Back

VOLUNTEER IN RURAL MASAI PROJECT

Building a school for Masai children

For your lifetime adventure, climb to the tops of Africa.
Nearly 40% of the rural population in Kenya are currently living below the poverty line, with few rural households having access to safe drinking water, primary education and medical treatment.

The majority of students and pupils come from far and other surrounding villages and many children have to walk over 20 km a day just to attend school.

The main objective carried by volunteers is to improve the schools existing facilities by renovating rundown and dilapidated classrooms as well as building new facilities for the children so that they can enjoy a safe and stimulating educational environment.

Masai children in their traditional clothes

At the moment, many of the school classrooms are in such poor condition or do not have enough desks and chairs that children are taught outside under the shade of trees. This, together with poor flooring in existing classrooms, is significantly contributing to the incidences of Jiggers (a flea-borne infection). This parasitic flea lives in soil and sand and will burrow into bare feet to lay eggs that eventually hatch into painful parasites.

The resultant infection leads to expensive medical bills and inevitable loss of study time for children.
Life is made even harder during the rainy seasons as torrential downpours contribute to large scale soil erosion and flooding of the school grounds, making it very difficult to move around and creating breeding areas for waterborne infections. Your valuable contribution will support development and maintenance projects within the school and subsequently improve the living standards of the surrounding community.

I feel that my life won't be complete until I go to Africa!