About Us
CIVS Kenya is a community development agency operating in marginalized and poverty-stricken rural and urban areas of Kenya. We work with local Kenyan communities to help them realize their full potential through various projects organized in different parts of the country.
We achieve this aim through our two main program areas: International Voluntary Service (IVS) and Community Development.
The International Voluntary Service is designed for people who want to make a real difference in the fight against poverty by fostering development led by local communities, as well as promoting harmonious relations among people from different backgrounds and cultures. We organize short-term, medium-term, and long-term volunteering opportunities, as well as weltwärts project attachments throughout the year. These programs allow volunteers to offer their services while learning, gaining exposure, and acquiring valuable experience.
Program at a glance
Why choose us?
Volunteering with the Center for International Voluntary Service (CIVS) Kenya is unique because it blends grassroots, community-led development with extensive cultural immersion and structured international support. Unlike typical volunteer programs that rely on external venues, CIVS Kenya operates through its own established Community Resource Centers. This infrastructure ensures that your work directly supports long-term, self-sustaining local initiatives.
High-Impact, Grassroots Focus:
- Marginalized Areas: Projects target impoverished rural communities.
- Sustainable Goals: Activities focus on foundational needs such as solar-powered water pumps, climate-resilient farming, and disability rights awareness.
Comprehensive On-Arrival Support:
- Extensive Orientation: Every volunteer receives a 2–3 day training seminar covering cultural nuances and project briefings.
- Nairobi City Guided Tours: Staff guide volunteers through the capital to help ease initial culture shock.
- Systematic Debriefs: Regular debriefing sessions are conducted to support learning, reflection, and adaptation throughout the program.
Requirements
- Minimum Age: You must be at least 18 years old.
- Language Proficiency: You must have a basic to intermediate command of English to communicate and teach effectively.
- Required Documents: An updated Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) detailing your background is required for placement approval.
- Soft Skills: Organizations prioritize volunteers who are patient, flexible, proactive, and genuinely passionate about working with young children.
Volunteer experience
A typical day for a kindergarten volunteer with CIVS Kenya involves roughly 5 to 6 hours of hands-on service integrated directly into local early childhood education programs. Placements take place in low-income or rural communities, such as the CIVS Ahero Resource Center or informal schools in Nairobi slums, supporting children aged 3 to 6.
- 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Morning Lessons
- 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Porridge Break: Help serve mid-morning porridge (uji) to the kids. Keep children organized and assist with handwashing. Guide the children through play-based learning activities.
- 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch: Share a local meal (such as ugali, beans, or rice) with your host family or at the center.
- 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Outdoor Games & Maintenance:
- 3:30 PM Onward | Free Time & Preparation: Your project work wraps up. Spend your afternoons exploring the local area, doing laundry, or planning the next day’s lessons.
€300 Euros Per Month
The volunteer will stay in a volunteer house at the project site. All meals will be provided at the project.
Your accommodation will be in a volunteer house at the Ahero Resource Centre.
Three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) will be provided at the accommodation. Kenyan cuisine consists primarily of starches such as rice, ugali, and chapati. These are served with beans, green grams, kales, eggs, meat, etc.
Volunteers are also free to plan quick getaways and explore Kenya. We also arrange group safari programs to the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Nairobi National Park. The costs for weekend trips are extra.
Kisumu is a vibrant, laid-back port city in western Kenya, located on the shores of Lake Victoria’s Winam Gulf and serving as the capital of Kisumu County. Here are some leisure activities:
Lake Victoria & Dunga Beach/Bay: The heart of leisure, offering boat trips, birdwatching, and sunsets at spots such as Dunga Hill Camp.
Wildlife & Nature: The Kisumu Impala Sanctuary features impalas and zebras, as well as a sanctuary for cheetahs and baboons.
Photos (4 total)
Showing all 4 photos
