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

Details

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  Description

  Hello!
  My name is Nixon and would love to invite you to stay with me and my family for a while, in my family home in Homa Bay, Kenya.
  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.
  My home is very modest, but can welcome 3 volunteers at the time.
  We welcome any type of skill, from helping me building my home, to fundraising to help commuty projects, to going out to town to assist teachers in the local schools.
  Your help, will be of great impact in the progress of our community.
  Every little help really makes a difference here, you'd be surprised of the impact you can make!
  
  We ask a small fee from our volunteers which I use to buy essential items for our house and for the people of the local community, so that everyone is looked after and no one feels cut out from the benefit of welcoming volunteers like you!
  You'll be able to see this with your own eyes once you're here with me.
  
  To put my words into context, if you only stayed one week and paid me a total of 4707.5 ks (equivalent to 34.87 US Dollars) I can feed and provide for our family (including you) and I can also help with home essentials and food for our neighbours.
  
  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.
  
  This is why we also ask help with fundraising for an organisation that worked incredibly well and I would love to start up again.
  In 2004, I started an organisation with the mission to create and promote opportunities for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our community.
  Our first initiative was a tailoring project run by my wife, 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.
  From parts of their profits, we can finance new projects and trainings to have a continuous growth and increase the number of people we support, including school fees, which are rising in Kenya.
  Education means growth, but with no money for fees, means children lack the basic right of having an opportunity.
  
  We have partnered with peer counsellors with the aim to deliver outreach mentorship to youth groups and local educational institutions.
  Another partnership has been made with the 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.
  
  Everything has worked well, until in 2019 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 snowball effect was devastating:
  No money coming from the tailoring project means there is no possibility to help with the rest of the projects we partnered with.
  Bringing me and the rest of the community back to square 0.
  
  It's with great courage that out of the ashes of the previous project I am now trying to start a new organisation: Community Growth Network.
  The place strongly seeks to revive the tailoring project but for now it struggles to obtain sufficient funding to purchase the necessary equipment.
  Here is why we need you!
  
  What we ask from our volunteers is to really feel into the great opportunities that their presence and support can provide to this community.
  I've taken it upon me to help this community which would otherwise be lost, and I am asking your help to make this happen.
  I'm doing this with a dream in my heart to give dignity to my family, a future to my children and to provide an opportunity for my neighbours and the community, here in this part of the world where there aren't many and no there is no other choice but to get by with no hope otherwise.
  
  In return you'll make an incredibly affectionate family away from home, you will experience real African culture and by helping growth for children and women, you will feel a part of something bigger than you could ever imagine!
  
  
  Help required now:
  Fundraising for tailoring project to kick start again
  Home building
  Help with the garden
  Help with the animals
  Teaching assistant

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  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
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  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.

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  Projects involving children

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

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  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.

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  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.
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  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.

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  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.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  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.

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  Space for parking camper vans

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

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  Can possibly accept pets

  any

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours per day for five days in a week.

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  This host charges a fee

  read more

  Why does workaway.info allow listings of hosts who charge money?

  In developing countries (Where most hosts are involved in charity work or community development) some of our hosts may ask for a small donation to help the host family or charity (often less then 5 dollars per day) Workaway will allow this listing when the donation goes directly to the family or charity and is just to cover the cost of the volunteer‘s stay.  (This will be clearly marked on the host listing).
  We will strictly not allow listings posted by agents, “middle men” or projects who we feel are looking to profit from a volunteers stay.
   

   

   

  US$5 per day to help with food costs

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