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Community work with AIDS orphans in Nairobi, Kogelo village,Kenya

This project really does bring you face to face with the best and the worst of Africa; resilient people battling one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet. Children’s homes have been set up around Kenya to help children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. They offer the children a safe and supportive shelter, a basic education and a real chance in life. With the beat of the African drums filling the streets this is the real Africa, with none of the pips removed. The projects may be challenging but they offer real opportunities to make a difference. Just bring in plenty of compassion and patience.

The centres we currently work with only take in HIV positive children. The aims of the centres are to provide a home, love, care and quality of life to the children. There are also plans to set up a school for the kids which will also take in children from the neighbourhood. By 2001, an estimated 890,000 children in Kenya had been orphaned by AIDS and HIV-related diseases. With 15% of the population carrying the virus, an increasing number of children are at risk of being caught in the wake of the epidemic.

The AIDS orphanages we work with are already understaffed and rely on the input of local volunteers to continue their good work. With the additional help volunteers, the orphanages can provide a greater level of support and education for the children, and offer them more individual care and attention. The children will also benefit from the social interaction with volunteers, the chance to learn some valuable English skills and the exposure to a different culture.

The orphanage requires extra pairs of hands to help with the day-to-day running of the project, so you will be expected to assist with cleaning, cooking and serving food to the children. You will also help to provide a basic education for the children, by organizing physical education/sports lessons and teaching English. You may also be required to assist the staff in counseling the children.

You will need to be flexible and have patience, compassion and enthusiasm to face the many hurdles and challenges that you will inevitably encounter within your role. To

ensure that you get the most out of and contribute fully to your project, a pro-active attitude is essential. A love of children is a must, while some background knowledge of HIV/AIDS and how it has affected the African continent is also useful. Above all, you should be emotionally mature, tolerant and open-minded.

Volunteer travel - what's it all about?Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.

How this vacation makes a difference

We do not give a financial contribution to this or any of our projects as we believe that money is rarely the answer to complicated development issues; if it was, the poverty problems in the world would be getting better! Short-term aid relief can cause aid-reliance and financial instability and the corruption seen in many developing countries means the guarantee of your money going to the heart of the cause is massively reduced. From our experience (and by learning from our mistakes) projects benefit far greater more from a sustainable framework to ensure they develop rather than short-term financial aid relief.

If money is paid directly to projects then they may become dependent on that income. If that country or project becomes unpopular, or through restrictions in the opportunity to travel to that country, the money dries up and they are no longer able to continue with their work. Supplying projects with enthusiastic volunteers creates a constant supply of helpful hands and as they are not reliant on an income can continue without the assistance of the volunteer travelers, although significantly slower in achieving their goals.

Kenya Volunteer Program is open to:We invite individuals, couples, families, students, researchers, and groups (churches, colleges, and student associations).

Our programs are flexible and volunteers can arrive and depart on any day all year round.The volunteer in Kenya program fee covers in-country orientation, training, meals and accommodation, and supervision.

The volunteer in Kenya costs you need to meet are: Your flight to and from the country, visa fees, work permits, vaccinations, and travel insurance, return trip to the airport and airport taxes.

You will also need a weekly budget to cover your expenses like bottled water, personal costs, public transport, beverages and entertainment.

Typical Living Arrangements: Advance Africa Volunteers’ house and home-stays.

Programs, Events, Materials, Organizations, Affinity Groups, Volunteer Opportunities in Nairobi Kenya that were posted to the site in English concerning Children and Youth, Community Development, Community Service and Volunteering, Disaster Relief, Foundations, Fundraising, and Philanthropy, Sports, Recreation, and Leisure, Travel and Transportation.

Orphanage in Kenya, Orphans in Kenya, HIV and Aids orphans in Kenya ,Charity Work in Kenya, Kenya Community Development Projects, Help us Bring Clean, Safe Drinking Water To Millions.

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