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WHY we need you in Kenya
- Approx one-third of Kenya's population lives on less than US$1.90 p/day. Your volunteer fees are directly benefiting the local people of this region.
- School Children in this region rarely have the opportunity to interact with foreigners who speak English. Promoting these skills can have a profound impact on the children's future career prospects.
- Approx 42% of Kenya's population are below the poverty line, especially in the rural areas where this project is located.
- Volunteering in this region creates employment opportunities for the local coordinators & supplements the farmers enabling competitive opportunities for the farms involved.
HOW can you help?
- You will be volunteering in the heart of the Maasai Mara, being immersed in local way of life as you assist at a local school with very limited resources.
- The schools aim is to develop local children’s education in order to better their future life prospects. This project partners with a local school and is helping to fill in some of the gaps that are present and to teach knowledge of the possibilities that exist outside the Mara.
- You will work alongside and share ideas with local teachers, assisting them with the daily running of the class.
- Most of these students have never been to the capital city of Nairobi (which is just 6 hours away) and they have had very little interaction with visitors (it’s usually limited to passing tourists on their way to the National Park).
WHAT you can do?
- Bring YOURSELF to the project. You can be as creative as you like!
- Teach new words through rhyme and song and help the children with their pronunciation
- Play ball games to improve hand-eye coordination
- Do arts and crafts to practice coloring and fine motor skills
- Sing a song to help learn the alphabet
Why Involvement Volunteers International?
- Non Profit Organisation & Charity
- Over 30 Years Expertise Globally
- Low Program Fees - From US$295
- Excellent Safety Record, In-Country 24/7 Support & Emergency Assistance
- 1 Application Fee - Multiple Countries
PROJECT NAME: MAASAI MARA SCHOOL
LOCATION: REMOTE LOCATION CLOSE TO NAROK
START DATES: WEEKLY (SAT/SUN ARRIVALS)
ACCOMMODATION: SCHOOL GROUNDS OR HOMESTAY
MIN DURATION: ONE WEEK
MIN AGE: 16+
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: N/A
Overview
Your duties will include helping around the school, from the classroom to the dining hall, to the garden and make-shift playground area. The students will be thrilled to meet with you and to experience that engagement with a Westerner. In return you will gain an appreciation of how these people live and take away with you a deeper understanding and cultural awareness.
Traditionally the young Maasai males are taught to tend to the livestock and to support their families, whilst the young Maasai females would be shown how to be good wives and mothers. Slowly attitudes are changing and the emphasis on education has been gradually increasing. Unfortunately, the costs for school fees, uniforms and supplies make it hard to send all the children in the family to school.
As a bonus, the Maasai Mara National Park is very close by. You can go there on your weekends off, catching a glimpse of the Big 5 (Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Buffalo, & Rhino). Depending on the season, you might even get a chance to see the Migration of the Wildebeest as they cross the Mara river between Kenya and Tanzania. Safari tours like this are not included in the project but are very easy to arrange once here.
Location
Due to the remote location, there are no shops, banks or ATM’s within walking distance of the project or your accommodation. These things can be done in Narok (more than an hour away) which is the closest large town, hosting a variety of amenities, supermarkets, banks, and a shopping centre.
Project Tasks
- Improve children’s English and widen their cultural interactions/awareness
- Assist with creating creative and fun activities and games
- Assist the local teachers by providing an extra pair of hands
- Learn about the Maasai Mara culture and live like a local
Food & Accommodation
The volunteer accommodation will be on the school grounds or in a nearby homestay. It will be very simple with few amenities and the toilet and shower area will be away from the sleeping quarters. We try and make at as comfortable as possible for you during your stay. As resources are limited and with occasional power and water cuts, we ask that you conserve water and energy as much as you can. You are also expected to help to keep the room and other common spaces tidy.
We request that you are mindful of your accommodation being in close proximity to the school children and refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol or using profanity, as school staff are held in high regard in the local community. There will be no WIFI at the accommodation, but you can buy a local SIM card on arrival to get access to the internet.
Your meals will be simple homestyle meals prepared by locals, which are typical Kenyan cuisine, and based on which fruits and vegetables are in season at the time. Expect lots of rice and ugali with small portions of vegetables, occasionally meat and/or chapati will be provided.
While we do our best to accommodate our volunteers, if you are a picky eater, have certain dietary requirements, you might want to consider supplementing some meals with your own western type foods and snacks that are more to your liking. These need to be picked up in the main town before arrival.
Specialty
Projects
- Wildlife Conservation - Nakuru
-
1 Week - $830
-
2 Weeks - $985
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3 Weeks - $1380
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1 Month - $1895
-
2 Months - $3680
-
3 Months - $5460
- Private rooms cost additional $250 p/week
What's Included
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Accommodation
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Meals
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Airport Pickup
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Local Transportation
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1 Day Orientation
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24/7 In-Country Support
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Project Materials & Equipment
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Pre-departure Expert Advice
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Preperation Tools & Checklists
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Certificate of Completion
- Application fee is one off per person (unlimited placements)
- Click Here to convert the below prices to your local currency
- Discounts may apply if travelling in a pair or group!
- All credit card /international fees included in below pricing! 🙂
Testimonials...
FAQ
If you are enthusiastic about working wth children and have patience, commitment and a willingness to get stuck in, then this project would suit you. As the Maasai Mara school is situated in a remote location, you will have to be able to adjust to a much simpler way of life with basic facilities. This project is great for people wanting to immerse themselves into the local culture and who come with an open mind.
- Accommodation
- 3 meals p/day weekdays / 2 meals p/day weekends
- Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
- Filtered drinking water
- In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
- Fundraising support
- University course credits (where applicable)
- Certificate of Completion
- Airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
At this location there is no mandatory orientation day offered.
Programs begin every Monday, and volunteers are required to arrive the day prior, for orientation before the project. Your accommodation on the Sunday is included in the program fees.
A free airport pickup is included when arriving to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). You must arrive at the meeting point by 13.00 on Saturday or Sunday. If arriving during the pickup times on the Saturday, we charge US$50 for the extra night’s accommodation.
If arriving outside the pickup times on Sunday, you can book a private transfer for US$50.
If arriving during the week, or on Saturday outside of pickup times, we charge US$50 for any extra night’s accommodation before your program, and another US$50 fee for a private transfer.
Alternatively, if arriving early you could wait at the arrival’s terminal for the pickup time, book accommodation at the airport and meet us during the pickup times or make your own way to the project (we will advise on how to do this).
Monday to Friday
You will volunteer for around 4-6 hours a day, assisting the staff at the school. Your daily tasks will depend on the needs at the time of volunteering. You will plan and prepare fun and engaging lessons each day and help the children with their English speaking and other subjects.
Due to the remote location, there are no shops, banks or ATM’s within walking distance of the project or your accommodation. These things can be done in Narok (more than an hour away) which is the closest large town, hosting a variety of amenities, supermarkets, banks, and a shopping centre.
Situated in Narok County, the Maasai Mara is a popular safari region in the south-western area of Kenya. The Maasai Mara National Park borders with Tanzania and is home to an abundance of amazing wildlife including the Big 5 (Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, Lion, & Rhino). You can also spot Wildebeest, Hippos, Cheetahs, Crocodiles, and Zebras throughout the park.
The local landscape is full of acacia trees and tall savannah grass, where the animals hide from predators. During the early mornings and at night, the wildlife come out to roam, bathe, or search for food and this is a great time to spot many animals in one place.
Modest clothing – covering the knees and shoulders is required while on school grounds and throughout the Maasai community.
Additional Requirements
- Please be advised that this is an extremely remote location and there are very minimal amenities available once you arrive. Be sure to bring any supplies/ food you think you might need whilst here and come with an open mind. This is necessary to fully appreciate this truly amazing experience.
Additional Equipment
There are no further requirements for this program.
Optional
Here are some things you might like to bring along with you:
- Ball, skipping ropes, frisbees, etc.
- Interesting board games
- Books/Comics
- Musical instruments
- Worksheets
- Cultural items of interest from your home country
- Photos from home/family/friends (the kids will love these)
Kenya is a stunning country, featuring almost every terrain and climate from desert, beach, cities and forests.
There is something for every traveler here, particularly for wildlife lovers. It has over 40 National parks throughout the country and holds the some of the world’s most loved and endangered animals. Here you will find lions, leopards, elephants, hippos and so much more! Kenya is famous for its incredible safaris, which are the countries main source of tourism.
Also well known is the semi nomadic Maasai tribe- a hugely symbolic tribe known for its colourful adornments and traditional clothing. Kenya is a nature lovers paradise, with a visit to the Great Rift Valley being a must. For those who enjoy a gentler pace then Kenya also offers some beautiful beaches, its coast stretching almost 80,000 kilometres.
The beach is also sunny for most of the year! The capital, Nairobi is the fifth largest city in Africa, with unique vibes and a vibrant nightlife. This bustling and cosmopolitan city will throw you into Kenyan way of life and be an interesting eye opener.
Kenya is a huge country with its climate changing from tropical along the coast, to arid in the northern regions and then mild inland temperatures.
Kenya receives a large amount of sunshine year-round but generally, the hottest months are between February and March while the coldest months are July to mid-August. The “long rains” start from March to June, while the “short rains” are between October and December.
Due to Kenya being a major hub for migration over the years, it has now become one of the most culturally diverse countries with many different languages spoken.
There are over 40 different ethnic groups in Kenya, including Luo, Kamba, Maasai and more. Each have their own of mother tongue, although Swahili remains the most widely spoken language. You will also find ethnic groups from European, Arab, Indian and Pakistani, who migrated to the country in the 19th century.
Religions such as Christianity and Islam are widely spread, however many local people still believe in the ancestral world, where the dead have a bearing on the living. Today, the majority of Kenya’s culture, dress, music and food has taken strong influence from other parts of Africa, India, Europe and the United States.
In certain parts of the country however, many local communities hold onto their traditional lifestyle and customs. They still wear the clothes, animal skins and jewellery as they did centuries before. Many remote tribes remain completely isolated and indigenous.
30 Years Non Profit Experience
IVI is an Australian charity & non profit organisation founded in 1989 and is one of the pioneers of overseas volunteering successfully placing over 20,000 volunteers globally.
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