International Volunteering in Kenya
“The conservation of natural resources or at least the sustainable management of these resources must be given a prominent place in Kenya’s overall development planning. In the long run, it must curb the country’s poverty, malnutrition and underdevelopment.”
Wangari Maathai, Kenya- Nobel Peace Prize 2004
Many volunteers have already taken the step… So don’t wait any longer and come and discover the joy of doing useful and responsible actions! Without being a humanitarian or development aid professional, everyone has a skill, a professional or personal know-how useful to others.
Following the monitoring of the needs of the Taita and Masai communities during our last mission in February 2020 in Kenya, we are again looking for volunteers for the mission this summer. The purpose of the mission is to establish a diagnosis after the Covid 19 crisis by monitoring income-generating projects set up in schools and CBOs to develop the production of recycled paper from elephant dung.
Around the project you will live a unique experience with local communities in magical places to meet the wildlife.
Don’t think anymore, check out the flights to Kenya instead!
Our first mission sites: Shimba Hills Reserve
Created in 1968, it covers an area of 19 251 hectares. This reserve is managed by the “Kenya Wildlife Service”. Many elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, leopards, hyenas and especially the sand antelope can be observed.
The Sanctuary of Mwaluganje
In 1992, the environmental protection partners (KWS, Forestry department, USAID, Eden Wildlife trust…) convinced the local populations, after many negotiations, to rent their land for the creation of the Sanctuary. In return, the local people would receive money from the tourists’ entrance fees. The Sanctuary is adapted to the migration of the pachyderms because of its natural corridor through which the Manolo River runs, which reduces conflicts with the local population and increases the pachyderms’ habitat. The Mwaluganje Sanctuary communicates with the Shimba Hills Reserve.
LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1997,
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the three ranches in the Taita Hills area, officially establishing the LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary. The area is rich in animal diversity with over 102 animals, 61 of which are large mammals, and more than 350 recorded bird species. Lumo is part of the historic elephant migration corridor linking the Tsavo ecosystem to Shimba Hills in neighboring Kwale County. The views are amazing from the lodge (Lion Bluff) extending to the mountains of Tanzania and Mt. Kilimanjaro. In the sanctuary, one can see the “Lion Rock” that delineates the Lumo Sanctuary and the Sarova Sanctuary. The special feature of the Lumo sanctuary is the Melanistic, a black cat, which can only be seen in Lumo. The Lumo sanctuary is located inland from Kenya, 380km from Nairobi, 200km from Mombasa and 51km from Voi. Regarding the geography of the area, the highest mountains are the “Taita” mountains, which can be climbed in half a day. The sanctuary has no spring or river but has water underground, so people have to dig wells to collect water. The rainy season in the region begins in March and ends in May and the second is during November and December. The hot season lasts from January to February and from September to November.
The community of Lumo is composed of 5 villages which are also the 5 villages closest to the sanctuary: Msorongo, Mwashoti, Maktau, Mwashuma and Bura. Tourism in this area is mainly in the form of game drives, but also in the form of ecotourism such as trekking, insect and tree spotting, and patrolling the bush on foot with rangers. The population lives mainly from agriculture and livestock. There are some small traders but they are a minority: seamstress, grocer, mechanic….
Conflicts between wildlife and humans in the area: herds of cows encroach on the territory of wildlife in the Sanctuary. It is necessary to penalize the breeders who have become numerous and to push back the herds with the 4X4. There is no electric fence to protect the villages, so elephants can come into the villages. It is very frequent that elephants destroy the plantations of the villagers. After the elephants have passed through, there is no crop left, which is a problem for the villagers because they have nothing to eat or sell. When the villagers have no crops, the government offers no compassion to the villagers so that they can continue to eat. The second problem with the elephants is the children. The majority of the children have to walk about 4km to reach their school. The road is more than dangerous because they can meet an elephant at any time and be charged. When the elephants are on their way to school, the children are forced to stay at home to avoid the risks. There are solutions, notably with the electric fences that surround the entire camp but not the surrounding villages. There are solutions, especially with the electric fences that surround the entire camp but not the surrounding villages, and the fences must be constantly restored because the elephants regularly destroy them. The threats to the environment in this area are the lack of rain and deforestation.
The experience
Give meaning to your free time, go on a mission with our teams! Many volunteers have already taken the plunge…. Discover the joy of doing useful and responsible actions! Without being a humanitarian or development aid professional, everyone has a skill, a professional or personal know-how useful to others.
We organize volunteer missions four times a year (two in winter and two in summer).
Please be aware that the exact nature of the work you will be doing will depend on the needs and priorities requested by the Sanctuary, the school and the communities at that particular time.
As a volunteer, it is important to remain flexible and keep in mind that sometimes priorities and/or emergencies may arise and therefore your duties may change quickly. But for some volunteers and depending on your skills, your tasks will be defined before you leave.
An example of a program
Day 1 : Transfer from the airport to the “Sens Afrique Solidaire” base – lunch – Installation in your room, briefing and orientation before dinner.
Day 2 : In the morning, after recommendations on safety with regard to wildlife (which roam freely in the area), training on wildlife observation in the sanctuary. Meeting with our local referent and then visit of the local community, schools and committees involved in the project.
Day 3-6 : Volunteer program: 4 rewarding days participating in our development program.
Week – End : The volunteer has “free time”, but on the advice of his coordinator, he will be able to visit the Sanctuaries (Information on the behavior of the Pachyderms and the threats facing this amazing animal), the Stavo Park, the largest animal park in Africa managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (meeting the wildlife : Elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, zebras, gazelles, hippos, birds, …), the Amboseli Park at the foot of Kilimanjaro or visit the Oceanic coast of Mombasa, without forgetting the discovery of customs and traditions of the natives
Day 09 –13 : volunteer program: last days to complete the development program with the communities.
Day 14 : separation from the Community and transfer to the airport.
Health: You just need to be in good physical shape. A medical certificate from your doctor will be required.
Competence: Depending on your skills, we will place you on one of our missions but none of the activities require a special qualification. English language skills are a plus. We value your commitment and your interpersonal skills. If you are interested, we organize individual interviews and pre-departure training.
please contact: contact@sensolidaire.org
Example of projects carried out with partners and the Kenya Wildlife Service
2005: Visitors Centre, Campsite, EDP Factory – Construction of the Visitors Centre, Campsite and assisting in the construction of the Elephant Paper Workshop.
2006: signaling – Helped install signage at the Sanctuary to encourage more visitors to come.
2007: Environmental education – Continuation of the elementary school program, awareness of nature through the creation of innovative activities.
2008 : wildlife count
2010: Tree planting
2013: Training in the manufacture of recycled elephant dung paper at Lumo Sanctuary
2014: Start of the correspondence with the Maktau School
2015: Deworming campaign for domestic livestock
2016: diagnostic for the installation of the permaculture vegetable garden in the Maktau School
2017: Wildlife census and reforestation
2018-19: Training of Taita and Masai students in making recycled paper from elephant dung
Cost of the mission
Cost of a mission (excluding airfare) : 1500 EUROS + 25 EUROS MEMBERSHIP FEE IS 610 EUROS AFTER TAX DEDUCTION.
*The expenses of missions are tax deductible. Article 200 and 238 bis of the general tax code.
- 10, 15 days to 1 month maximum
During your volunteer mission, SAS takes care of the transfer from the airport to the mission base, your supervision during the solidarity mission with the communities, overnight stays, morning, noon and evening meals and local transportation.
The approximate additional costs of the mission: airfare (600 euros), Visa (40 euros), vaccines and mandatory medication (100 euros). These costs are tax deductible. SAS organizes a mandatory pre-departure training day either remotely or in our offices. The training is given by graduates of international solidarity (Bioforce Lyon Humanitarian Institute).
We organize short missions to allow an effective immersion on the community projects that will be entrusted to you. Then you are free to extend your stay and discover the country. The cost of the weekend activities are at your expense, count 100 euros for the entrance to the reserve with a private car and an experienced local guide.
Flight cancellation and medical and/or repatriation insurance (including Covid 19) are mandatory.
Do not hesitate to contact me for any further information. Good preparation for the mission!
Delphine Thibaut
Phone : 06 73 76 60 13
contact@sensolidaire.org
Useful information
- Formalities
You will need a valid passport (more than 6 months). Visa is mandatory but can be obtained upon arrival for some countries.
Advice for airlines to find you the best price : swiss +, KLM, Ethiopian Airlines.
- Health
Yellow fever vaccine is mandatory, an anti-malaria treatment must be prescribed by your doctor, your usual medication, sun protection, sunglasses, a local disinfectant, a medicine against intestinal problems, a multipurpose antibiotic, eye drops, an analgesic, bandages, tablets to purify water. Mosquito repellent.
- Tips for travelers
Mission's base
- BASE SAS AT TAITA HILLS SANCTUARY - TSAVO
Mission to the LUMO Sanctuary, located at the gateway to Tsavo Park. The largest wildlife park in Africa. We work in close collaboration with the rangers, the security guards: Patrols (detection -removal of traps set by poachers), observation and counting of wildlife, construction of water points, watering, deworming campaign. Intervention in schools, development of income generating activities and permaculture garden project
