Volunteer in Kenya

Volunteer abroad in Kenya

As a volunteer in Kenya, you will also have the chance to travel and discover the numerous national parks – above all the Massai Mara, at the northernmost reaches of the Serengeti. A further geographical highlight is the Great Rift Valley, a fault zone between two tectonic plates, which runs straight through Kenya from north to south.

Apart from this, as a volunteer in Kenya you will find:

• Over 400 km of tropical coast with white beaches
• Turquoise-coloured water
• Tranquil islands
• Snow-covered mountain peaks in the inland regions
• Tropical rainforest
• Numerous inactive volcanoes
• Sun-drenched savannahs

Kenya's variety of landscapes makes the country a unique travel destination. However, Kenya is also one of the poorest countries in the world. A large part of the Kenyan population lives in poverty and/or has contracted the HIV virus. As a volunteer in Kenya, you will be providing help where it is most desperately needed!

Orientation days and accommodation

Upon your arrival in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi, you will be picked up by an employee of our partner organisation and taken to your accommodation. As a volunteer in Kenya, you will stay in the town of Limuru, approximately 30 km north of Nairobi and surrounded by tea plantations in the Kenyan highlands.

You will be staying in a cottage at an international Baptist centre, where you will share a room with other volunteers as you volunteer in Kenya. All meals are included. Lunch and supper will be prepared by a cook in the cottages, and you can make your own breakfast using the food provided for you. You may eat lunch at the volunteer project site. On a clear day, you can see Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya from your accommodation – an unforgettable view for a volunteer in Kenya!

Important information and education on illnesses

In the following days, you will become familiar with your new surroundings and will receive important information, which you will use as you volunteer in Kenya. This will include information about illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

You will visit the various projects and will be introduced to the staff, with whom you will work as a volunteer in Kenya. Of course, the orientation days are also the perfect opportunity to get to know the other volunteers!

Volunteer abroad in Kenya

• Activities: See project descriptions - approximately 7-8 hours per day, Monday through Friday.
• Free Time: Normally at the weekend.
• Duration: 2, 4, or 8 weeks
• Application: At least 2 months before departure. We are happy to receive applications much earlier than this.
• Starting Dates: Every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.
• Practical Experience: Not mandatory, but it would certainly make your stay easier.
• Other: Kenya has very strong Muslim influences, so you should wear appropriate clothing as you volunteer abroad in Kenya. This means: Women should wear long skirts or pants, shirts which cover the shoulders, and head-coverings. Out of respect for the religious background of the international Baptist centre where you will be staying, no alcohol may be consumed on the property of your accommodation. The work can be physically demanding. Since you will be entering a completely new cultural region when you volunteer in Kenya, patience, adaptability, independence, and travel experience are essential. If you will be working in the health sector you will need appropriate clothing and previous medical knowledge.