Provide long term assistance for impoverished children in Mombasa’s Bombolulu slum

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Program Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Join us in Mombasa, a fascinating city on the Indian Ocean, and enjoy a life changing experience caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.

The children from the Bombolulu slum area of Mombasa are often living in dysfunctional homes, and battling against hunger. Many fail to attend school and attain basic literacy. In addition, the impact of HIV / AIDS often leaves young children orphaned or abandoned.

You will work alongside volunteer teachers at a children's centre, which involves providing education to the most vulnerable children, counselling, and encouraging environmental and social awareness of HIV / AIDS and drugs. Long-term assistance provides the children with more continuity which greatly aids their development.

Life on the Program

On arrival you will be given an orientation which involves a tour of the local area and training. During training you will take part in teaching workshops, you will meet the teachers and children, and observe a lesson. To start with you will be assisting other GVI volunteers or local teachers, allowing you to ease into the role at your own pace. In time you will then plan and deliver joint lessons before taking over your own classes completely.

You will live in a suburban house that has mixed-sex dormitories, electricity and running water and you will all share cooking and cleaning duties.

At weekends you can visit white sandy beaches, go on safari or just relax and enjoy the beautiful city of Mombasa.

Program Details

GVI is predominantly helping the local partners by educating disadvantaged children from the slums. For the most part you will be teaching basic literacy and numeracy and there is a focus on providing one-to-one reading lessons with individual students who are struggling to keep up with the lessons.

As a long term volunteer you should also expect to contribute to adult education lessons in the community involving English and Maths.

Each day you lesson plan for the next day and we encourage creativity as it can have a big impact in the sparse classrooms.

The local staff and community are keen for GVI to further develop arts (including music and drama), sports and environment programs that encourage social development and reduce the temptation to engage in crime or substance abuse. One-on-one care and counseling provides the children with the confidence and security to pursue their education.