Volunteer
programme - Summer 2007
Kenya
Magunga Primary School and Rae Mixed Primary
School
Kenya - 3-12th August 2007
Following on from the successful trips in 2005 and 2006 and our previous activities in the region we are offering another opportunity to spend one week volunteering at Magunga Primary School and Rae Mixed Primary School, working with the children and the community on various initiatives.
Trip Details
Friday 3rd August:
Depart London to Nairobi.
Saturday 4th August:
Arrive into Nairobi. Tony Robinson, relayNET Trustee will meet the group
on arrival in Nairobi. Transfer onto the evening flight to Kisumu arriving
around 7pm at the Vunduba hotel. Welcome Dinner at Imperial Hotel.
Sunday 5th August:
Travel to Magunga Primary School for an orientation session.
The group will be met at Magunga Primary School by Rashid Miruka, Footsteps
Project Director in Kenya, Mark Otieno, Head Master of Magunga Primary
School and Monica Aluoch, Deputy Head of Rae Mixed Primary School.
We will meet the teachers and teaching assistants who we will be working
with during the week. This is an opportunity for us to get to know one
another in an informal way and to go through the plan for the week.
Monday 6th August to Friday 10th August:
Activities for the children can be broadly described as sport, drama and
art.
We encourage all our volunteers to propose activities that they might
like to do and would be new and interesting to the Kenyan children. We
are keen to give as varied an experience as possible to the Kenyans and
our volunteers alike. If our volunteers have a skill or something they
would like to contribute we are keen to hear it.
Activities that we did last year include: Football training for boys and
girls culminating in a soccer tournament among local schools, preparing
a drama production for showing during the community fundraising event
(see Saturday 12th August), papier maché masks, painting, sewing,
class room painting, tie-dye t-shirts, HIV/AIDS training for the elder
children and adults alike, conflict resolution, playground games (British
Bulldog!) and others.
It is possible that we will also organise a school trip to some local
places of educational value for the kids.
Saturday 11th August:
Football tournament & sports day
We expect that the sporting activities will end up in an Interschool Football
tournament on the Saturday. The first year our volunteers went we did
a sports day with such amusing activities as 3-legged races, egg and spoon
races and such like.
Community fund-raising event
It has become a tradition of ours that each time we send volunteers, the
community also makes an effort to pull together to continue raising funds
for the development of the school. The fund-raising event, or harambee
in Swahili, is an unforgettable experience. Last year the local community
raised the equivalent of £2000, which, to put it in context, was
enough money to build a couple of class rooms and was raised from a community
where the average daily income is 50p.
Our philosophy in relayNET is not to do simple charitable giving without
the local community doing their part. From our experience giving without
the full involvement of the local community does not achieve results.
Following the Harambee we will transfer to Kisumu airport and take the
evening flight back to Nairobi.
From Nairobi we will transfer to our hotel and go out for dinner at Carnivore
restaurant.
Sunday 12th August:
Visit to the Nairobi National Museum or the Giraffe Centre before taking
the flight to London at 17:00
Why go on this trip
This trip enables you to combine sightseeing with volunteer work. Over the week long trip you will have a chance to work with the primary school children, teachers and members of the community gaining valuable insights into the world of volunteering and the varied problems, and opportunities, which exist within Kenya.
We will help you organise a trip afterwards. Where you will also be able to visit Kenya's many National Parks to see much of the wonderful wildlife that this country has to offer or to go and relax on the beach in Mombasa or Lamu.
What kind of skills you need to go on this trip
We find that enthusiasm, energy and a friendly attitude are the most valuable and only essential attributes. Teaching experience is useful although not essential as we will work with you providing assistance and ensuring that what you do is suitable for your skills and desires.
Travelling around Kenya can be a bumpy experience so do be prepared for this.
Basic language lessons will be provided within Kenya although you will find that most adults and children do have a reasonable understanding of English.
Your role as a volunteer
You could be involved in a variety of activities throughout the trip from working in the school garden and teaching arts activities through to assisting the community in their many and varied initiatives such as the non-violence courses and natural medicine lessons. This provides a valuable opportunity to experience a wide-range of volunteering activity.
Where the placement is based
Magunga Primary School, Rae Mixed Primary School and Kisumu are in Nyanza province on the Western border of Kenya next to Lake Victoria.
Facts and Costs
This trip is being organised for August 2007 between the 3rd and 12th.
Our estimated cost for the entirety of this trip, including flights, accommodation, meals and safari is £1200 (inc. £300 for a safari). This cost can vary according to how you, and your fellow volunteers wish to spend your final days in Kenya.
Do not book any flights at this point, we will work with the final group to select appropriate flights and ensure that the group and equipment arrive safely at Kisumu.
Contact us on volunteer@relaynet.org.uk
now to find out more about this trip.
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