Volunteer with Disadvantaged Children in Kenya

My initial goal was to go to Africa without being a tourist, discover what I could of local culture and hopefully help some people.

Too many programs that I found just seemed like this cliche "build a house or teach english"; the cost of these programs seemed to me too high and the actual value created was dubious in my opinion.

I found IPI through Ecologia Youth Trust, and after reading extensively about it I decided it was this or nothing. Ultimately I found that I was very much encouraged to take any initiatives I wanted and very free, so independence was key here. I noticed that quite a few projects had been started but not finished, so decided to follow through on those that interested me: production of methane/biogas from cow dung before using it as fertilizer or their solar photo-voltaic system.

The most remarkable feature of IPI is how it is just such a magnet for fascinating people. Without leaving Meru I was able to meet the most interesting of people from all over the global north and eastern Africa. The diversity of conferences held during my time there were a great complement to the more manual work that had been my primary focus initially.

I came to Kenya as Kilian, a foreigner in an unknown country. Seven months later, I left as Mwongera with a new place I know I can come back to, what some would call a home.

I volunteered at International Peace Initiatives, Kenya (via Ecologia Youth Trust) for three months. IPI owns two large properties (just a few minutes walk from one another) in Kithoka, Meru County. Kithoka is a beautiful and lush rural area surrounded by nature and many small farms. One site is called “Amani” and the other “Tiriji”. At Amani there is a children’s home and a vocational college. At Tiriji there is an eco centre (large variety of plants grown there), residence building, and a conference centre.

Everyone at IPI and in the surrounding community is so welcoming and friendly. You will feel very at home right away. IPI’s founder, Dr. Karambu, is a very inspiring woman with so much to offer. In volunteering at IPI you will learn about yourself, about life in Meru County, about leadership, and about running a grassroots NGO.

I highly recommend this experience. At IPI you are not a volunteer, but rather a member of a team, a family, and a community.