You will travel out as part of a group and will live and work with other Oyster volunteers. Most of the projects involve helping local children.
Oyster can place you at one of several local schools in the Nanyuki area. The pupils are friendly and enthusiastic, despite their hardships - some are local Aids orphans. You would help to teach a range of basic subjects and maybe get involved with extra-curricular subjects too. Why not share your enthusiasm for the things you really love to do? Whether it’s teaching them football skills, putting on a show or playing sudoko, they’ll love to try something new - and you’ll get even more out of the experience.
The schools include a government primary with a large special needs section where the children come from desperately poor backgrounds, a private (though not affluent) primary school which has some boarding and also takes in Aids orphans and a dynamic state secondary school which prides itself on being self-sufficient (it has its own farm and vegetable patch and relies on solar power).
Alternatively you could help at the Naro Moru home for children with disabilities. Run by three Italian nuns and some highly motivated local staff, it aims to help children become as mobile as possible through physiotherapy and walking aids. Their dedication, often using home-made equipment, is making a great difference to the quality of life of the children. Your role would be to help care for the children and cheer them up through play and friendship. There is a school on site and they are particularly keen to have help with extra-curricular activities, such as drama.
The third option is to help at the Nanyuki Children’s Home which cares for around 80 abandoned or orphaned children. The accommodation is very basic and the children have very little in terms of possessions or toys, but the staff and children together make it a happy and loving home. They would value your help with the day to day routines of the home and, especially, with entertaining the children.
A very different option, for those with a keen interest in zoology, is to help with research projects at a wildlife reserve. The reserve is monitoring and trying to increase its population of black rhino. It also has a sanctuary for abused or orphaned chimpanzees. Volunteers will help with gathering and assessing data, as well as with the general running of the reserve and its visitor centre. It’s a great opportunity if you want to see a lot of African wildlife and to understand more about the way the local ecosystem operates. You’ll also get a valuable insight into the conservation approaches used in the Laikipia region.
You’ll find plenty of things to do during your time off. You can meet up with friends in Nanyuki and try its bars and restaurants. If you enjoy tennis, swimming and leisurely drinks in the shade you can join the Nanyuki club at reasonable rates. And there are loads of opportunities to make the most of the amazing Kenyan countryside. Included in the price is a 3 day safari at Samburu national park, one Kenya’s finest and not far away. You could also climb Mount Kenya, do river rafting or canoeing.
