Once Action Africa receives your application, we will immediately start processing your trip to Kenya.

The Country Coordinator in Kenya goes over the application - carefully finding and choosing the most optimal project possible. Decisions pertaining to room and food are made at this time - depending on the location of the project and individual needs. The vast majority of participants stay in fully-immersed home-stays -though some orphanage projects are residential.  Any special needs are evaluated at this stage.

Once Action Africa Volunteer  receives the details of the participants' placements, the information is then passed on to the prospective participants along with a final invoice. Final payment is due Three weeks prior to departure and, in expedited cases, as soon as possible. The placement details contain local contact information which are to be used when applying for a Visa and/or getting in touch with the local staff and host family.

Preparation for trips should include reading about Kenya, immunization, acquiring a travel Visa, and booking airfare. If you face any problems, an Action Africa Coordinator is always available for any assistance.
IMPORTANT: Once participants purchase their tickets, they are to send their flight information to our office in Nairobi by fax or by email. Participants' flight information will then be used to arrange an airport pick-up.

Who will meet me in the airport? What should I do if I get delayed or miss my flight? When should I arrive?

The Jomo Kenyatta International (JKIA) Nairobi   is the arrival point, so please book your flight for Nairobi. Even if participants are joining the program in Mombasa . Action Africa suggests participants arrive in Nairobi as the language and cultural orientation programs only take place in Nairobi. However, if participants are not enrolled in any language programs, but are instead joining their respective project in Mombasa , only then is a direct flight to Mombasa advised.

Action Africa  Volunteers ‘manager will await your arrival at the airport. Participants should ensure pick-up by sending their flight information to the offices - a follow-up call is suggested as participants' departure dates draw closer.

If participants are delayed or miss their flight, it is highly suggested that you call our offices or coordinator and wait for him/her. In the event that a participant gets lost, it is suggested that they go to the contact hotel (provided within the pre-departure package) using a taxi service. Once participants make contact with our Country coordinator, they will then be transferred to the respective offices/hostel.
Volunteers arriving in Kenya are advised to arrive one day prior to the start of the program. In the event that participants arrive more than one day early or remain in Kenya after the close of the program, they will then be responsible for their own room and food expenses.

Where do I stay during the one-week language program? Where do I stay during the volunteering period?

What do I eat? What about shower and restrooms? Do you accommodate special diets?
During the week-long Language and Culture Program, volunteers in Kenya stay in a hostel in Nairobi where meals, baths and restrooms are arranged. At the close of the Language and Culture Program, our coordinators will  transport participants to their respective projects where they will be introduced to their local project staff and respective host family.

The vast majority of our Kenya-based volunteers live with local host families for the duration of their projects. However, volunteers participating in the orphanage project stay in the orphanage (where a separate room is allocated). Here, participants are provided private room as well as three meals a day. The bathroom and kitchen facilities are shared with the host family and other volunteers. The Kenyan diet is primarily vegetarian, consisting of bread, beans, vegetables, lentil soup, curry, and pickles. Except for vegetarians, we do not accommodate any special diets. Also: the host family does not offer laundry service.

Field Support and supervision

How Action Africa helps me when I am in the field? How can I maintain communication? Do you visit me?
Once the volunteer program starts, our local staff will stay in touch with volunteers on day to day basis. In Kenya, our projects are approximately 10-100 km from our office (and usually located in rural settings outside of the highway). Our coordinators stay in touch with volunteers via personal visits, telephone calls or emails. The director of each project will serve as the participants' immediate supervisor. The Program Coordinator maintains a mobile phone so participants are able to reach him with questions and concerns.

CLIMATE AND CLOTHES
Kenya’s various topographical regions experience distinct climates.

Generally, the hottest time is in February and March and the coldest in July and August.
The coastal region is largely humid and wet. The city of Malindi at the coast, for instance, receives an average rainfall of 1,050 mm (41 in) per year, with average temperatures ranging from 21° to 32°C (70° to 90°F) in January and 20° to 29°C (68° to 84°F) in July.

The low plateau area is the driest part of the country. There, the town of Wajir receives an average annual rainfall of 320 mm (13 in) and experiences average temperatures ranging from 19° to 37°C (66° to 99°F) in January and 19° to 34°C (66° to 93°F) in July.

Nairobi, in the temperate Kenyan highlands, receives an average annual rainfall of 790 mm (31 in) and experiences average temperatures ranging from 9° to 29°C (48° to 84°F) in January and 7° to 26°C (45° to 79°F) in July.

Higher elevation areas within the highlands receive much larger amounts of rainfall. The Lake Victoria basin in western Kenya is generally the wettest region in the country, particularly the highland regions to the north and south of Kisumu, where average annual rainfall ranges from 1,740 mm (70 in) to 1,940 mm (80 in). Average temperatures in this region range from 14° to 34°C (57° to 93°F) in January and 14° to 30°C (57° to 86°F) in July.

The average annual temperatures in the main areas are:
Mombasa (coastal): Max 30ºC, Min 22ºC
Nairobi: Max 25ºC, Min 13ºC
North Plainlands: Max 34ºC, Min 23ºC

Rainfall occurs seasonally throughout most of Kenya . The coast, eastern plateaus, and Lake Basin experience two rainy seasons:
- The "long rains" extends roughly from March to June,
- The "short rains" lasts from approximately October to December.
The highlands of western Kenya have a single rainy season, lasting from March to September.
All parts of the country are subject to periodic droughts, or delays in the start of the rainy seasons. Kenya 's climate has had a profound effect on settlement patterns, as for centuries population has been concentrated in the wettest areas of the country.

What gift should I bring for my project?
It is a common courtesy to bring a small gift for the family that will be hosting you. You are not required to do so, but if you choose to bring something it can be quite simple. We suggest a box of chocolates, story books, shoes, a t-shirt with a hometown logo, or pictures of your family and some local post cards.
If you want to bring gifts for your project (and if you are working for an orphanage or a school) please bring pencils, pens and paper, art supplies (i.e. markers and construction paper pads) and games. Remember that every child will need these items so you may wish to bring a large amount of one thing.

How do I communicate with my family? Action Africa management? Is there internet?
Volunteers are requested to bring their mobile phones. Upon arrival in Kenya, participants can purchase and change sim-cards as there are 2-3 electronic shops in   Jomo Kenyatta   International Airport, Nairobi or Moi International Airport Mombasa . The sim-card is placed into almost any internationally capable cell phone and provides service in Kenya. Participants are encouraged to ensure that they are bringing the right telephone. This is the perfect way to stay in touch with your family our  office in Nairobi. Internet Cafés are widely-available in most areas of Nairobi and Mombasa . These services and the costs associated are the responsibility of the participants. Our personal assistant will however help to guide you accordingly.

About Kenya’s Volunteer program (In General)
How long has Action Africa been working in Kenya? Whom do you work with? Where are you located? What are your programs?

In Kenya, we have been running our volunteer programs for the last 2 years. We are presently focusing on 6 major volunteer service projects (working in orphanages, teaching English, environmental conservation, Computer and entrepreneurship programmes Women Rights, HIV/AIDS-education, and healthcare). Action Africa Volunteers works with a network of over  200 local NGOs, orphanages, and community projects in hopes of offering meaningful placement for our volunteers in Kenya . We also partner with a local development communications organization called Purple Images Productions (www.purpleimages.com) where volunteers get to participate in local concerts, festivals and events, conferences, workshops that greatly enrich their volunteer programme. We also partner with Pamoja World, www.pamojaworld.com and African Cats Safari Tours Ltd www.africancats.com two reputable organizations that facilitate our volunteer tourism and expeditions programme all over Kenya.  We also partner with Juhudi Children’s Club (www.juhudi.org) an organization that organizes tours and excursions in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for children and young adults between the volunteer programmes. Those who love the company of children are free to join excursions organized by Juhudi while Pamoja World and African Cats Safaris Tours organize our   Safari camps and tour adventures during the cultural immersion programme that is irresistible fun!
Action Africa has well-established contacts in Nairobi and all over Kenya- giving our volunteers equal access to numerous parts of the country. Volunteers' projects are located all over the country giving programme participants a real African and country side experience.

Immunizations/Vaccination
Action Africa Volunteers closely follows the international traveler’s health recommendations. Discuss your travel plans and personal health with your health-care provider to determine which vaccines are necessary.

 Recommended
The following vaccines may be recommended for your travel to East Africa - including Kenya

• Malaria: your risk of malaria may be high in all countries in East Africa, including cities. See your health care provider for a prescription anti-malarial drug..
• Rabies , pre-exposure vaccination, if you might have extensive unprotected outdoor exposure in rural areas, such as might occur during camping, hiking, or bicycling, or engaging in certain occupational activities.
• Typhoid vaccine. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors
• As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles , and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults.

We welcome you to Kenya for a meaningful and productive experience. Kenya is a very beautiful country with very warm   and friendly people.

As you walk across the villages in the project sites, you will hear kids running after you saying “Jambo” for ‘how are you ‘in Swahili? Do not forget to respond ‘Mzuri ‘for  ‘I am fine’ and  then say ‘Asante’ for “Thank you” When traveling in Africa with Action Africa Volunteers you can rest assured that you will  achieve  the expectations of your  volunteer experience.- We will give you a  warm welcome and  a special treatment for being our friend and partner in community development .

If you are looking for a once in a lifetime adventure, relaxation and enjoyment, Kenya is certainly the place to be. When you are not in the   volunteer programme, you can laze away on our soft sandy beaches at coast, enjoy the magnificent view of the snow peaked Mount Kenya, sample diverse habitats in the breathtaking Rift Valley, enjoy our abundant wildlife in the reknown and  the latest Eight World Wonder Maasai Mara and satisfy your curiosity at the tantalizing Lake Victoria islands. While you are in Kenya, we will go out of the way to make you feel at home because that’s the way we all like it!

Karibu Kenya! Welcome to Africa!