Star Rays Education Center is a community based Organization (CBO), an upcoming Rural Resource Information Centre. The CBO was registered by the Ministry of Culture and Social services as a Community Based Organization (CBO) in 2002 while the school is registered by the Ministry of Education as Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre and a Primary school.

Though the School is non-profit making organization, but beneficiaries contribute to the management of different activities. At this initial stage we partner up with different organizations to set up income generating activities for the centre programs.

Education is a lifetime gift.

Change our living standards through education.

Facilitate sustainable delivery of conditional Education, Health and Development until we become self-reliant.

Early Childhood Development (ECD); Primary School Education; Care and Support Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and HIV/AIDS families; Community information (library) Services; Small business incubation; Community Empowerment trainings in various fields; Agency services – linkage between self-help groups and different organizations and companies for better and easier services; Information and communication Technology ICT promotions and services; Civic Education; Volunteerism.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday. The manual work will consist on tree planting, painting, teaching, home visits, general cleaning at Kongoni Hospital, School visits with motivational talks to students and exposure to challenges of development.

What to carry?
This is outlined in the detailed info sheet and includes, sleeping bag and mat, toiletries, torch/flashlight, sandals, mosquito net, national flag from your country, among others.

These are usually symbolic gestures to enhance the solidarity of volunteers and the hosting community. Kindly contact KVDA for details in case you are willing to support a worthy cause in the community either by offering a donation or long-term intervention on the project.

Poverty is a broad term that describes many circumstances where people lack resources such as money, housing, food, clothing, jobs, and suffer physically, socially, and emotionally from this material deprivation. Absolute poverty describes a standard of living where a person is unable to afford even a basic diet. International definitions of poverty rely on the classification of the poverty level, which is a level of income below which a person cannot afford to buy all the resources required to live. Poverty eradication encompasses the will and strategies to stop all people from living in poverty. The focus being on education, training and gender sensitivity.

Inter cultural exchange is aimed at enabling people to put global awareness and intercultural learning into practice. This is enhanced through creating awareness through learning themes on global issues. In so doing it will strengthen participants' skills in working in community-based service organizations.

Will be done on 5th April 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 6th April 2014

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers may stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300. The participation fee covers project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring. It does not cover excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA does not provide insurance and volunteers should obtain travel insurance cover. It is a good idea to get medicine you are used to from your home country and seek advice from your personal doctor.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites of interest at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Volunteers will be hosted in the house of the project founder Director with basic living conditions. Beds will be available and volunteers should carry their own bedding. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is recommended.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili or other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

Will be sent to the volunteer sending organization as soon as the application is accepted by KVDA

Should be done via e-mail at least one month before the start of the project.

Juja, Kiambu, Central Kenya

Organic Agriculture

Volunteers should be 50 years and above. Volunteers below this age limit cannot be accepted on this project.

The Kenya Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF) is an officially registered technical training institution NO. .MOHEST/PC/1361 and Non-government organization (NGO).
It is situated in Juja off – Thika highway, near Ndarugo Motel.
KIOF launched its first activities in 1987 – The Farmers Training and Extension Programme, which aimed at bringing the awareness of the challenges associated with conventional chemical farming (fertilizers and pesticides).
The advantages of environmentally sound-farming methods, appropriate to small scale farmers led to widespread public interest in the programme. Numerous requests were received from development organizations in Eastern Africa for training in organic farming.
After the initial strong growth, KIOF found that there was necessity to verifying some of the organic methods adopted by farmers.
KIOF therefore started looking into opportunities for on-farm trials and research so as to supply relevant back up data.
A Programme to incorporate youth training in organic agriculture was launched in 1995. This led to an Organic Agriculture Certificate course with the aim of assisting the youth to develop careers in Organic farming. A diploma programme was launched in 2004 and the Certificate Stream gradually phased out.
The Diploma Programme takes 2 years of theoretical and practical learning. Due to the growing interest in this field and high demand for profession knowledge in organic agriculture, KIOF launched a 2 year Distance Learning Diploma program in 2006.

Organic farms and gardens have been operating years in many countries and climates. By reviving and developing sound husbandry practices they have shown that it is possible to combine good yields with high quality produce, lasting soil fertility and improved overall environment.
The Kenya Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF) aims at making this experience available to all farmers and other stakeholders.
KIOF connects itself especially with the small – scale farmers who make up the majority of the farming community in Kenya. It is the small – scale farmers who are, in effect, the care takers of the natural environment. KIOF wants to stimulate better management of the environment by starting with sound agricultural principles on the farm.

women groups, youth and other CBOs in the rural areas. KIOF comes into contact with these groups through various organizations, churches, government institutions and individuals.

WHY ORGANIC AGRICULTURE?:A problem in today’s agriculture is the need for cash. This need moves the nation as a whole and especially the farmer into cash crop farming. Most of which are non – food crops. The family food production is often neglected. This leads to poorer diets and poorer health of the farming community. The remedy for this situation is organic farming.

Organic farming is based on mixed farming principles. Experiences show that mixed farming practices lead to better food and income stability. It does not exclude the cash crop but it puts it in the right place. The cash crop can become part of the farm’s crop rotation which puts emphasis on diversity of crops thereby raising the ecological balance of the farm. It provides a more complete diet for the family. Diversity in production means less risk, and better food and health within the farm.
Production is based on maximum recycling of organic wastes and careful handling of manures and composts, careful soil cultivation and use of natural rock minerals, if necessary.

Weed control is based on crop rotation and physical methods. Pests and disease control is sustained by understanding and maintaining physical, biological and ecological balances. These include traditional methods which are now being scientifically proven.
The use of trees for shade, mulching, soil improvement, fruit, fodder and fuel production is of great importance, and correct understanding of their place on the farm is part of organic practice. Besides, trees protect the land from strong winds and improve the climate of the area.
A fresh look is taken at the question of marketing. This is done with a view to improved understanding of the needs of the grower and the requirements of the consumer.
Thinking in terms of organic agriculture means reviving and developing sound husbandry practices which include the human and the social surroundings of the farm. The farm is able to function as an organism in which all parts support each other.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and Intercultural activities.

- The use of trees for shade, mulching, soil improvement, fruit, fodder and fuel production is of great importance, and correct understanding of their place on the farm is part of organic practice. Besides, trees protect the land from strong winds and improve the climate of the area. 
- Home visits, cultural days and exposure to cultural activities in the region.
- Practical Learning.

Volunteers who participate in this programme, experience “hands on” learning situations in...

I. Organic production methods in crops and animal husbandry.
II. Organic products processing, value addition, and certification.
III. Organic packaging and marketing both locally and internationally.

Will be done on 12th July 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 13th July 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers may stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

Volunteers will be accommodated in dormitories at the institution shared with the students’ community. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is electricity connection at the institution.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili or other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites of interest at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Emuhaya, Vihiga, Western Kenya

CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

The Project was founded in 2007 and thereafter registered under the social services in 2010. It has 313 members. It was started with the aim of eradicating poverty through income generating activities, horticulture practice and micro finance. The community is located along the equator line. It consists of Luhya speaking people. Poverty levels are high due unemployment with high rate of school drop outs due to early pregnancy and drug abuse. Maseno University which is a centre of excellence in training and research around the world is located astride the Equator. The inhabitants are agriculturalists and grow maize, beans, and groundnuts for food crop. The enormous challenges facing the community may be stated as: High rate of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections; Cheap Child labour, that translates to Child abuse {Children used to supplement obligations}; High poverty levels that is the bottom line of all the socio-economic challenges; High unemployment rate among the Youth; High rate of drug and substance abuse.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and intercultural activities...

- Brick making and construction work at the School.
- Sensitize the community on good public health practices.
- Awareness on quality education, fencing, teaching, Horticulture; participate in the Orphan vulnerable children programme.
- Anti-jiggers campaign.

CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

Community empowerment refers to the process of enabling communities to increase control over their lives. "Communities" are groups of people that may or may not be spatially connected, but who share common interests, concerns or identities. These communities could be local, national or international, with specific or broad interests.
'Empowerment' refers to the process by which people gain control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives. It is the process by which they increase their assets and attributes and build capacities to gain access, partners, networks and/or a voice, in order to gain control.
"Enabling" implies that people cannot "be empowered" by others; they can only empower themselves by acquiring more of power's different forms. It assumes that people are their own assets, and the role of the external agent is to catalyze, facilitate or "accompany" the community in acquiring power.

Community empowerment, therefore, is more than the involvement, participation or engagement of communities. It implies community ownership and action that explicitly aims at social and political change. Community empowerment is a process of re-negotiating power in order to gain more control. It recognizes that if some people are going to be empowered, then others will be sharing their existing power and giving some of it up. Power is a central concept in community empowerment and health promotion invariably operates within the arena of a power struggle.
Community empowerment necessarily addresses the social, cultural, political and economic determinants that underpin health, and seeks to build partnerships with other sectors in finding solutions.
Globalization adds another dimension to the process of community empowerment. In today’s world, the local and global are inextricably linked. Action on one cannot ignore the influence of or impact on the other. Community empowerment recognizes and strategically acts upon this inter-linkage and ensures that power is shared at both local and global levels.

Communication plays a vital role in ensuring community empowerment. Participatory approaches in communication that encourage discussion and debate result in increased knowledge and awareness, and a higher level of critical thinking. Critical thinking enables communities to understand the interplay of forces operating on their lives, and helps them take their own decisions.
The work camp will focus on the conceptual and practical issues in building empowered communities. Through examples and case studies it will analyze how successful partnerships with communities can be forged. It will examine how empowerment oriented promotion can be practiced both in local and global settings.

Will be done on 2nd August 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 3rd August 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

The host community will provide a house to accommodate the volunteers with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is no electricity connection at the project but volunteers can charge their electric appliances at the nearest market center.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites including the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Vihiga, Western Kenya

Youth Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development

Mkombozi Chanzu Ingidi Friends Secondary School is a school initiated by the Friends Church to promote the literacy levels in the local community and thus promote and improve the competitive nature of the youth especially from the local community with other youths across the country. The school offers the secondary education following the Kenyan education system of 8-4-4. This stage is where the students are prepared for the choice of their career lines and it is a point where the students after the four years in school graduate institutions of higher learning or tertiary institutions where they are able to pursue and develop their skills and talents.

The School was re-registered in 2012 as a double streamed school and the current students population is eleven (11) teachers, 6 employed by the Teachers’ Service Commission and 5 employed by the School Board of Governors. The School has 6 non teaching staff including an accounts clerk, Secretary, Cook, watchman, office Messenger and a grounds man.

The School has students’ population of 281; 144 boys and 137 girls from form one to form four.

In 2013, 81 students are registered for the ordinary level examinations that will gauge those who will proceed to University and other colleges.

Vision - To be a model High School
Motto - Attitude for excellence
Mission - Providing an all-round student

Infrastructure
The School’s infrastructure has improved considerably since 2009 and this has been through the support of the following institutions; Constituency Development Fund, Bamburi Cement factory, involvement of volunteers through Kenya Voluntary Development Association., Member of Parliament for Vihiga Constituency Hon. Yusuf Chanzu, parents and members of the local community.

Below are challenges outlined and prioritized to address the infrastructure development at the School -

- Inadequate classrooms due to the increase in the number of students enrolled at the institution.
- Need for spacious staff room and administration block.
- The School is supplied with water project line and electricity was installed courtesy of the Constituency Development Fund courtesy of the office of the Member of Parliament.

The school was established in February 2009 to offer educational support community children who had just finished primary school education.
At the moment the school has 44 students of which 25 are girls and 19 are boys. It stands on a 21/2 acreage of land and in order to pave way for its establishment 4800 tea bushes were removed for construction of more school building and indication of how the community members have valued the education of their children.
The construction is ongoing which is aimed at providing a better learning atmosphere to the students.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and intercultural activities...

- Brick making and construction work at the School.
- Computer studies.
- Develop sponsorship program for orphans and vulnerable Children.
- Teaching Primary School and Secondary School students.
- Resource mobilization including fund raising for School Construction project.
- Tea farming.

Youth Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development

Description of the Problem/Challenges Facing Youth in Kenya -

Below are some risk factors that affect entrepreneurship development in particular...

Rites of Passage - The absence of rites of passage means that youth are no longer well prepared for adulthood by the traditional means of providing youth with mentors who give them advice to equip them for adulthood;
Education - Suitability of education/vocational training for the labor market. There is limited access to secondary schools and alternative forms of education are lacking. There is also a need for life skills training in the education curriculum. At present, students are trained just to pass exams;
Inequality/regional disparity - There is inequality in many fields, and often this has a regional aspect. Youth in certain geographical regions are marginalized, with restricted access to opportunities that are available to other young persons. In urban areas, poor youth and those living in slum areas have severely limited access to services and opportunities;
Society’s attitude towards youth - Youth face discrimination purely on the grounds of age. This is legitimatized by beliefs such as wisdom only comes with age, and that youth is merely a transition period. Society also perceives youth as irresponsible and troublemakers. This perception may contribute to difficulty in obtaining credit;
Expectations of youth - Society’s expectations of young people are not very clear. A gap in expectations has opened between what parents and older generations expect of youth on the one hand, and the expectations of youth themselves (influenced by their peers, and the media, etc.). Society’s expectations of youth may overshadow personal expectations and overwhelm youth. There is also an assumption that white-collar jobs are best and little encouragement is offered to youth to take up blue-collar jobs;
Displacement - Especially in slum areas, the demolition of homes has displaced many youth. Others were rendered homeless by the politically inspired ethnic clashes around election time in the 1990s. Homes on proposed road routes, close to power lines and railway tracks are being demolished. The social consequences, both short and long term, of such displacement are severe;
Policies - Gaps in, and unsuitability of, existing policy can be cited, along with important problems of implementation. Absence of youth participation in actual decision-making or implementation of policies affecting them was also cited. Youth are merely used as tokens in the policy formulation process;
Corruption - Corruption can be cited as one of the major risk factors affecting youth. It results in unequal access to resources. It is especially cited as a problem when youth are trying to establish businesses. Those who lack money to bribe have difficulty in getting assistance to set up their businesses;
Transition - Kenya is undergoing transition in many areas and this affects youth particularly. For example, there is a transition from an agrarian to an information based society, yet knowledge is not keeping up with the changes. Changes in social expectations are also resulting in confusion. Children are obliged to take on the roles of adults when households are decimated by HIV/AIDS. The influence and support of the extended family is also declining;
Choice of Role Models - Negative role models tend to be elevated. There is a dearth of positive models for leadership roles, exacerbated by the negative and corrupt image of leaders projected by the media. Parents, too, may often present negative role models in alcoholism and violence. The media glorifies negative role models, such as drug barons and advertisements for alcohol glamorize risky behavior.

Will be done on 2nd August 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 3rd August 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

The host community will provide a house to accommodate the volunteers with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is electricity in some homesteads and this simplifies the usage of electric appliances.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites including the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Mombasa, Coastal Kenya

Vocational Training

Ebusiralo Youth Polytechnic was founded in the year 2002 to offer vocational training to the youths. The polytechnic has enrolment of 110 trainees male and female. The trainees are youths aged above 14 years. The Polytechnic is located in Western Kenya, Vihiga County, Emuhaya district; Luanda Township situated more than 400 kilometers from Nairobi.

KVDA organized a work camp in 2009 that jump-started the construction of the first administration block that is yet to be completed as the inaugural step to develop the infrastructure at the Polytechnic. There are ten instructors and the one-acre land on which the Polytechnic is constructed is owned by the institution.

The polytechnic is run by the entire community members who had the idea to empower young people who could not have the full chance to education due to high poverty rate, to have self skills. Most of the community members are peasant farmers who live below poverty line (from hand to mouth) and have seen that for the development of the community is just to uplift young people through skillful and practical learning that can create self employment.

Ebusiralo Youth Polytechnic is a community based institution that was started to administer rehabilitation on drug addict children, children from poor families and street children in Luanda town and train them in different skills.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POLYTHENIC
- Trainees to gain new skills that can generate self employment.
- Capture idle youths within the communities for self reliance and commitment.
- Empower youths to economically develop their own community, rural development.
- To substitute theoretical learning by experimental and practical work.

ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CENTRE

- Garment making/Beauty therapy
- Electrical installation
- Motor vehicle mechanics
- Welding and fabrication
- Masonry/carpentry.
- Computer which is compulsory to  all trainees
- Sports and physical education
- Metal processing technology
- Information communication technology
- Agri-business
- Workshop construction          

CHALLENGES
- Polytechnic has insufficient tools and equipment to cater for large enrolment.
- Most workshops and temporary structures available at the site.
- It is difficult for the community to expand the polytechnic physical structures because of very high poverty levels and deprivation.
- Lack of resources to facilitate the instructors who work on voluntary basis.
- Drug abuse leading to most trainers to drop out from the polytechnic, HIV /AIDS has caused many trainees to be left poor and  orphans causing problem in fee payment.
- Students from poor families are unable to pay school fees and hence drop out.
- Inadequate workshop and workshop facilities.
- Frequent absence of the students seeking how to make ends meet especially on market days.
- Containing drug addicts and street children.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and intercultural activities...

- Brick making and construction work at the School
- Guiding and counseling
- Agricultural activities at the institution farm
- Teaching technical subjects
- Designing sponsorship program for students from poor backgrounds.

Will be done on 6th September 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 7th September 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

Volunteers will stay in a homestead within the community with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is no electricity connection at the project but volunteers can charge their electric appliances at the nearest market center.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites including the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Kilgoris, Rift Valley

HIV Stigma and discrimination in Kenya

AIC Kilgoris CDC was established in November 2004 and later partnered with Compassion International Kenya to alleviate poverty from children and their parents in the community. The church realized this after doing the Christian evangelism within its environs.

Mission statement -
"We exist as God's tool to redeem children from socio-economic, spiritual, and physical poverty by equipping them to serve the purposes of God in their lives as fulfilled Christian adults".

Our core programmes are...

- Rescuing, nurturing and disciple young ones.
- Developing, disciple and equipping children for life change.
- Educating, training disciple servant leaders.
- History.

The program was begun with 150 children. The project then had three personnel who supported the program activities during Saturdays' children programming days. Currently, the program has 291 children between ages 4 to 18 years in various local primary schools and high schools. We do also have a piloting program of 35 children between 0–3 years. The purpose of this group is to monitor the development of child from conception throughout the age of 22 years. At the moment the project has 20 personnel, 5 full time, 15 part time and 1 volunteer manning the programs.
It is our desire to see these children grow and become responsible fulfilled Christian adults in four areas of human development, i.e. spiritually, economically, socially and physically.

Activities -

Guide and counselling of both children and parents
Home visitation for the family living conditions assessment
School visitations to access children academic performance and progress
Spiritual nourishments for both parents and children
Skills Development for parents and children
Tailoring
Computer
Beadwork
Agriculture
Bee keeping
Fish farming
Music
Art work (e.g. drawing and colouring)
Sports (e.g. football and athletics)
Health screening/monitoring for children and parents
Income Generation Activities (IGA) Development for parents
Literacy development for parents with no formal education
Renovation of houses to parents with extreme poverty/ highly vulnerable families.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and intercultural activities..

- Brick making and construction work at the School
- Guiding and counseling
- Home visits to monitor the Children progress
- Teaching
- Report writing and sharing with partners
- Adult education

HIV Stigma and discrimination in Kenya

Even though awareness of HIV and AIDS in Kenya is high, many people living with the virus still face stigma and discrimination. Studies have shown that although people are aware of the basic facts about HIV and AIDS, many are not informed of the most in-depth knowledge that addresses issue of stigma.
One report revealed that of healthcare facilities that have policies to protect people living with HIV against discrimination, only a third admitted to implementing such policies. People are still afraid to disclose their status and will often avoid health centers that provide HIV services from fear of being seen by neighbours or community members.
Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya and therefore men who have sex with men face a high level of stigma and discrimination. In an attempt to find out to what extend HIV is affecting the gay community, a census for homosexuals would be the most effective methodology but with homosexual still illegal, it is unlikely to have the statistics to reflect the reality of HIV within the gay and lesbian community.

Will be done on 6th September 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 7th September 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

Volunteers will stay in a homestead within the project with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is no electricity connection at the project but volunteers can charge their electric appliances at the nearest market center.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites including the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Kuria, South West Kenya

Building the capacity of youth leaders in approaches to peace building and reconciliation.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following tasks.

The physical work will comprise of assisting in repairing classrooms and digging pit latrines for the community schools in post conflict situations.

Youth leaders exposed to skills in the areas of peace building, and reconciliation.
Exchange ideas on on-going and previous peace processes and the strategic role the youth leaders can play.
Youth leaders and the host communities will exchange ideas about peace building and reconciliation strategies leading to future collaborations.
Youth leaders will have combined physical work in a conflict setting with discussions of peace and conflict issues with communities affected by post election violence.

It is anticipated that the outcome of the identified activities will enhance the process of re-building trust, whose long term objective is reconciliation. Also strengthen the youth leaders to respond in an appropriate way in dealing with issues of conflict within their communities. This will also compliment the work of national healing and reconstruction.

Building the capacity of youth leaders in approaches to peace building and reconciliation.

The signing of the peace agreements in Africa is indeed commendable and raises new hopes for peace and development. However, peace agreements do not automatically translate into a resolution of the grievances or issues which caused the conflict in the first place.  From a peace builder’s perspective, these accords offer new opportunities to reorder society, its structures and institutions, processes and relationships, in a manner that diminishes the possibility of a recurrence of violence and improves the potential for social justice. Reconciliation among former protagonists at all levels is crucial for long-term peace and development.

The conflict is between the Kuria and Maasai communities of Kenya who are neighbours and share a common border near Kenya/Tanzania border and it is ignited by land issues scramble for scarce resources and politics. The Maasai and pastoralists while the Kuria community is engaged in small scale farming. The nature of conflict has led to incessant fights, burning of houses, cattle theft, killings and displacement of families in the orgy of violence.

Will be done on 13th September 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 14th September 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

Volunteers will stay in classrooms at the School with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is no electricity connection at the project but volunteers can charge their electric appliances at the nearest market center.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites including the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.

Shinyalu, Kakamega, Western Kenya

Improve food production among poor households.

Shibuye Community Health Workers (SCHW) is the only known women led community based organization responding to women’s needs in the Kakamega East and South districts. The organization was formed in 1999.
SCHW has been implementing programs on safeguarding the rights of widows and orphans on property inheritance through community led interventions. To promote socio-economic empowerment of people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children. SCHW provides educational support, agricultural training to foster food security and links to small grants for income generating activities. The organization also focuses on preventing and responding to gender based violence.

Volunteers should be 50 years and above. Volunteers below this age limit cannot be accepted on this project.

Shibuye Community Health Workers works with vulnerable households most of whom lack sufficient food to meet the proper nutrition.
The program targets to improve food production among poor households. It also targets to empower the community on issues affecting food production like climate change and how indigenous practices and organic farming which are cost effective and sustainable.
The programme has become an alternative entry point of bringing more women into development and discuss about their rights to land for food production and livelihood.
It also facilitates empowerment of older orphans who have land to understand how to utilize it for food production.

Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and intercultural activities...

- Teaching and capacity building for groups affiliated to SCHW
- Psycho-social counseling
- Fashion show to promote esteem
- Involvement in food security program
- Women empowerment on leadership and Governance
- Reproductive Health awareness for local community members

Will be done on 13th September 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 14th September 2014.

This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.

Volunteers will stay in a homestead within the community with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is no electricity connection at the project but volunteers can charge their electric appliances at the nearest market center.

English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.

The project participation fees that is all-inclusive for the three weeks work camp is Euro 300.

WHAT DOES THE PARTICIPATION FEES COVER?
Project preparation cycle, return transfers from the airport and the project, KVDA administration, orientation, certificate of participation, project coordination, facilitation, evaluation and monitoring.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
Excursion activities, local travel while in the community, personal effects, needs and wants.

KVDA offers educational tours to spectacular sites including the renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve at separate fees. Please contact us for specific tour information.