Art and environmental activities in Kitui District

  Kenya

• Other Cities in Kenya: 
Machakos

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: May 20 - June 11

Description: The international volunteer project will be held in Kitui District for 3 weeks. Volunteers will come together to help out in meeting critical needs of the local communities. The main objective of the volunteer project will be Art and Environment.

Sharpheads Arts Education and Environment Center was founded in 2006 with the aim of bringing together self-help groups and individual businesses, in order to have a synergy effect on the community, rather than groups working individually. The Sharpheads youth group focuses on HIV/AIDS awareness, drug abuse, communal work and is affiliated with Arabia Mulango C.B.O which is concentrating on bee keeping and crafts. Subsequently, the members of the group got skills to run their own bee keeping activity. SAEEC was formed and registered as a community based organization and has several programs that focus on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Creative Arts, Youth Counseling, Rehabilitation and entrepreneurship and Environment.

Volunteers will be involved in vegetable growing, bee keeping, creative arts (poetry, dances, theatre), raising awareness on HIV/AIDS and malaria in schools, environmental work such as tree planting, garbage collection, clean-ups.

All volunteers will first meet in Nairobi for orientation. From Nairobi they will travel to the project site in Kitui district by local means of transport (public matatu).

Kitui is located in the Eastern Province, about 150 km away from Nairobi. The closest hospital is 2 km from the campsite. Market (there is a trading centre within the school), Post Offices, Banks (ATMs), Internet and other facilities are located 2 km from Kitui District.

There is an extra fee of 250 Euros for participation in this project, intended to support the local hosting organization.

Highlights: Free time activities: Possible visits to Nzambani Rocks (5 km from Kitui center), SyomaSango resort (6 km from Kitui center). The visits will be organized during the weekends. Visits will be planned also to local homes and other places.

There will be cultural presentations where all the volunteers will have an opportunity to present their countries and cultures. Volunteers will be free to choose presentation methods like story telling, singing, dancing, drama, speeches, etc.

Qualifications: No particular expertise or skills required. Participants should have a positive attitude, be ready to adopt and enjoy simple living conditions, be flexible and patient. However, specialized skills and expertise (drama, marketing, counseling, business skills) will be used accordingly.

Cost in US$: USD 290

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Motivated to work voluntarily within an international team, tolerant, open-minded and cooperative young person with adventurous spirit.

Age Range: 20 and over

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to Kenya Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

CADIP - Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects's Mission Statement: CADIP promotes peace, cooperation, tolerance and understanding in international, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural surroundings. The organization also promotes patterns and examples of civil activities focused on serving others, on building social ties and strengthening communities, on supporting civil society development. Aims and general objectives: * To promote volunteering as an expression of civic contribution * To strengthen the international contacts among young people * To build tolerance and understanding in multicultural and multi-ethnic surroundings *To promote multiunderstanding among youth all over the world * To facilitate the individual growth of the volunteers through the acquisition of work, life and learning skills * To work for the recognition and promotion of non-formal learning * To support the community initiatives and assist in community development.