• Prev
• 1 of 2
• Next

Introduction

Elective Abroad is the leading organizer of volunteer and experiential trips to Africa. Our programs are carefully designed to provide a unique means to volunteer, learn and experience culture in safe and secure programs abroad.

Founded a decade ago, we started as a healthcare programs facilitator, focusing on trips for medical and premed students, but have since expanded to include other programs. Whether for volunteer at an orphanage or the street homes, our programs have one common theme: to provide a rare opportunity for Hands-on learning experience, volunteering, and cultural immersion even as you have some fun!

Orphanage Work

Due to the high incidences of poverty and illness, orphanages in Kenya can host 50-300 children at any one time and there is always a high demand for more volunteer assistance. Volunteers who work in an orphanage help with general work and daily chores. This work ranges from cooking and cleaning to farm work, assisting with feeding programs, caring for children and babies and teaching.

Merciful Redeemer Children's Home is located in Nairobi's South C Mitumba Slum. South C is in Nairobi West Sub-Location, Kibera Division. Mitumba Slums is about 4 kilometers from the Nairobi City Centre just next to Wilson Airport. The home was started in 2002 by its Founder and Director Mrs Anne Mugane. The home admitted its first 5 children in 2002 in the Director's house. The home's present capacity is 80 Children. The children admitted range from 3 years to 16 years. Most of them are orphans or street children brought to the home by relatives and friends. (NB - This is just one of many orphanages on our program and not necessarily the one you will be working at).

The women’s education program is a developing initiative designed to bring sanitary supplies and HIV/Aids and sex education to young women in need throughout Kenya. This program began in response to IVHQ volunteers at schools taking notice of young women missing up to a week of class each month due to a lack of sanitary supplies. Further inquiries revealed a general lack of knowledge and misunderstanding of the natural process within their bodies: young women, many without proper sex education being giving at home, choose to take council from their peers, often resulting in unplanned pregnancies and/or the contraction of STD’s. The women’s education volunteer program has been established by past IVHQ volunteers and local staff to provide a safe environment in which young women may be able to receive correct sex education and counseling. The program will focus on HIV/Aids education, sex education and general health classes and providing supplies to women in schools and institutions within the greater Nairobi region who otherwise would not be able to access this. NB: This program operates only on Saturdays. During the week the volunteer teaches standard curriculum at schools or works at an orphanage. As this program grows and if the volunteer has a strong background in this area there may be the possibility of arranging the women program to also run during the week.

Our volunteer at orphanages & street homes program is based in Kenya and mainly targeted towards persons wanting to give a hand to the destitute; wanting to share that at their disposal.

Key highlights of the program

• Significant volunteer and community service in selected projects
• Opportunity to see volunteer work in a different setting
• Cultural exchange and appreciation of other cultures, including a Safari to the famous Maasai Mara and a visit to a Maasai village
• The program is based on wide variety of projects, partnerships, and serious and professional human rights organizations, Non- governmental organizations and orphanages:

Areas of involvement include

• Improving situations of the poor, repressed and Small business development
• Healthcare
• HIV / AIDS
• Children & Women’s issues

Your precise role will be determined by your background and level of interest in specific areas. Interns work under the supervision of the local staff and will be involved in a variety of issues.

In addition to project and field based work, volunteers also help with general office work and administration.

Projects:

The core of the project is the immense Hands-on volunteer experience that gives volunteers a rare opportunity to practice their volunteer skills. The program can either be rural or urban based depending on your preference

In addition to the core clinical project / component, all our programs have a philanthropic component as a way to give back to the communities we work in; depending on the location / camp where your program is located, participants get involved in a wide range of volunteer projects, depending on their interests

• Community development, especially on healthcare and educational issues
• Wildlife conservation
• Environmental conservation
• Marine conservation
• Sports development
• Some past volunteer projects have included orphanage visits, teaching kids how to swim, visiting elementary schools and making essential donations such as books and pencils. See gallery

Adventure

Depending on location, participants have the option to get involved in a wide variety of adventures, over and above the volunteering components. There are separate and optional activities that will need to be reserved separately

• Mountain trekking at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya and Mt. Meru)
• Gorilla tracking
• Beach time
• Biking
• Scuba diving, white water rafting, and various other marine sports
• A walking tour of Nairobi or Mombasa
• A walking tour of Kibera Slums

Please click to download: General Programs Bronchure (769.66 kB)

More info: please send us an inquiry if you need more program questions or need more info, if you are ready to apply, please go ahead and apply at www.electiveabroad.com/apply