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African Adventures has teamed up with The Priory School to offer its students a unique opportunity to volunteer in Kenya – and you’re invited to join!
African Adventures is a unique volunteer travel company, dedicated to improving lives in the UK and Africa. We work with 11 schools in Nakuru, Kenya, that help improve the lives of the 3,500 children who attend.
The Priory School’s 9-night trip takes place on 30th March 2024. You’ll make a real difference by volunteering at one of our partner schools, where you can help teach in lessons, coach sports, or build new classrooms. Away from volunteering, you’ll have the chance to explore Kenya on our Rift Valley Adventure Day.
Are you ready for an adventure of a lifetime?
Why Get Involved?
Kenya is where African Adventures was born in 2009, after we formed our first partnerships with schools in the Rift Valley.
African Adventures started working in Kenya in 2009, after we formed our first partnerships with schools in low-income areas of the Rift Valley. Today, we work with 11 schools in Kenya, and a further 14 schools across Ghana and Zanzibar, providing support to more than 22,000 children.
As a volunteer, you can help teach in classrooms, coach sports, or build new classrooms during this trip, enabling you to develop new skills and dedicate your time to a valuable cause.
Away from volunteering, you’ll have the opportunity to discover everything that Kenya has to offer on our spectacular Rift Valley Adventure Day and Taste of Kenya Day. On our Rift Valley Adventure Day you you’ll get up close to amazing animals, enjoy a breathtaking safari drive, visit the Equator and hike down Thomson Falls, one of the deepest waterfalls in East Africa.
You can choose between two volunteer roles.
Teaching & Multi-Sports
Classrooms at our partner schools are often overcrowded and under-resourced. By choosing a Teaching Assistant role, you’ll help teachers to set and mark homework, deliver lessons (where appropriate) and help support small groups of students with their work. Core subjects include English, maths, science, geography, religious studies and sport. There are lots of resources on the My African Adventure portal to help you prepare for this role.
Building & Renovation
Volunteers who are hands-on and like to see a project through from start to finish should choose the Building & Renovation role. A large part of African Adventures’ work includes the construction/renovation of classrooms, kitchens, toilets, walls, offices and assembly halls at schools. The work carried out, which is always led by a local builder, is often physical and can be hard work, but is suited to all those ready to participate.
About Kenya
The Location
The trip will take place in Nakuru, Kenya. With a population of around 350,000 people, Nakuru is the country’s fourth-largest town. It serves as Kenya’s main connection between Nairobi and Kisumu, and Kenya and Uganda. It is popular with tourists and most famous for the adjoining Lake Nakuru National Park. Nakuru has enjoyed significant economic development over the last 10 years. This has brought lots of jobs and increased wealth to the town, with a growing middle class. However, not everybody has reaped the benefits, and levels of extreme poverty remain high. Food insecurity, limited access to education and inadequate housing remains a real problem for many. The schools that African Adventures supports are located in deprived areas of the town.
Where You'll Stay
The group will stay at a 3* hotel just outside the centre of Nakuru. Volunteers will share single-sex rooms, which have an en-suite, with 2-3 other volunteers. The hotel benefits from a large outdoor space, restaurant, WiFi and a private room to be used by the group for breakfast and evening meals, and as a social space. The hotel also has 24-hour security, CCTV and a security wall around its perimeter. African Adventures has been working with the hotel since 2015 and it is a perfect base for our volunteer groups.
Trip Information
Duration
9 nights
Departure Date
Thursday 30th March 2024 (subject to flights)
Flying From
London Heathrow
Trip Cost
£1,920
Deposit
£195.00 to secure your place
Sign-Up Deadline
1st December 2022
First Instalment
£575 due by 1st April 2023
Second Instalment
£575 due by 1st September 2023
Third Instalment
£575 due by 15th January 2024
Trip Package
What’s Included?
What’s Not Included?
- Return flights to Nairobi
- Comprehensive pre-departure support
- Airport transfers and in-country transport
- Dedicated Trip Host in Africa
- Planned development work
- Community visit, local market and giraffe centre
- Farewell celebration
- Personalised African Adventures t-shirt
- Hotel/guesthouse accommodation
- Three meals per day
- Cultural events and activities
- 24-hour support
- Travel insurance
- ATOL protected
- Rift Valley Adventure Day
- Visa
- Vaccinations and anti-malarial medication
- Spending money
- Drinks
Fundraising Support
Nearly half of our volunteers raise more than half of their trip costs through fundraising, which is an important part of the African Adventures experience.
Fundraising can be great fun, and many of our volunteers tell us that this part of the experience is a great way to learn new skills, and get to know the other volunteers in their group.
Once you’ve signed up, you can set up your own sponsorship page on My African Adventure, which you can share with friends and family, or use to collect payments for fundraising events, that will help raise your trip costs. (This is only available if all your trip payments are being made directly to African Adventures.) It’s free to use and 100% of all money raised goes towards your trip costs.
You can join our free six-weekly fundraising workshop webinars, where you’ll hear from volunteers who have been there and done it before, and seasonal tips (Christmas/Easter etc.) for fundraising events you can try from the African Adventures team.
Plus, there’s comprehensive Fundraising Support section for you to use on My African Adventure, where you can download money planners, event posters, bucket wraps and much more.
FAQs
The Basics
General Questions
What support do I get?
Lots!
Most people who travel with us are visiting sub-Saharan for the first time, so you’ll get access to lots of help and advice to get ready for your trip, including what to pack, when to apply for your visa, what your destination country is going to be like and much more. And once you’ve arrived, you’ll be looked after by our friendly team of expert Trip Hosts.
If you have any questions about your trip, just give our friendly team a call, and we’ll be happy to help.
Will it be easy?
No, but the most rewarding experiences rarely are! You are likely to be stepping out of your comfort zone, meeting new people, travelling to a new country, in a different environment and with a different culture.
This will be an exciting challenge for you but you will have plenty of support whilst you are away. Our trained Trip Leaders and Trip Hosts will be there to look after you and your fellow volunteers.
What vaccinations do I need?
If you’ve not been to this part of the world before, you’ll need some vaccinations before you go.
Please visit your local GP or travel nurse for advice regarding which vaccinations you need. You can also visit www.travelhealthpro.org.uk or www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk for helpful information relating to each of our volunteering destinations.
Most vaccinations needed are available on the NHS. However, you will need to pay for the Yellow Fever vaccination and antimalarial tablets. More information is available on the My African Adventure portal.
Is it safe?
In a word, yes! Of course, there are risks with any form of travel, whether you’re going to Los Angeles, Lima or London but hundreds of thousands of Britons travel to Africa every year and the majority of visits are trouble free.
At African Adventures, we have organised trips for over 7,000 volunteers and hold a wealth of experience. From pre-departure support and in-country orientations to knowing nearby hospitals and medical centres, we know how to deliver a safe and exciting experience. We are accredited by reputable travel bodies (see Trusted and Experienced) and we follow Foreign & Commonwealth (FCO) advice at all times; www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Where will I stay?
Volunteers stay in single-sex, shared accommodation for the duration of the programme. In Kenya, the group will stay in a private guesthouse.
All accommodations have showers, flushing toilets and lockable rooms.
Further information (including pictures) is available on My African Adventure, our online portal accessible once you have signed up.
What happens if I can't raise the money?
About 50% of our volunteers raise at least half their trip costs through fundraising alone. With good planning, the right commitment and enthusiasm, you can too.
Once you sign up, you get access to a wide range of fundraising support. You can set up your own sponsorship page on your My African Adventure account to help raise money for your trip (if you’re making all your payments directly to African Adventures), you can join free six-weekly online fundraising workshops, and there are lots of downloadable posters/bucket wraps to use too. You also get a fundraising t-shirt from African Adventures a few weeks after booking.
However, if it proves to be too difficult to raise the money you need, and you decide to cancel, you can do so at any time. Please be aware that the deposit is non-refundable and there are cancellation fees from the date of your first instalment.
Is African Adventures a charity?
No, African Adventures is a for-profit social enterprise.
Lots of our volunteers fundraise to cover their trip costs, which is an important part of the African Adventures experience. The money that volunteers raise pays for their travel costs, so things like flights, accommodation, tours, and the staff who deliver our trips. A portion of every volunteer’s trip cost is also given to the partner school hosting the group, as a donation to fund the work being carried out.
We do, however, have a charity arm called African Adventures Foundation. African Adventures Ltd funds the running cost of our charity, which means 100% of donations given to the charity are spent at our partner schools in Africa. You can read more about our official charity by visiting www.african-adventures.co.uk/foundation.
