Building on success - Making a difference

info@aid2africa.co.uk

IMPORTANT
Before you do anything else please read the first page of this application form

Aid2Africa.co.uk Volunteers Our volunteers are enthusiastic, hard-working, self-motivated people who are able to work under their own initiative. They will not replace local Kenyans and take away their jobs. Rather they assist them with the various projects Aid2Africa is involved in. Volunteers are also realistic. They know they won’t change Africa, but know they will build on earlier work and success to make a difference to the lives of some of the local people.

Costs: Please make sure that you know how much it will cost you to join our volunteer programme. Full details can be found in the Volunteering section of our website under the heading How much does it cost. The scale of charges for accommodation and basic services – cooking is found in the table. You have to pay for your flight to Kenya, insurance, vaccinations, food and any other items you may wish to buy while in Kenya. The How much does it cost page gives guidance on the cost of living in a rural community in Kenya. should be paid in full at least four weeks before your placement starts. Our Refund Policy is as follows:

Refund Policy: The deposit of GB £125 or US $250 is non-refundable. As it is very difficult for us to fill volunteer places at short notice if someone cancels prior to starting their placement or leaves the programme early, we require a 8-week notice period, and we can only refund any money already paid in excess of 8 weeks from cancellation of, or departure from, the volunteer placement. For example, if your placement is for 24 weeks and you decide to leave after eight weeks, you would be entitled to a refund equivalent to the cost of the last four weeks of your placement period (i.e. placement length of 24 weeks minus 8 weeks spent at Moi’s Bridge minus 8 weeks notice period = 8 weeks). Refunds would be refunded at the rate of the last weeks. Please remember that nearly all of the money you pay for your placement goes directly towards running our charitable projects in Africa.

Placement Availability: Please note that we may not be able to accommodate you for your preferred dates. This is because we can only take a maximum of 6-8 people at one time, and some times of the year are more popular than others. If possible, we will offer you alternative dates.

Starting Your Placement:  

When you reach Moi’s Bridge, Kenya, you will be introduced to the Aid2Africa staff and volunteers. Maurice and Evelyn, our Kenyan Managers Responsible for Volunteer and Community Liaison, will provide an introduction to Moi’s Bridge, the projects and the volunteering opportunities. Although there will be guidelines and some structure, there is a high degree of flexibility, and we encourage individual volunteers to use their initiative.

It often takes time to settle into the much slower way of life that is typical of many African countries. It is sometimes quite a culture shock to wake up in a rural community where the normal western facilities just do not exist. Most people find they can settle to the new lifestyle after a few days but Maurice and Evelyn are always available to talk through the cultural difference you experience.

Short Stays: Realistically, you will not be able to achieve a tremendous amount during a short stay, but you will be able to get involved with some projects. Your stay will also give you the benefit of experiencing life in a rural area of Kenya.

Volunteer Programme: We always try to provide some degree of flexibility.  Initially we will assign you to a project to get you up and running. This initial period will give you chance to get a feel for the community you are living and working in. If you are staying for longer than just a few weeks then you can look at what the needs of the community are beyond just our structured projects. Wherever possible we try to be as flexible as possible but the long-term needs of the community must take priority.
In general, because the local community has so many needs, we feel it is better if long term volunteers find their ‘niche’ once they have had time to talk to the other volunteers, the Co-ordinators, and our project managers.

We expect the vast majority of volunteers have the time of their lives, but a few may find it difficult to become fully involved. You will get the most out of the programme by being enthusiastic, resourceful and imaginative – and it’s important to remember that you will get out of it what you put in.

Volunteering Information: Please make sure you have read all the information in the Volunteering section of our website so that you understand fully your role as a volunteer. This includes the Child Protection section. To make life easier,  for those who  prefer to have a printed version to peruse rather than just the on-screen version when it is something important, we have put all the sections from the several web pages together as a PDF. You may find some repetition of information for which we apologise, but it is better in twice than missed! You will find it where you download this document.

Christmas and New Year, and School Holidays: Please note that the period between Christmas and New Year is very quiet – the schools are closed and most people in Kenya are on holiday. It give volunteers a time when they may take the opportunity to take a trip to Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, or further afield.

Aid2Africa.co.uk
12 Briars Close
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
CV11 6LQ       UK