Itinerary

GETTING THERE

BRIEFING AND ORIENTATION

· History, customs and culture of Kenya and its people

· Safety, health and security matters

· Practical advice on projects

· Some language training in Kiswahili

YOUR NEW HOME

Accommodation will vary hugely, ranging from camping out in the bush with no electricity to living in a traditional banda (mud hut), cooking and cleaning for yourselves. It will be basic but it will be a great challenge for you!

TYPICAL PROJECTS  - you will participate in three out of these typical one month projects.

Coastal Community Projects - Msambweni and Wasini Island

You could be volunteering in a nearby village called Msambweni, or on Wasini Island. Daily travel to the island is by Arab dhow (a traditional local boat) from Shimoni.  At both locations you will get to know the local community and help to build and renovate the small primary school. You could also teach and coach sports.

The whole group will live in a large house with two dormitory-style bedrooms, a kitchen, sitting room and shower/toilet facilities.  The people are friendly and the restaurants sell ... very fresh fish! You are a minute's walk away from the sea.

Weekends can be spent on some of Africa's most beautiful beaches or sightseeing around Mombasa old town.  At the end of four weeks you will bid farewell to the school, the village and the friends you have made, and travel inland for the next phase of your volunteering work.

Inland Community, Environment and Conservation Projects - Soysambu Conservancy, Kasigau, and Trans Mara

Soysambu Conservancy (http://www.soysambuconservancy.org/)

Based under the acacia glades of the Soysambu Conservancy, living will be in AV's comfortable tented camp, overlooking Lake Elementaita in Kenya's famous Great Rift Valley. The group will carry out a number of research and development tasks to help the conservancy.  You will learn a number of traditional, tribal bush skills.  Your tasks might include: building hides to monitor the conservancy's wildlife and bird species, record their numbers, habitats, breeding and movements; developing suitable wet-land environments for specific birds; reforestation of indigenous trees in specified areas; help to locate and destroy wildlife snares; learning traditional Maasai tracking and hunting skills. Camping African-style in the bush for a month will be an experience you'll never forget.

Kasigau communities

In the middle of this vast expanse of wild African bush, and alongside Kenya's famous Tsavo wildlife reserves, lies Mount Kasigau, East Africa's largest lone-standing granite rock, with its own ecosystem.  At the foot of Mount Kasigau lie the five traditional, remote and colourful villages of Kitege, Rukanga, Jora, Bungule and Makwasini, all with small and very poor primary schools, needing as much help as you can give.  Recognising this, AV volunteer Charles Coldman established a UK-based charity, African Promise (http://www.africanpromise.com/), to renovate and build classrooms and other facilities for the villagers of the Kasigau region.  Under Charles's guidance, and helped by his workmen, you could make a real and immediate difference in this extraordinary corner of Africa.  You will also experience something all Africans love passionately - rural village life!  You will live in a well equipped, self-catering ‘banda' (thatched, round, mud hut) on the outskirts of one of the villages and become part of the community for the month you are there.  Expect a welcome everywhere, broad smiles, amazing generosity and lots of laughter! At weekends you can relax at home or head off on sightseeing trips.

Trans Mara communities

Your base will be Olerai Farm, in the Trans Mara, approximately 80km from Narok and Bomet, which includes Enonkishu Conservancy. Your accommodation will be a purpose-built, traditionally thatched, mud building near the farm. You will live together and cook for yourselves, and travel daily to the nearby Maasai schools.  You will immerse yourselves in the colourful Maasai way of life, help build the community's new secondary school and, if you wish, teach and coach sports in the primary school. There may be other tasks you could be asked to do, both on the farm and in the conservancy.

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL

Finally, your three months of project work will come to an end. Leaving the communities you have come to know and love will make you very sad indeed but the three weeks of independent travel and safari ahead of you will certainly help to ease the pain.

SAFARI

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