Building with Underprivileged Communities in Kenya

  Kenya

• Other Cities in Kenya: 
Nakuru,  Rural

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks

Description: Get your hands dirty building homes on projects in the stunning area of either Nakuru or Naro Moru. Get stuck into building one of the community development projects or help build houses for poor communities. Whichever building venture you embark on, this is a fantastic opportunity not only to live and work alongside the community who will benefit from your efforts, but to also learn something of the difficulties facing those in the developing world.

*What do the building projects do?
There is no social housing scheme in Kenya which means that those people that cannot afford their own home will be forced to live on the streets, in caves or in slums. The need for simple housing in Kenya is great as is assistance in building for the community itself. This can include classroom building or repair, orphanages or educational centres, accommodations or churches to name a few. These are community run projects and as such the community will decide on the priorities at the time based on funds available and who is available. This is a great opportunity to interact, socialise and work alongside Kenyan people to help them build a better and more prosperous future.

If you are building in one of the established community development projects near Nakuru, you may be laying or repairing the foundations for the community projects with children (orphanages), which will provide an educational centre, accommodation and medical care for the children and community who make their living on the local city dump. You may find that you are asked to work in the community of Hilton, directly beside the city dump, to build shelters for the people living there, usually single parents, or grandparents caring for their orphaned grandchildren.

In the Naro Moru area of Mount Kenya, the community is working to continue their social programmes of supporting people away from offending behaviour, offer additional support to single parents, and other much needed community support. These are true community projects, where they fundraise, build, and make full use of a variety of buildings for many reasons. You will learn much about the social circumstances of many of the poorest people in rural Kenya. The current project is working with a local conservation group to help them build a future accommodation for volunteers to increase their opportunities for help and income.

*Why do the projects need volunteers?
The projects depend on the goodwill and donations from the local community and sponsors. They welcome additional labour (don't worry - strong muscles aren't a must!), and any particular skills you may have, such as building, organisational, engineering, etc.

Highlights:
* Getting your hands truly dirty working with the local community!
* Spending time in this stunning part of the world
* Exploring National Parks at weekends
* Dancing to Kenyan music - some of the catchiest in Africa!

Qualifications: The skills you need:
You will need to have an appetite for hard work, be very hands-on, and willing to get involved with a variety of tasks. You should be an outdoors person and be prepared to work in different weather conditions. While building experience is not necessary, if you have a specific skill it will be welcomed! The ability to view the bigger picture and long-term goals on the project are essential to the understanding of activities that may seem repetitive and a little insignificant at times.

Very few community building projects have a set timescale for their construction, as local communities will raise some money, use it to buy materials and build until these materials run out. Then they will wait until they have raised more money to start on the next phase. For this reason, building projects in Kenya may change with quite short notice, so you must be prepared to fit in with whatever is currently going on.

You'll find there are many types of building processes in Kenya, ranging from traditional styles using locally found materials such as wood and stones, to the bricks-and-cement style you may be more familiar with, so you'll need to adapt to the materials you're working with.

Your role as a volunteer:
You will get involved in many aspects of the building process, depending on the stage you join the project at. You could find yourself getting stuck into a number of tasks, ranging from helping to renovate established buildings, to finishing off work well under way, or starting a building completely from scratch!

Cost in US$: USD 1,295.00 for 1 week, USD 220.00 for every week

* Accommodation: Dependent on location; shared tent (near Nakuru), shared room in homestay (Nakuru) or shared dormitory room in hostel (Mount Kenya)
* Food: Breakfast and dinner
* Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
* Training:In-country orientation
* Support:Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Kenya Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Year Founded: 1994