills.

At all times Better Me is willing to grow and to improve and also this is visible. Better me is very open to new ideas and ways to teach. Specifically with the Kudho School which is one of the few schools to offer German classes. I had the opportunity to build a special bond with a class of ten highly talented young women and its teacher. Those I have supported primarily during my second stay. In fact have promised this during my first stay, to come back to help them with their preparation for their national exam at the end of the school year. As a native German speaker it was a great honour and pleasure to assist. This is an unforgettable part of my life, not at last since we have build a special friendly relationship with each other.

The opportunities to contribute are plenty, the hospitality is extraordinary, the Better Me team and all the staff can only be described as amazing and caring people. It was a real pleasure to stay with them and to work with them. And I am looking forward to meet all of them again. Not at last, because of some organised weekend trips such as to the Maasai Mara National Reserve Park and Uganda. Just to see something more of that beautiful country. Thanks a lot Better Me! Tunaonana tena! ;-)

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Expect the unexpected. Your time here will be a positive change to your life, even and especially in the aftermath. I had so many things to reflect that it led to an own blog post to be found here: https://johannesrudolf.net/category/volunteering/kenya23/
Pros
  • Receive lots of love wherever I have been, and being part of a large community/family
  • Being a teacher and social worker
  • Learning a lot about other cultures and the country
Cons
  • African time, in particular for a German guy who may stick to plans and timetables. However, one can get familiar with it and from then its actually fine (if not better than at home due to less pressure)
  • Being contacted and asked to help by too many people in cities. It has helped to play the "volunteer card" (to explain what I do there, for free and on fully my own)
34 people found this review helpful.
Eloisa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An incredible experience

A truely unforgettable experience - I spent 6 weeks with BetterMe and it was amazing! The team are lovely and supportive and I created lasting friendships with the other volunteers. The programme itself includes a variety of activities so each day looks different with swimming, teaching English or life skill lessons at local institutions, teaching art classes as well going to deliver talks at local high schools - my highlight was teaching a musical theatre dance class! The dome home where you stay is clean and the food is nice too. The social side outside of programme was great too with many occasions to go out and experience culture by trying new foods and going out for a drink as well as being able to book additional trips such as a safari and a weekend trip to Takawiri. I really can’t recommend it enough as a 19 year old female from England on a gap year!

What was your funniest moment?
The shared jokes between me and the other volunteers we still laugh at now!
Pros
  • A really fulfilling and heartwarming experience
  • Kind supportive team
  • Great for making international friends and meeting new people
Cons
  • African time - the culture has a more relaxed view on timings which as British person was a hard concept for me to wrap my head round but once you get use to it its fine!
  • Unwanted attention from locals purely for being white, however I never felt unsafe due to usually being with members of the team if off site and on site is protected by night guards! So it was never an issue just something to be aware of
38 people found this review helpful.
Ángela
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing project

Better Me Kenya does incredible work at Korando Educational Center in Kisumu, Kenya. I have been volunteering there for 10 years and I can say with absolute certainty that thanks to them the lives of so many children change every day. Thanks to them many children have the possibility of being able to study, something that would otherwise be unattainable. They also help with food, teachers' salaries, medical coverage, uniforms and many other things. Thanks to them the operation of this center is much easier on a daily basis. In short, it is an NGO that you have to go to if you want to try the experience of volunteering and you are thinking about going to this area and do work related to education. It is a wonderful team, with professionals who are very close, friendly and open and willing to help and facilitate things. Also, the whole Korando family is amazing: the incredible Mama Dolfine (who is the person who started the project and is in charge of the school and orphanage), the teachers, the students and all the people who live there. If you go there, you will never regret going

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travellers on this program is to go with a strong desire to help, to live new experiences and to be open to another culture, completely different from your own. Also be willing to come back with a heart full of love and experiences.
Pros
  • You get a lot of love
  • You get to know another culture and other ways of living
  • I am a teacher and I have seen another approach to education.
Cons
  • The cultural differences may be a bit of a shock, but for me it is not a con
37 people found this review helpful.
Sandy
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A life-changing year in Kenya

Spending one year as the volunteer coordinator at Korando in Kenya has been one of the most valuable and memorable experiences of my life.

As the coordinator on site, I had the privilege of living alongside the volunteers and working closely with the children, teachers, and local staff. One of the most rewarding aspects was the time spent with the children outside of class, whether it was playing, helping with homework, or simply being there for them. The joy and energy they brought into every moment was unforgettable. I also formed deep friendships with fellow volunteers and people in Kisumu, the nearby city, which made my experience even richer.

The program itself is a beautiful balance of cultural exchange, community support, and personal development. Volunteers not only make a tangible impact by funding essentials like new school uniforms and supplies but also bring fresh energy, ideas, and talents to the children.

A program like this also comes with its challenges. High turnover of short-term volunteers means children often have to adjust to new faces. Sometimes volunteers are not fully prepared for local conditions and the emotional challenge of leaving after building strong bonds is real.

Looking back, I wouldn’t have missed this opportunity for anything. It was not just a year of service but also of friendship, discovery, and growth.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Omena which is sun dried tiny fish that is fried with onions and tomato and served with Ugali... I tried it and decided that some things are just not for me :)
Pros
  • Direct impact on community - volunteer fees go straight into supporting Korando
  • cultural exchange and personal growth
  • Your skills and support have a direct impact on the children
Cons
  • cultural and expectation gaps - adopting to local realities (lifestyle, infrastructure, cultutal norms) can be challenging
  • Emotional challenges - working closely with vulnerable children can be demanding and sometimes it's hard to leave them behind when volunteers go back to their lifes
39 people found this review helpful.
Antonia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Profound and difference making program!

I was part of the program for a few months and to this day, I can confidently say that I’m still touched by how far this Organisation has come. I’m very greatful to have found an Organisation that deeply cares about its children (and it’s social workers as well as volunteers). The aim, to really help and support children and children really does come through with this. I felt very safe, very much guided and connected with all the people there and I hope that many other people can experience that too.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The connection you can have with all the children. It’s just wonderful
35 people found this review helpful.
Eric
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life-Changing Experience with Better Me in Kisumu, Kenya

Spending six weeks at Better Me in Kisumu was truly one of the most inspiring and rewarding experiences of my life. At first, I had a lot of respect and even a bit of nervousness about working with the children, but they turned out to be absolutely amazing. The community life at the Dome was incredible: all volunteers living together under one roof, with the perfect balance of connection and freedom. If I wanted to spend time with the kids, help out, or join activities, I could. And if I needed some space for myself, that was just as possible.

I was even able to continue my online work in the evenings and occasionally at a local coworking space without any issues. Everything felt safe and welcoming, from jogging alone to going to the gym or exploring the market. Highlights included football training sessions in the slum, unforgettable evenings at karaoke, and simply sharing daily life with the children and other volunteers.

The atmosphere, the people, the food, and the overall spirit of the project were amazing. It was eye-opening, heart-expanding, and something I can recommend to anyone considering volunteering. If you’re still in doubt, just do it. It’s an experience you’ll carry with you forever.

44 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers