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GYC3407 - Build homes for underprivileged communities Country: Kenya Cost: £595.00 Please note: £100.00 per extra week Cost Includes: The price includes accommodation, food and pickup from airport but does not include flight, insurance, kit or visas     Duration: 1 week Company Rep Nearby: All the time 0845 344 7592 or

 

	This placement would suit... Someone prepared to get very dirty! You will need to work hard and love the outdoors as you’ll be outside in all weathers-hopefully it will be sunny all day but you never know! Building experience is not necessary buy if you have a specific skill it will be welcomed. Make sure you’re committed to the project and its long term goals; although your work is valuable and appreciated, sometimes the activities can seem repetitive. This is the perfect placement to take as part of a gap year and can be combined with other i-to-i projects. Known by many as ‘the cradle of civilisation’ and home to spectacular wildlife reserves and safari experiences, volunteering in Kenya will be one of the best experiences of your life. There are many types of building processes in Kenya, ranging from traditional styles using locally found materials such as wood and stones, to the bricks-and - cement style you may be more familiar with. Very few community building projects have a set timescale for their construction, as local communities will raise some money, use it to buy materials and build until these materials run out. Then they will wait until they have raised more money to start on the next phase. For this reason, building projects in Kenya may change with quite short notice, so you must be prepared to fit in with whatever is currently going on. In some instances, you may be working on one of the buildings for one of the community development projects i-to-i already work with in Nakuru. Or you may be building simple yet necessary structures for economic migrants, again in Nakuru. Or you may be working in the Naro Moru area near Mount Kenya, helping to build a community church and dispensary with the local community. Whatever you will be doing, this is a great opportunity to live and work alongside ordinary Kenyans, and help them to build a happier and more prosperous future. Project details: If you are building in one of the established community development projects in Nakuru, you may be laying or repairing the foundations for the community projects with children (orphanages), which will provide an education centre, accommodation and medical care for the children and community who make their living on the local city dump. You may find that you are asked to work in the community of Hilton, directly beside the city dump, to build shelters for the people living there, usually single parents, or grandparents caring for their orphaned grandchildren. In the Naro Moru area of Mount Kenya, a community is starting to build a church, where they can continue their social programmes of supporting people away from offending behaviour, offer additional support to single parents, and other much needed community support. Churches in Kenya are much more of a community resource than you may be used to in your own country; here they are truly community projects, where the congregation fundraises, builds, and makes full use of the building for many social improvement reasons. You will learn much about the social circumstances of many of the poorest people in rural Kenya. Why the project needs volunteers: All these projects depend on the goodwill and donations from the local community and sponsors. They welcome additional labour (although strong muscles are not a must!), and any particular skills you may have, such as building, organisational, engineering etc. It is a fantastic opportunity not only to live and work alongside the community who will benefit from your labours, but also to learn something of the difficulties facing building structures in the developing world. Your role as a volunteer: You will get involved in all aspects of the building but this will depend on the stage you get involved in the building. You might find yourself helping to renovate established buildings, to finish of work well under way, or starting completely from scratch. Where the project is based: Nakuru is Kenya's fourth biggest town, about 160km from Nairobi, and is a fairly laid-back and modern town. Nakuru has a good transport system and is well linked to the rest of the country. Facilities are good, with several banks, internet cafes, tour operators, and hotels. Water and electricity may occasionally go off, but in general supply is reliable. You will be living with a local family in a homestay. Naro Moru is a village in the foothills of Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest mountain. You will be living at Batians view hotel, close to the community where you will be working. Water is freely available, with a boiler being used for heating it. There is electricity when the sun goes down, and there are plenty of power points to charge electrical gadgets. This is in a beautiful setting, where there are many birds, flora and animals to be seen. It is easy to arrange to climb Mount Kenya in 4-5 days, or just to take a day hike up part of this picturesque mountain. Our users say: Best time of my life. Sophie: Build homes for underprivileged communities in Kenya 0845 344 7592 i-to-i: We pride ourselves in a high level of service to ensure that all our gap year travellers get the most our of their meaningful travel. With Teaching, Community Development, Conservation, Sports, Media and Health placements in 24 countries, we can offer you the meaningful gap year that you want.