AV Kenya 25' - A once in a lifetime experience

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.