International Volunteer Work Camp in Africa

Our volunteer program is based on the principal of, community participation in community development. Involving the community in initiatives that are bound to uplift them is the best way to guarantee sustainable development. This can be done by the inclusion of grassroots development initiatives in mainstream development strategies. The driving force in community development here in Kenya has been largely through grassroots organizations. From self help groups with only 10 members to community based organizations with networks of over 20 self help groups.? Our volunteer program provides volunteers with an opportunity to be part of this engine of change in Africa. We place volunteers to work with these organizations and the wider community in accelerating community development.

The volunteers have the opportunity to impact the existing community initiatives through strengthening their pillars of sustainability. These pillars include

Manpower- many f the community based organizations will most definitely be involved in activities that require human labor and the use of simple machines operated by hands. Volunteers can accelerate this groups productivity through contributing in manual labor work can range from more physical like farming and construction to less physical like teaching.???

Networking- the volunteers can work in linking grassroots organizations to international organizations working in similar programs. Many organizations making big impacts in the community remain unknown to the wider international community.

Fundraising- many grassroots organizations operate on internally generated finances, this can be through members savings, or income generated from there group activities. Although this is good in instilling a sense of self reliance it does little to inspire growth. Community groups need more funding to facilitate the expansion of their impact on the community. Volunteers can engage in proposal writing and other forms of fundraising initiatives.

 

Touch Africa volunteer program is privileged to offer voluntary services in five main areas of social development, which can be undertaken in either the slums of Nairobi or rural Kenya. These are,

Education - Education is a major challenge today in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya the government runs a free primary and subsidized secondary education program in all government schools. Free primary education has not been enough as there are fewer facilities in proportion to the number of children in need of an education. Fewer schools and dilapidated learning institutions has led to overcrowding in classrooms where such facilities are available while others have been forced to learn under trees and make shift structures. Educational materials such as books are scarce and teachers are overwhelmed by the number of children. A school with a population of 2000 pupils may have as few as 30 teachers in charge.

Volunteers who are interested in this section have a lot to choose from, they can teach as well as help the teachers in grading school work. They can also help in technical work by joining the community in repairing classrooms or building new facilities for the school. In schools with government feeding program the volunteers can assist in the kitchen department. They can also work in school gardens which supplements schools feeding programs. There is therefore a choice of specialized as well as unspecialized volunteer opportunities in this field.

Health - access to health services and facilities is still a major challenge in many parts of Kenya. This is more so in rural and remote, scarcely populated regions of Kenya. Many still visit traditional medicine men and only go to seek conventional medical services when the situation gets out off hand which in many cases it’s too late. Traditional mid wives still practice their trade in unsanitary conditions. High child mortality is recorded in such areas as children born under these conditions usually succumb to treatable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Many have to walk long distances to access health services.

Volunteers in this field have a chance to offer paramedic assistance to community health workers. Unskilled volunteers can help in technical work like repair run down facilities and construction of new facilities, accompany mobile clinics, to remote areas, taking part in medical camps where such services are offered.

Hiv/Aids - the Hiv/aids pandemic has been a crippling factor in both the social and economic fabric of our society. Many homes have been left without a breadwinner, millions of children have been orphaned while the youths have borne the brunt of being its main victim as well as contributing immensely to its spread. The slums in urban and rural Kenya have been the worst hit due to information dissemination barriers, lack of access to medical services and ignorance. This has fuelled a humanitarian crisis occasioned by the devastation of families and entire communities. In some instances entire villages have been wiped out and farming land turned into grave yards.

Volunteers working in this field have the opportunity to impact the ongoing fight against the scourge. They can take part in awareness campaign initiatives, volunteer with home care groups whose members are care givers to HIV/aids whom are bed ridden. The care givers usually wash and clean the homes of the patients, offer counseling, keep them company, walk them to health centers or monitor their anti retroviral medication intake. . Other projects include a milk fund where Hiv/aids infected mothers can get access to baby milk since they can not breast feed their children.

Orphans and vulnerable children (ovc) – economic disparities, social inequalities and the ravages of Hiv/aids have left many orphans in their wake. Abandoned children and orphaned children with special needs such as medication have little or no chance of survival without communal interest in their welfare. Orphan homes and rescue centers for abandoned children play a special role in securing the survival of innocent children.? These noble initiatives are burdened with lack of man power. Many institutions which depend on well wishers have no financial resources to employ workers in their centers. Such challenges can easily be eliminated with available volunteer man power and even experts in fund raising.

Volunteers have the opportunities to work in orphan homes and rescue centers. Apart from administrative assistance in networking, partnering and fundraising, the volunteers can help in baby sitting, playing, teaching and general assistance as per the needs of the institution. Sometimes all the children need is the assurance that someone out their cares and that they are not outcasts in society.???????????

Micro finance – touch Africa community bank will be a new concept in micro finance. Our savings scheme ids meant to attract the lowest income earners. With no security to offer for their loans, their saving patterns and time invested in saving will act as their collateral. This is meant to encourage community members from all walks of life our credit portfolio will be derived from member savings and a percentage of volunteer participation fee.

Volunteers are needed to develop this concept prior to its launch and oversee its implementation. Interested volunteers will draft the structural and the operational element of the program. They will also get a chance to take part in the day to day administration of the programs. Volunteers will also spear head the community outreach and the international networking initiatives for the micro finance program. Proper arrangements will be made to ensure that a feasible program is put into place and touch Africa invites interested universities to undertake feasibility studies for the program.

Other programs – a large part of community development initiatives are started by community members with a particular common need. These needs may be centered on addressing or targeting a certain group in regard to their gender or age. In this regard women based and youth based projects take center stage. Members of these projects may partly or wholly come from a particular group. The group’s objective may be economic (income generating activities), social (awareness campaigns), or artistic (drama groups and art clubs).

Volunteers have a chance to work in this type of community based projects on any level as per the requirements of the organization. This may range from administrative to the day to day operations of the organization such as digging well or building dykes. Particulars of such projects will be easily available on the partner section of our website. Volunteer also get a chance to either work in rural or urban based projects. This ensures that touch Africa network services are universally

Touch Africa Network (TAN) is a global community of volunteers from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. bloggers from grassroots communities in Africa and universities all over the world, in partnership with international development organizations. TAN is proud to present a dynamic and innovative new approach to community development.

To Facilitate direct participation of the poor in defining their poverty, assimilating new ideas to their unique plight and the sharing of these development agenda with the rest of the world.