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1 Week Special Volunteer Program in Kenya
Be a volunteer for the 1 Weeks Special Volunteer Program in Kenya, work in and around the city of Nairobi and experience the best that the country has in store for you!
This one-week program places you at a childcare center on the outskirts of Nairobi, where you support the staff who look after babies and young children living there. Day to day you help with diaper changes and cleaning, feed the babies, cook lunch for the children, give informal lessons, and design games to keep the group engaged. It suits first-time volunteers age 17 and up who have no prior childcare experience but are flexible, open-minded and comfortable in a new environment.
The program runs for 1 week, starting twice a month (saturdays), with the next departure on 3 Oct 2026. You stay in a gated apartment complex in the Lower Kabete area, in shared rooms (private rooms available), with breakfast supplies and a cooked dinner on weekdays and three meals on weekends. The price starts at $839, deposit included, and the fixed one-week itinerary bookends your childcare days with a Nairobi city tour and an early morning game drive in Nairobi National Park.
- Spend an amazing week exploring and volunteering in Kenya
- Work with children and make a difference in their lives
- Explore the capital city of Nairobi, soaking in the authentic Kenyan vibes
- Go for a thrilling game drive in Nairobi National Park and spot the Big Cats
- Meet some amazing people from different parts of the world
Your role on this program
- Assist center staff by giving attention and care to the children living at the center
- Change diapers and help clean the babies
- Feed the babies
- Help prepare and cook lunch for the children
- Give informal lessons to the young ones
- Design and lead fun games and activities
- Play with the children and help create a playful atmosphere
Exact duties vary with the placement's needs, the season and your experience.
Role boundaries
You support the center's own staff, who supervise all care routines and remain responsible for the children's welfare and any medical needs; you do not make care decisions on your own. Tasks may vary with the center's needs on any given day, and a clean criminal background check is required before you start since this placement involves children.
Program itinerary
Day 1 – Welcome to Kenya!
You will be picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and then will be transferred to your accommodation. Relax on the day of arrival, meet your fellow volunteers and prepare yourself for the experience ahead. You can also venture out to the nearby local market and acquaint yourself with the area around the accommodation.
Meals – Dinner
Day 2 – Program Orientation & Nairobi City Tour
Post breakfast, your program coordinator will discuss your program itinerary for the days to come and brief you with the essential information. Later, we'll head out for a city tour of Nairobi, ticking off some popular places like the Giraffe Center & the David Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary.
Meals – Breakfast and Dinner
Day 3 to Day 7 – Volunteering at the Child Care Center
Volunteers will be working in the Childcare Project located in the outskirts of Nairobi. The main aim of this program is to provide adequate love and care to the children living in the centers and keep them engaged in various activities. Under this project, you'll also get to take informal lessons, design fun games and make a playful atmosphere at the center. You'll get to spend about 5, 6 hours in the center, but if you feel like, you can stay back for longer and enjoy your time with the kids.
Meals – Breakfast and Dinner
Day 8 - Trip to Nairobi National Park, and then, Departure
Today, we'll take you for an early morning game drive in Nairobi National Park - the only national park in the world that's located within the area of a capital city! You'll surely be mesmerized by the beauty of the place, and keep your eyes wide open to spot the lions and leopards, giraffes and zebras, wildebeests and rhinos! Not just that, but you'll get to see various unique bird species as well. After the game drive, you'll head towards the airport, and take your flight back home!
Meals - Breakfast
Who can join and what you need
- Minimum age 17; a parental consent form is required for participants under 18
- No previous childcare experience necessary
- An open mind and a flexible attitude for working in a new environment
- Passion for working with children and willingness to take initiative
- A clean criminal background check report issued within 12 months of the start date
- Travel/medical insurance, either your own policy or one arranged through Volunteering Solutions
The placement, its limits and your part in it
The placement is a childcare center on the outskirts of Nairobi that cares for babies and young children on an ongoing basis. The center's own staff run daily routines and supervise volunteers throughout; your role is to add extra hands and attention alongside them, not to take charge of the children's care.
Because the placement works with children, a clean background check is required before you arrive, and staff remain responsible for any clinical or welfare decisions. Over one week you join an existing routine rather than start or finish anything on your own: you give the staff more time and attention to give each child that week, and the center's work continues in the same way after you leave.
Our standards
- Responsible volunteer travel policyHow we choose, run and review every project
- Safeguarding policyBackground checks, supervision and our code of conduct with children
- Child & vulnerable adult protectionThe rules every volunteer follows on placement
- Certified B CorporationSocial and environmental performance verified by B Lab
- How we volunteer responsibly in KenyaCountry-level partner context and standards
Start dates
Weekly start dates, year-round — pick any week across the next two years.
Program fees by duration
Prices include your $249 booking deposit — which is deducted from your total program fee. Your deposit stays valid for one year, during which you may enroll in multiple programs. A 5% international banking fee applies to credit-card payments in USD or AUD.
| Duration | Total price | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | $839 |
Indicative conversion — your booking is charged in the currency you choose at checkout.
✓ What you're paying for
- Comprehensive pre-departure information
- Airport pickup from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi
- Round the clock assistance of our in-country coordinator
- Program orientation by our in-country program coordinator
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
- Accommodation in the volunteer house
- Game Drive in Nairobi National Park
- Nairobi City Tour (entry fees excluded)
Not included
- International/Domestic airfare
- Visa fees
- Insurance (can be purchased from us at a nominal cost)
- Cost of vaccinations
- Local transport and personal expenses
- Airport transfer while departing
- Entry fees except for Nairobi City Tour (Approx $35-40)
Accommodation & meals
Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi by the local coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Kenya will be picked up at a meeting point in Nairobi decided beforehand.Nairobi is a major hub for airlines in East Africa and has good international flight connections.
Accommodation
Volunteers in Nairobi are provided accommodation in the Lower Kabete area.The area is located around 20-25 minutes from Westlands and Parklands area which is famous for good restaurants and shopping areas. The CBD (Central Business District) is around 30 minutes away by car.
Volunteers stay in a gated apartment complex in which we use 4-5 different apartments for volunteers. The volunteer apartments are located on different floors such as the ground floor,third floor and fifth floor. The rooms in the apartments are shared rooms with usually four participants sharing one room with two bunk beds. There are some private units also available in the apartment complex for any volunteer interested in having a private room.
Some of the facilities available are hot showers, microwave, induction top, refrigerator and WiFi internet. There is no air conditioning in the apartments as it is not required in Nairobi as such.
Volunteers purchase their bottled water on their own. It can be purchased easily from the local market at walking distance from the apartment complex.
For Laundry, volunteers usually hand wash their clothes or alternatively give clothes to a Laundromat located not far from the volunteer accommodation at walking distance.
Orientation
An orientation about your program will be provided by the local coordinator in Nairobi. Areas like culture, safety, locations, project, transportation and weekend trips are covered in the orientation. During the orientation day, the coordinator will also give you information about the nearest market, help you in getting money exchanged and get a local sim card from the market.
Meals
Volunteers are provided with 2 meals(Breakfast and Dinner) on weekdays and three meals during the weekends. For Breakfast volunteers are given supplies such as Bread, Eggs, Butter/Margarine Spread, Fruits, Tea and Coffee. Volunteers need to cook breakfast on their own.
Lunch is not provided/ included in your fee and volunteers usually take a packed sandwich or fruits to the placement or have food at/ near the project.
For Dinner, food is cooked by the caretaker and cook at house and meals generally include dishes like Lentils, Mandezi, Chapatis, Spaghetti, Pilao, Chips, Githeri (Maize and Beans) and Fruits. In case you are allergic to any particular item or have a particular requirement feel free to inform the coordinators.
Volunteers also purchase supplies from the supermarkets and take with them packed food cooked on their own to the project.
Local Transportation
Volunteers prefer to use mostly Uber or Bolt for their commute to the projects and local malls and places of interest in Nairobi.
During your Free Time
The majority of the volunteers go on safari trips on the weekends.Volunteers usually take the two days or the extended three-day safari. While in Nairobi you can explore the different places of interest in the city. The city has so much to offer and there are a lot of places to see and explore during free time. Places like Masai market,Bomas of Kenya, Giraffe centre and Karura Forest are visited by volunteers during free time and weekends.
Volunteers are also free to plan quick getaways and explore Kenya. We also arrange programs for groups in safari to Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park and Lake Nakuru National Park or the Nairobi National Park. The costs for weekend trips are extra.
Life on the program
Getting there and who looks after you in Kenya
Airport pickup
You are picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by the local coordinator or representative and transferred to your accommodation in Lower Kabete. If you are already in Kenya, pickup is arranged at a meeting point in Nairobi decided in advance.
First evening
You relax, meet the other volunteers, and have dinner at the accommodation. You can also walk to the nearby local market to get your bearings.
Orientation and city tour
After breakfast, your coordinator briefs you on the week's itinerary and covers culture, safety, transport and weekend trip options. You then join a Nairobi city tour that includes the Giraffe Center and the David Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary.
First project day
From day three you spend about 5 to 6 hours a day at the childcare center on the outskirts of Nairobi, with the in-country coordinator available around the clock for any support you need.
Departure
On the final day you join an early morning game drive in Nairobi National Park before transferring to the airport for your flight home.
From volunteers in Kenya
Frequently asked questions
What will I actually do at the childcare center?
You help center staff with diaper changes, feeding and cleaning the babies, cook lunch, give informal lessons, and design games and playtime for the children.
Do I need childcare experience or qualifications?
No previous experience is required, but you should be flexible, open-minded and have a genuine interest in working with children; a clean criminal background check is required before you start.
What does a typical day look like and how many hours will I work?
On project days (day three through seven) you spend about 5 to 6 hours at the childcare center; days one, two and eight are taken up with arrival, orientation, the city tour and the game drive.
How long is the program and when can I start?
The program runs for 1 week, with departures twice a month (saturdays); the next start date is 3 Oct 2026.
What does the program cost and what's included?
The program starts at $839, deposit included, and covers airport pickup, accommodation in the volunteer apartment, meals as listed, orientation, the Nairobi city tour and the game drive in Nairobi National Park.
What's not included in the fee?
International and domestic flights, visa fees, insurance, vaccination costs, local transport, personal expenses, the departure airport transfer and entry fees other than the Nairobi city tour are not included.
Where will I stay and what are meals like?
You stay in a gated apartment complex in Lower Kabete, usually in a shared room with bunk beds (private rooms are available); breakfast supplies are provided and dinner is cooked on weekdays, with three meals on weekends, while lunch is on your own near the project.
Will I be picked up from the airport?
Yes, you are picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by the local coordinator; if you are already in Kenya, pickup is arranged at a Nairobi meeting point instead.
What support is available during the program?
An in-country coordinator in Nairobi provides round-the-clock assistance, runs your orientation, and helps you exchange money and get a local SIM card on your first day.
Do I need a visa or vaccinations?
Visa fees and vaccination costs are not included in the program fee; specific guidance on both is sent to you before departure.
Is a background check required for this placement?
Yes, because the placement works with children you must provide a clean criminal background check report issued within 12 months of your start date.
Who is this program suited for?
It suits volunteers age 17 and up with limited time who want a short, structured first trip to Kenya that combines childcare volunteering with a Nairobi city tour and a game drive, no prior experience needed.
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