Nyumbani (Friends of Nyumbani in Spain)

In Kenya, we are working with a local organization, Nyumbani, which cares for children orphaned and/or living with HIV. Nyumbani Village, the project site, is an ecovillage-orphanage that cares for 1,000 children orphaned by HIV and 100 grandparents. It is located in the Kitui district, in the county of the same name, in the south of the country. It has been operating since 2006 with the intention of generating fair opportunities for the future of its population and sustainable development for its environment.

The project is developed in an ecovillage/orphanage that belongs administratively to the district of Kitui, capital of the county of the same name, 180 kilometers east of Nairobi, and offers different possibilities of collaboration: formal and non-formal education, attention to social needs, health care, environmental activities, productive activities and support to micro-enterprises for boys and girls who finish their stay in the orphanage, sustainable projects of energy generation, construction, recreational activities for the children during their vacations, etc. The intention of the project is to assign to each volunteer tasks directly linked to their own academic studies, in addition to their participation in common activities.

The Village is a self-sustaining and self-managed community for orphans and elderly people who have been left behind by the "generational loss" caused by the AIDS pandemic. The Village aims to form a new family unit composed of orphaned children living with grandparents (a vulnerable and destitute group), with the latter acting as caregivers. The village is home to more than 1,000 children.

The village has a set of infrastructures that allow for the proper development of the community: housing for 6 to 12 children and grandparents, a community center, a kindergarten, an elementary school, a secondary school, a polytechnic center, a health center, a police administrative unit, a guest house, playgrounds, a common garden and a network of paths and roads.

Their vision successfully encompasses three major goals: to reduce poverty in the community, to be a self-sustaining community and to be environmentally friendly.

The individual tasks assigned to each volunteer will be linked to his or her own academic background and are expected to reinforce the capabilities and/or means available to the village and its team of professionals to better serve its inhabitants. On the other hand, the interaction and coexistence of the team of volunteers with the children and grandparents has a value in itself of exchange and mutual appreciation.

What will we do?

The main objective of the volunteer program is to provide supplementary support to the organization's staff with the purpose of helping the children grow in their social, intellectual, academic, spiritual and physical environment.

The project covers the entire months of July and August and it is a condition of eligibility to commit to a two-month stay. The specific dates of travel to Kenya are decided once the group of volunteers has been selected, depending on the needs of the project, academic calendars and travel alternatives identified.

The usual working hours at the Kenya Project are from 8 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday. Weekends are free, but you should consult for travel outside the village, particularly if it is to remote areas and does not involve an overnight stay.

Fluency in English is required for eligibility and will be assessed at the personal interview. Nyumbani Village as a whole is legally an orphanage, so smoking is strictly prohibited throughout the village, including the volunteer house.

Children orphaned by HIV and their grandparents, who live together in the Ecovillage orphanage.

Common and compulsory training days. The group selected for the project will meet to share information with the organization before starting the project. A specific training calendar that addresses the identified needs will be specified for the month of June.

The Village has a house for volunteers that can accommodate up to 16 people at a time. Each volunteer can have his or her own room or may have to share it with another person (rooms are for two). Each room has its own bathroom, but without great comfort. For a few hours a day there is running water that can be used for personal hygiene and washing clothes. Electricity is available, but it is powered by solar panels, so if the sun is not shining, there will probably be days when there is no light or electricity. There is local transportation to the neighboring villages, but it is limited. To travel outside the village, coordination with the responsible staff is necessary.

The student assumes the management and payment of the transfers to the place of intervention.

Have a valid COVID passport. Meet the test requirements for entry into Kenya at the time of travel. In addition, Kenya requires a visa which costs 50 €.