1 Week Special Volunteer Program in Kenya

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.