THE CARE FOR KIDS PROJECT - Help children of all ages by
improving their skills, giving them confidence and a better chance in
life.
Work with
children from as young as 2 years old, in a range of orphanages in Diani. Diani Beach
is a coastal resort outside Mombasa with beautiful beaches, shops, restaurants,
bars, and a vibrant tourist ambience.
The
work on this project is very worthwhile, varied, and it is also very
rewarding.
You'll assist the carers in looking after the children, and there's also
a broad range of things you can do with the kids, including teaching
them sports, how to use computers, and helping them in
the homework club.
With the younger children, you can use game
to encourage them to use English in an informal, non-judgmental environment and
to help them build their confidence. Both of these will benefit the children
enormously.
Kenya is a popular tourist
destination and thus quite cosmopolitan in outlook especially in Nairobi
and Mombasa which are the two major cities. There are also the up and
coming areas such as Diani, this is becoming more popular with the
tourists, as it has a lot to offer such as shops, restaurants, bars and of
course the beautiful beach.
In rural areas customs are
usually dictated by the particular people living there. In Kenya there are
more than 70 tribes and it is therefore a very diverse culture. In
summary, Kenyans are progressive and very friendly.
"Happy
people make people happy"
The
orphanages we work with have children from 2 years old, right up to the
age of 18 years old and you will be able to help with all ages. Your
help affects the children immeasurably because interacting with people
from a different country gives them enormous confidence, which is
normally very rare for these children and benefits them tremendously.
On all our projects, we endeavor to offer support and advice to the
homeless, the poor or those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Volunteers are desperately needed to help and support the
orphanages,
where you can provide basic skills and a lot of care and attention.
Volunteers who can teach English are a permanent necessity and here you
can benefit the children tremendously by giving them an invaluable
skill.
Playing games with the children also builds confidence and encourages the
children to use English in an informal, non-judgmental setting and this
really helps them to learn without them knowing it! The younger children
benefit by gaining exposure to the language at an early age, which is a
time they learn the quickest.
With the older children, you
will be able to integrate education into games, which is a fun way for
them to learn and takes the “schoolroom” aspect away.
There is a wide variety of work that can be done at the
orphanages
and that you may become involved in, such as the following:
You can teach Sports, English and Music
Help children learn to use computers
Health education and any other areas you feel you can contribute to.
Help with the general care of the children
The children and staff at the Centre make
arts and crafts for sale to the public, including some beautiful beadwork
and wooden carvings (see photo at bottom of the page). Arts and crafts
plays a very big part in African life and as you drive around, you can see
many small homemade stalls selling a variety of souvenirs and handmade
craft work - there are lots of bargains to be had.
.
Click
here to read an on-going blog by Travellers Volunteer Kayshani
Gibbon during her Care Project in Kenya
Care
work: You will
normally be paired up with one of the girls from the local youth forum,
who will help you during your placement and assist you in any way
needed. You
will be helping the carers with the day-to-day running of the orphanages
and you can get involved in the general caring for the children. In
fact, most of your work will be to help and assist the carers with their
daily rounds.
Children brought up in these surroundings benefit
enormously from lots of love and attention - it is the most valuable
commodity you can give them when on your project.
It is difficult to be specific about the day-to-day work you will do,
this will depend on what is required at the time you’re there, but you
will get a good general feel of the Centre by working and/or observing.
When you arrive you will sit down with the supervisor and work out a
timetable.
The type of work you will be allocated will depend to an extent on your
own abilities and capabilities, which is understandable given that you
will be dealing with children’s health and safety.
Your hours may vary, but normally you will work from 8
- 5 Monday to Friday. However, you may sometimes work evenings or
nights, sometimes over weekends, etc., but you will have time off on
other days instead. If you
have a preference on only working mornings or afternoons then we may be
able to arrange this for you.
The level of education of the
children is generally very poor, and it will be up to you and the Director
to find out how best to use your skills. This may mean taking sport and
game lessons or offering care for children, it may well be in the form of
informal English or vocational teaching, which is one of the biggest
privileges to for the children to receive – and one of the most necessary
skills to help them in their later life.
You may be involved in any or all of the
following, depending on what is required at the time you’re there, and on
your own skills and abilities:
Helping the carers and also caring for the children
Teaching informal English and Arithmetic to the
children
Teaching sports (and using the sports environment to
help them better their English skills)
Organizing and facilitating games and plays for the
children.
Teaching the children life skills
Counseling
Helping out in the library, repairing books,
and teaching general computer skills
Helping out in the kitchen and preparing food for the
children.
Helping the children eat
General maintenance of the compound and the Centre.
You may also get to go on home visits.
What you get out of the
placement: As a volunteer, you'll not only thoroughly enjoy your
project, you'll also benefit tremendously in some or all
of the following ways:
You'll gain experience and skills in working with
needy and disadvantaged children
You'll learn about Kenyan culture and the lifestyles of its people.
You'll gain experience in working with children in
difficult circumstances, where your improvisational skills will be
highlighted
You'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your
help is making a difference to their lives
You'll also have an excellent entry on your CV that
indicates to future employers that you have unique experience, have
shown initiative in choosing to do a voluntary project, have donated
your time in a different and less advantaged country, and are adaptable
to a foreign environment.
What the project and the
children get out of your placement: As a result of your volunteer
work, the children, the workers and the local community will benefit
directly or indirectly as follows:
The children have opportunities for educational
learning that they wouldn't normally have.
They have an opportunity to interact and learn about
your culture
The children will get love and care which is
fundamental for their comfort, growth and development.
The Orphanage has access to your work, skills, knowledge
and services … for free! And they'll have their traditional knowledge
and skills of doing care work supplemented with initiatives from the
volunteers.
The Centre also receives the vast experience
Travellers staff in promoting the growth of beneficial projects for the
children. For example, Travellers Sports Officer is currently in Kenya
to set up structured sports programmes for the children and is also
initiating sports tournaments and competitions. Travellers is donating,
and will continue to donate in the future, sports equipment to make
these initiatives possible and successful.
Before you leave, Travellers
provides you with many manuals and guide books to help you on your
placement, including, for example, a Fun Games Manual which is invaluable
when working with small children, a Teaching Suggestions Guide to help you
plan lessons, and much, much more. In fact we give you a mountain of
information to help you in your new voluntary venture!
ACCOMMODATION AND LIVING IN DIANI:
Your accommodation is located in Diani, close to the beach, and you'll usually
live with a host family. The opportunity to live and immerse yourself in the
culture by living with a family can be the most enjoyable part of your
placement. Many volunteers have 'adopted' their host families (and been adopted
by them) and they stay in touch with each other for many years afterwards.
The
hosts are all very nice! Many of our volunteers cry buckets when they leave,
because they feel like they’re leaving home. Living with a family in the
local culture is a true cultural experience that you cannot gain as a ‘tourist’.
Most host family accommodation is located no more than 1.5km away from
the beach. Host family homes all have the basic
facilities, but some may also have TV and Radio and a Western style toilet – the
levels of facilities will vary depending on the family’s financial position.
Depending
on availability, you may be accommodated in a hostel or similar type of
accommodation.
Meals are provided on this project -
you'll only need pocket money and funds to travel around and explore in your
leisure time.
Average temperatures:
Mombasa: Max 31:C, Min 23:C
TRAVEL AND SUPPORT:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you
have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend
their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets
enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air
ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour
to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the airport regardless of whether you
make your own travel arrangements or not.
Support: You'll fly into Mombasa where you'll be met by
our local Manager Njery Wathika or a member of her staff. She will take you
into Mombasa and get you settled into your accommodation. You will then
receive an induction into the country, and be taken to your placement
and introduced to everyone.
Volunteer with baby elephant
VISAS:. In countries where visas or
immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup
we provide in our countries, please
click here.
We can also arrange your flight
dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling
around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
PRICES
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Kenya, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
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+44 01903 502595
