Location
  • Kenya

Program Details

Language
English
Housing
Guesthouse Hostel

Pricing

Starting Price
500
Jul 06, 2018
Nov 11, 2014
6 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Join Village Volunteers on a program in Kenya. Located in the heart of East Africa, Village Volunteers fully immerses its participants in Kenyan culture, offering volunteer opportunities to people from all experiences. Working alongside partner organizations in the area, volunteers will have opportunities to serve in all sectors of their village.

After application and acceptance, participants will be assigned a project based on their skills and interests. Notable opportunities include: teaching in schools, helping in an orphan home, working in a clinic, and assisting with micro-finance projects.

Village Volunteers assist every volunteer with each step of their preparation for their time overseas.

Learn more about Village Volunteer programs in Kenya on their website!

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.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 19 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.95
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.75
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 19 reviews
Default avatar
Brett
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Village Volunteers - One of the most amazing organizations in the world!

I have had three trips to Kenya via Village Volunteers and will be doing a fourth next summer. Shana Greene and her organization are doing more to help the world be a better place than any group I have ever worked with. They work incredibly hard, are very professional and are always willing to take on the tough tasks that make living in this world so difficult for so many people. VV has connected me up with four different communities in Kenya and they always have me well prepared for my visits. I have run a variety of programs thru VV, including a High School Scholarship Program that now supports 11 students, and none of this could have been done without the support of Village Volunteers. Please support and help Village Volunteers in any way you can. Your resources could not be put to better use!!

What would you improve about this program?
Village Volunteers works on a minimal budget. Given more resources they could do even more amazing things. Lack of resources is the only thing holding them back.
118 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Molly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Still feel connected

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What would you improve about this program?
I honestly can't think of one thing within VV's control that can be changed. There was no shortage of support and information during the registration process,and the assistance/support provided on arrival and transfer between organizations was excellent.
121 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
ryandrysdale
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Transformative experience

My month with Emmanuel after my freshmen year of college changed my life. Visiting community development programs, schools, clinics, and watching his parliamentary campaign ingrained lessons from international development text books and lectures that I was receiving in college. Emmanuel was like a professor. I am now completing a masters in international relations after three years of working with small NGOs abroad. I still look back on the lessons learned from my experience in Kenya and the efficiency of Village Volunteers overall. Shana, the executive director, and I exchange long emails and phone calls 3-4 times a year. Even more than 7 years later Emmanuel and I still exchange emails as well. If you want a real, raw experience to see the world as it is and not as some organization or business wants to package it with cookie cutter itineraries, GO WITH VILLAGE VOLUNTEERS. It's worth every penny. The development world and voluntourism world can learn valuable lessons from the Village Volunteer's model.

What would you improve about this program?
No program is perfect, but as I sit here reflecting on my time with Village Volunteers and continued exchanges, I struggle to think of anything relating to my experience that I would improve that wouldn't significantly take away from the authentic experience that I had in Kenya.
120 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Linda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Review of my first trip (out of six) to Kenya with VV

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What would you improve about this program?
Village Volunteers does not spend money on sleek marketing and relies heavily on word-of-mouth referrals. While this is honorable and noteworthy for a non-profit organization, I think it makes getting a consistent stream of volunteers unpredictable. It probably also makes it harder to get the message out to potential travelers that there's nothing to be afraid of with Ebola or other hyped-up issues. I wish more people would give Kenya and Village Volunteers a chance. I wish more people would listen to the testimony of volunteers instead of the stereotypical, negative media coverage of Africa.
110 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Elizabeth
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sirua Aulo Academy - Kenya - Village Volunteers

I traveled to Kenya in 2010 through Village Volunteers. I stayed in a host house in Nairobi and then went on to the Maasai community near Kilgoris. I stayed 21 days in Kenya and while there worked at the school - Sirua Aulo Academy. I spent time with the children and staff teaching them about Canada, introducing an anti-bullying program and kept a blog on my stay. I attended a Maasai funeral and was asked to pray for the family- it was a life changing experience overall. My host was Emmanuel Tasur and his wife Lily. I stayed in a hut and lived the Maasai life. I went on a safari during my last days in Kenya. This trip changed my worldview and left me with new friends across the globe. Village Volunteers ensured my safety through out my trip - this is a great agency that is doing marvelous work across the world and supporting many worthwhile projects through volunteerism. I could not recommend a better program.

What would you improve about this program?
I would not have changed a thing.
122 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Katie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Different Perspective on Volunteering

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What would you improve about this program?
For me, there are no improvements necessary, although a journey like this is a very personal one and others may not be comfortable with the level of independence awarded. For me, it was essential to feel like I was getting an authentic experience and not just "viewing" the environment like I was on a tour through a zoo. My safety was never a concern, I always had trusted local partners watching over me. VV did a good job preparing me for the journey and kept in contact with the local partners during my entire trip to ensure all was going well.
102 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Holly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best of the Best

I have made three trips to Kenya with Village Volunteers; the variety of opportunities available and the close working relationship between VV staff and the Kenyan project leadership make VV outstanding! You can trust that all your logistical needs will go smoothly, that your food will be delicious and abundant and that you will be safe at all times.

The project directors in Kenya valuable working partners because you can partner with them to develop sustainable programs that have true value within the Kenyan culture.

I have taken my daughter on all 3 trips; she was 14 the first trip and had much to offer! It is a valuable learning experience for kids from both cultures to meet each other, become friends, and enrich each other's lives.

What would you improve about this program?
The number of volunteers has fallen to catastrophically low levels due to ebola hysteria and hype. VV needs the volunteers because the project sites depend on the creativity, innovations and energy of the volunteers. Volunteers need to research their geography before deciding against Kenya... it is as far from Village Volunteers' sites to "ebola" as it is from Orlando, Florida to Juneau, Alaska. GO!!
114 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Non-huggers Need Not Apply

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What would you improve about this program?
I wouldn't change the program, but I would extend my trip to include some time to explore on my own, possibly taking a tour to Mombasa.
118 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Yes, based on my experiences on 3 trips to Kitale Kenya, I believe a conscientious mother with an 8 year old of reasonable temperament (i.e., not hyperactive, or prone to run away in a crowd...just trying to be safe here) , would do very well. We stay with Joshua Machinga, Director at Common Ground for Africa and Director of the Pathfinder Academy School. The 8 year old will instantly have 100's...