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Volunteer in our community growth network focussed on self-help and skill development in Homa-Bay, Kenya

  • Favourited 344 times
  • Last activity: 23 Apr 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Welcome to our organisation in the community of Homa Bay at Lake Victoria. I am Nixon, the founder of the organisation, and want to invite you to stay with me and my family for a while. I have a wonderful wife and three amazing children. My daughters are 17 and 12 years old and my son is 7.
    For the past 20 years I have persevered through times of struggle to support the local community. We have overcome many challenges and are now rebranding and rebuilding as “Community Growth Network”.

    I started the ’ organisation in 2004 with the mission to create and promote opportunities for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our community. We focussed on women and girls with a difficult background, (e.g. due to the post-election violence in 2007) or orphans and underprivileged children. But the problems which disadvantage youth, girls and women are diverse and systemic. To improve their situation, we address different problems in various projects:
    Our first initiative was the tailoring project, which proved to be an empowering and successful income-generating opportunity for these women. Through participation in the tailoring project, the women were able to earn a stable income and provide for themselves and their children.
    Our training is designed to create small businesses for our beneficiaries, which themselves are scalable. From parts of their profits, we can finance new projects and trainings to have a continuous growth and increase the number people we support.
    Starting at the root with education, we partner with local schools and kindergartens to sponsor talented children and deliver school-feeding programmes to ensure children stay in school. School fees are rising in Kenya and it is essential that we are able to assist poorer families in providing education for their children.

    Due to a lack of education and awareness, girls often suffer losses to their education, either dropping out of school due to early pregnancy or missing weeks of school during menstruation due to shame. This causes a high unemployment rate especially among youths, girls and women. Our network of peer counsellors aims to deliver outreach mentorship to youth groups and local educational institutions, offering workshops on wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, and relationships. We also cover topics such as employability and careers advice.
    We have also partnered with a local community clinic which offers courses about female hygiene, distributes reusable pads and informs about precautions for early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has a significant socio-economic impact. Our partners at the community clinic, situated in the slum of Homa Bay, offer testing and treatment for free in the community. We assist in terms of awareness campaigns and counselling.

    Our community suffers from the combined pressures of climate change, an inefficient medical system, underfunded education system and poor waste and sanitation infrastructure. There are many different projects we are hoping to implement as soon as we are able to raise funds to support them.

    However, in 2019, disaster struck. A building fire tore through the centre of downtown Homabay, destroying the town market, stores, and shops, including the site of the tailoring project. All was lost.
    Fortunately, no one was injured, but the impact was devastating. All the tailoring equipment, which had taken years of saving to purchase, was destroyed. Along with the sewing machines and equipment, fabrics, materials and clothing were also lost. With no facility or equipment, the women who participated in the tailoring project became unemployed again and were left in a desperate situation.
    Out of the ashes of the project emerges our new organisation: Community Growth Network.
    The place strongly seeks to revive the tailoring project but struggles to obtain sufficient funding to purchase the necessary equipment. Money is needed for four sewing machines, cutting tables, needles, thread, chairs, material, three months’ rent, and a one-year renewal license fee.
    Once the tailoring project returns to its former greatness, we will be able to expand into even more creative and impactful community projects. The local community in Homa Bay is filled with passionate individuals willing to go the extra mile to support our mission. But to maximise our impact across education, financial emancipation, and ecological activism, we will need funding to get us back on our feet.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Charity Work
    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Elderly Companionship
    Teaching
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We want to give you the opportunity to learn and experience our local culture. You can experience the local food and learn how to prepare our food.
    We are also happy to hear and learn about your culture at home.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

    This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

  • Help

    Help

    As a volunteer, you will offer skill enhancement to our team, increase the impact of our work through optimising resources, and build stronger community connections to ensure the sustainability of our projects. You will also get to immerse yourself in the lifestyle of a Kenyan host family in the wonderful natural beauty of Homa Bay County, on the edge of Lake Victoria, with countless opportunities for learning and personal growth.
    Our organization has varieties of programmes that fully fits any willing volunteer. Our group opens its doors to any interested volunteer to work and transfer skills in any of the following areas.

    You can help in the community medical clinic, which offers different services to the members within the slum of Homa-Bay, as screening and testing of HIV/AIDS, preventive health services, guidance and counselling or trainings about health and hygiene.
    You can also work with orphans and vulnerable children from 2 years to 9 years. You can teach English, simple Maths, dances, songs and creative arts or any other subject according to your interest. Additionally, you can help in other everyday tasks at school.

    If you have any special skills, you can support in our vocational training program. You can help in our current trainings of tailoring or embroidery, but you are also free to teach us new skills which we can spread in our community.

    As we are currently rebranding, we also need help in creating a website and boosting our online presence with social media. Documenting our work is an ongoing mission to make our organisation seem more attractive to potential donors and supporters. We welcome any gifted writers, photographers or videographers to create content for our channels.

    As with any grassroots non-profit organisation, fundraising is a continuous struggle and one of our top priorities. You can help us in starting campaigns, proposal writing or building partnerships with national or global organizations.

    We want you to feel free to share your ideas an we will do our best to enable you to include them in our project.

    We always create work pattern that enable volunteers to feel comfortable and we are always flexible in our activities. Our daily programs run roughly from 9.30 am – 12:30 pm (with a lunch break), and resumes at 2:30 pm until around 4.30 pm. But each volunteer is free to create his/her own schedule.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Luo: Fluent
    Swahili (Kiswahili): Fluent

    This host offers a language exchange
    I'm very interested in learning German, French of Spanish. I'd be happy to exchange the language skills with you.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Volunteers stay with my family at our home. You will be part of our family and experience the local life and culture. The volunteer will share everyday life with the host family, spend time together, cook, have meals, exchange ideas, discuss and laugh, etc..
    During your stay you will share the room with one of my kids in a bunk bed. The beddings (bed, blanket, bed sheet, mosquito nets, etc.) are provided.

    We have a big compound; therefore, you are also free to camp in our garden.

    We provide breakfast, lunch and supper to the volunteer. Since we are mostly in town over day, you can take a lunch package. Meals include ugali, fish, vegetables, meat, tea, bread, e.t.c.

    To cover the costs of food, water and gas we kindly ask for 5 US Dollars per day on arrival.

    Life in rural Kenya may lack many of the luxuries of western life, but you will have no trouble adapting. If there are any questions or concerns around how we run our household, all you need to do is ask and we will find a solution for you. Once you embrace our way of life you will soon begin to enjoy the simple joys in life.

    Volunteers shall be provided with a flexible work pattern to enable them to do other things like reading story books/novels or make visits to other places.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We can also help you to organise your arrival. If you land in Nairobi we can organize the pickup and stay with one of our friends at affordable fee. She will also direct you on the busses to Homa Bay, where I will pick you up at the bus station. Our friend can also help you to organize some activities in and around Nairobi or in the National Parks of our country.

    When you arrive at our families place, you will be given some time to rest after the long journey until the next day, where you will be introduced to the organization members and the project activities. Afterwards, the work pattern shall be drawn on your choice.

    The means of transport is local matatus or buses. We take motorbikes to and from town and they are very affordable. We also have friends and connections to ensure you are charged local rates.

    Because the life and culture probably is very different from your home. In some situations you might have to adapt and be flexible. But then, we can promise you exciting moments and memorable experiences for your life.

    Before arrival, we will also inform you on the type of clothes, shoes, e.t.c to carry, depending on the type of climate but also regarding our culture.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    4G and 5G internet speeds are very fast at our house and in the office. Many packages are available via local providers and tend to be a lot cheaper than rates in Europe or western countries.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We live in our own compound and it's big enough for parking.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    any

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours per day for five days in a week.

  • ...

    This host charges a fee

    read more
    US$5 per day to help with food costs
Host ref number: 311973358491

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