Volunteer Programs

Immerse yourself in Kenyan youth programs and volunteer tours, where you can make a significant difference in the lives of young individuals while experiencing the country's rich culture and diverse landscapes

1. Teaching in Local Schools.

Volunteer in School Teaching Programs in Kenya.

Volunteer teaching opportunities in Kenya are open to English or Swahili speakers with strong oral and written language skills. These volunteers are expected to be flexible, patient, and tolerant while having a genuine passion and love for teaching in Kenya. This opportunity is particularly valuable for educators looking to expand their teaching experience.

Many schools in remote villages and urban areas in Kenya are struggling with a shortage of qualified teachers. The government’s introduction of free primary education in 2002 led to an overwhelming number of students in a single class. Volunteer teachers who can communicate effectively in English or Swahili are desperately needed to assist these communities.

The Kenyan education system follows an 8-4-4 structure, consisting of 8 years in primary school, 4 years in secondary school, and 4 years at the tertiary level. In primary schools, volunteer teachers cover a range of subjects, including English, Math, Science, Kiswahili, Social Studies, Christian Religious Education, Music, and Art & Craft. In secondary schools, they teach subjects like English, Kiswahili, Math, Chemistry, Physics, History, Biology, Home Science, Geography, Agriculture, Business Studies, Foreign Languages, Woodwork, Drawing and Design, CRE (Christian Religious Education), Aviation, Literature, and Physical Education, among others, depending on the school’s curriculum.

English and Swahili are the primary languages of instruction in Kenya. Volunteer teachers work with students aged 6 to 15 years in primary schools and students aged 15 to 20 years in secondary schools. By contributing their teaching skills and language expertise, volunteers play a crucial role in improving educational access and quality in Kenyan communities.

Program Objectives

To help fight poverty through education
To support the under staffed local schools to offer proper quality education.
To enable the Organization identify more sponsorship opportunities for the brilliant but needy children.
To encourage the children and their parents to embrace education.
To promote cultural exchange that will take place between the volunteers and the residents of the communities/villages in which differing ideas, abilities, backgrounds and needs are fostered and valued, and where those with diverse backgrounds and experiences are able to participate and contribute towards development.
To offer the volunteer an opportunity to make a positive contribution into the lives of disadvantaged children through sponsorship.
Volunteer’s responsibilities

Prepare lesson notes/scheme of work

Organize learning materials
Develop a teaching method e.g. -Teach classes through lecturing, discussions and demonstration.
Discuss output and methods with fellow teachers and supervisor.
Assess the performance of the students through work assignments etc.
Organize out door/indoor games with students.

2. Medical/Health Program

Volunteer in Medical/Health Program in Kenya.

Working in the health program offers a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to become familiar with the challenges and health issues of developing countries. The Government and non-governmental organizations run a number of different health facilities, hospitals, maternity clinics, children’s hospitals, HIV/AIDS wards, and alternative-medicine clinics in many towns and small rural villages.

Volunteer in the medical and healthcare program, volunteers support the local health providers. Work ranges from consultation to treatment depending on the level of medical knowledge, experience, and skills. As a volunteer you will work with a local healthcare center within a given community.

Program Objectives include

To improve healthcare services to the rural communities
To offer health care education to the underprivileged communities.
To offer support to the understaffed rural healthcare centers.
To improve the health delivery services of the traditional healthcare providers
To offer volunteers an opportunity to discover practical and innovative healthcare practice and first aid application with little or no resources at the health care centers.
To create a link between the volunteer and the local rural communities for future health assistance
To promote cross cultural understanding

Volunteer’s responsibilities.

Attending to out-patients and in-patients
Changing bandages and monitoring recovery.
Conducting simple medical checkups
Distributing meals to the in-patients
Helping with first aid treatment.
Observing the expert in diagnosing a patient.
Recommending treatment.
Performing minor, major or specialized surgeries, etc.
Provide education on sanitation, food and nutrition
Volunteer benefits.

An opportunity to restore a persons health.

Pre-med students will benefit from psychological preparations prior to taking up their medical courses.
The qualified medical students will have a practical opportunity to use their acquired knowledge.
Opportunity to make friends with people from different background.
Volunteers will be awarded a certificate of participation at the end of their placement.

3. Youth Program

Volunteer in Youth Program in Kenya.

In addition to the obvious physical and mental benefits that regular exercise provides, there are many inherit life-skills to be learned, such as the importance of team-work, communication and discipline. As volunteers participate on sports projects, it is a way for OKOWA to promote peace, unity and development and also to harness the potential in many young children to take to professional football as a career. Volunteers will help in developing passion for sports such as football, basketball, volleyball etc. among school and community kids. Volunteers will also assists in coaching training drills, coordinating skills, and organizing competitions among sports men and women. This project involve placement at a local school or with a local football club.

Volunteer Typical Activities

Volunteers will help in developing passion in sports like football, basketball, volleyball etc among school and community kids. Volunteers will assists in training drills, coordinating skills and organizing competitions among sports men and women.

Accommodation and Meals

Typically volunteers are accommodated with a host family. Basically, there are three meals a day which are mostly breakfast, lunch and dinner but in some exceptions you could be provided with just two meals a day depending on your project locations so please we advice prospective volunteers make provision for the exceptions.

What you can bring to support
Set of jerseys, keepers gloves, footballs, boots, whistles and other sporting staff.

Project Duration
Always open all year round and can spend a minimum of 2 weeks.