About the ProjectBuild a classroom in a rural school
This DWC project will enhance a school facility and create a positive learning environment essential for students. There is a focus on building a classroom and contributing to general school improvements.
Children must walk long distances in a semi-arid, very dry environment to get to school where classrooms are made from old lumber with dirt floors. The children lack a feeding programs, and water is also an issue because there is limited access to rainwater harvesting systems. Latrines are often substandard, unsanitary and limited for the number of children attending the school. Your volunteer contribution will create a school with a healthy learning environment these children are proud to walk to.
Volunteers work alongside local tradesmen, parent volunteers and teachers doing manual labour. Moving materials and tools, digging, mixing concrete by hand and using buckets and wheelbarrows to move sand, water and concrete are examples of the tasks the team assists with. It can involve some sweat, but everyone pulls together, inspired by the benefits the project will have for the community’s future.
In Kenya
- Agriculture supports 75 % of the Kenyan population
- Nationwide enrollment in primary education is 93% in Kenya, but secondary enrollment is closer to 53%.
Volunteer to make a difference in rural KenyaA Typical Workday in Kenya
DWC’s Kenyan partner, ACCESS (Action Crew on Community Environment for Sustainable Services) Kenya, is a non-profit group based out of Naro Moru village at the base of Mount Kenya. This organization is focused on education and protecting the environment, as well as raising awareness of the problems that come with deforestation. ACCESS Kenya strives to safeguard water that is much needed for people and wildlife to survive. DWC volunteers will be immersed in the village culture, with many locals jumping to lend a helping hand.
In general, expect to work 6-8 hours per day. Breakfast starts at 6:00 or 7:00 am. After breakfast, the team is transported to the project site (by private bus) and the workday begins, between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. There will be lunch in the middle of the day, which is either provided by our host partner. Your workday will end around 4:00 pm. You will be transported back to your hotel for an evening filled with a dinner out, cultural experiences, team bonding or R&R.
Your group will be led by a trained DWC team leader and will be working with a local site supervisor, translator and laborers to complete this project. The worksite will have various types of task to support all skill and strength levels of your team. No building experience is necessary, but a desire to connect with the locals and pitch in as you can is one of the best parts of DWC projects.
This trip includes all accommodations, airport pickup/drop off, in-country transportation and 3 meals a day for the duration of the trip dates.
It's Not All WorkVisit the Maasi Mara National Reserve on a Safari
Kenya is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife watching destinations, home as it is to the Big Five (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and white/black rhinos). The Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The huge expansive grasslands specked with flat topped acacia trees, conjure the spirit of adventure.
While you are here, trek Mount Kilimanjaro the awe-inspiring landmark of Tanzania. You don’t need to climb it to experience its full beauty and the captivating terrain that surrounds it. You can get a sneak peak of Kilimanjaro on a day trip that gives you the opportunity to scramble up the first leg of the famed Marangu Route.
Trip Details
Each trip is coordinated by DWC with the help of a Team Leader, who has travelled with DWC previously, is First Aid Certified, and has completed a Criminal Record Check. Your Team Leader will liaise with DWC and ensure all your questions are answered. Your Team Leader will handle all team finances through the trip and travel with you to ensure the best possible travel and volunteer experience for their team! They also facilitate fun, cultural experiences where possible, ensuring group cohesion. See your Team Leader Biography here:
Marty France
Marty is a retired US Air Force officer and university engineering professor with extensive international experience, having served in Europe and traveled to 73 countries, including many in East and West Africa and throughout Southeast Asia. He’s a former Fulbright Scholar who taught at Singapore’s top science and engineering university. Marty coordinated his first service trip with DWC in 2014 when he led a team of students working with Equitable Cambodia to build sanitary latrines in villages and then did the same in Nepal in 2019. He also led a team that constructed a campground bathroom and shower facility in Costa Rica in 2022. In 2023 he led a team to build a woman’s center in Nepal and a classroom in Kenya. In 2024, Marty will be leading teams to Cambodia, Guatemala and Peru. He currently lives in Colorado with his wife of 43 years. He has two sons, four grandchildren and enjoys hiking, cycling, photography, and helping at his son’s craft brewery.
Travel Light Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the greenhouse gasses that we create through certain activities, such as flying. For every tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, an ‘offset’ is a carefully designed project that absorbs or stores the equivalent CO2 emissions. You can choose to offset your own flight, your whole family’s, or do this as a gift for a friend.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Joy
Volunteer Program Manager