Volunteer With Us
Visitor and Volunteer Prompt List
What We Do
This isn’t a finite list, but simply a guide and prompt to help you and us when you are planning to visit Taru
— Volunteer Experience Video
About Kenya
— Practical information
- Currency: Kenyan shillings
- Electricity socket: same as in the UK, type G.
- Languages: Kiswahili and English are the official languages, but each tribe has its own language, and there are 42 tribes!
- In big cities like Nairobi or Mombasa, use Uber or Bolt to move around: it’s easier, safer and cheaper.
- BE VERY PATIENT, AS THINGS MAY NOT BE AS FAST AND ORGANISED AS IN YOUR COUNTRY, AND LAST MINUTES CHANGES ARE MADE TO SCHEDULES.
— What should I do before going to Kenya?
- Read and understand the Kenya entry requirements, particularly linked to post-Covid – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kenya/entry-requirements
- Apply for your Kenyan Visa online – https://www.ecitizen.go.ke/
- Buy some Kenyan Shillings – £100 worth would be a sensible amount)
- Plan to bring your bank card with you, for use in towns and locations outside of Taru
- Get some vaccinations (typhoid, meningitis, hepatitis A and B), nowadays from a private pharmacist
- Buy anti-malaria capsules from a private pharmacist
- Buy Jungle Fever anti-mosquito spray or roll-on
— About Taru
Taru is 80km from Mombasa, on the main road between Nairobi and Mombasa. This is a great location because a lot of buses and “matatu” pass by.
How to get to Taru?
- From Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta airport
- By train: there is a daily ‘Inter County’ train leaving at around 8 am and arriving at around 1 pm in Miasenyi, for a very reasonable cost. From Miasenyi, it takes around 30 minutes to get to Taru by car, but this would need to be pre-booked as there are no taxis situated at Miasenyi.
- By bus: it’s longer, more expensive, and less comfortable than the train.
- By flight to Mombasa Moi International airport
- From Mombasa Moi International airport
- By taxi or pre-arranged collection: fuel is currently expensive in Kenya, so a taxi or collection will likely cost you £100 return (maybe more depending upon current fuel prices) and then there’s the gratitude payment to the driver. It takes around 2 hours to reach Taru. If it’s by taxi from the airport, negotiate a price up front.
- If you happen to want to transfer to a hotel in Diani/Ukunda or in Mtwapa, then the pre-arranged drop off could cost up to £75 or more.
If you choose to use the train, you can buy a train ticket at the train station (in Nairobi, prepare to queue) or on the website : https://metickets.krc.co.ke/ (but you will need a M-PESA account – see notes further on). The train is not very fast but on time and comfortable. To get to the train, you’ll have to go through various security checks be aware that various items are forbidden (which items can change by the day!) – this process is slow, so be there in plenty of time.
What services can you find in Taru?
- There are some small shops where you can find basic groceries.
- There is a Sunday Market selling fruit and vegetables, and second-hand clothes
- There is no bank and no ATM. So, you’d better carry some cash with you. There are ATMs in Nairobi and Mombasa, including at the airports.
- There is a dispensary for any emergency.
- There are a couple of bars and you can buy takeaway alcohol if you wish, though the choice is very limited.
- You’ll not find chocolate or crisps anywhere in the town, though you can buy boiled sweets or lollipops or chewing gum, plus a variety of soft drinks!
How is it to live in Taru?
Be prepared: the climate is very warm, the village is quite dusty, and you’ll have to cohabitate with crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and some mosquitoes (only after 6pm in the evening). But, don’t worry, there are very few snakes, spiders and lions!
People there are not used to seeing white people (“mzungu” as they call us) so at first, when you arrive, they will be a bit surprised and curious. But they know that you come to help in the school, and they are very happy about it. However, we recommend dressing appropriately; for the girls, it’s better to wear long light pants and avoid short skirts and shorts.
At night, there is no light in the streets. Avoid being outside the compound at night, or make sure to be accompanied.
There is not much to do in Taru outside school. Bring books and download movies on your phone.
You also have the option to visit families or to bond with the locals. If visiting families then please do not go empty handed – many families are living in extreme poverty !
There is always someone around who will be happy to know more about you. On weekends, enjoy your free time visiting the country. Here are some suggestions:
- Tsavo East is the closest national park and you can get there by pre-arranged pick up, it’s only 30 minutes away !
- If you go and visit Mombasa, it’s better to stay at Nyali or Bamburi beach or in Diani.
- For a good pizza, a beautiful beach and a dolphin safari, head to Watamu, 2 hours north of Mombasa.
— And what about the house?
The house is just next to the school, in a walled compound. There is a watchman at night so it’s very safe. The room is quite big and has an en-suite bathroom with hot water. The bed has a mosquito net. The room is equipped with a fan. Toilet paper, bed linen and towels are provided. There is also a lady who makes your life easier during your stay: she will prepare your breakfast and lunch and dinner; she will clean the house and do your laundry. There is running fresh water but, as a foreigner, we don’t recommend drinking it. In the house, you will find a water fountain with bottled water. And you’ll also find a TV with a large range of international channels.
Sometimes, there are power cuts, for few minutes or for few hours or even a few days. There is a back-up generator for the house, though we’d prefer not to run this for a length of time due to the cost of fuel, so there may be times during the day without power.
Is there Wi-Fi?
Yes, we have wi-fi
We suggest you consider buying a Safaricom sim card when you arrive in Kenya. You’ll need your passport. A sim card costs 50 shillings. Then you can buy data bundles (for example, 25Gb for 3000 shillings). Taru has 4G coverage and it’s working well. You can easily top up with the Safaricom app. Also, that app gives you access to M-PESA, the mobile money transfer service in Kenya that is largely used in the country. Through that app, you can pay in shops and withdraw money (with a small transaction cost), which can be useful in Taru as there is no ATM.
What about the food?
For lunch, you can eat rice and beans at school. If you want to change a bit, the “mama” (the lady who helps us to take care of the house) can cook lunch. She will also cook dinner for you every day. Typical menus are spaghettis with a stew, mashed potatoes, rice with vegetables, beans and chapatis, and, of course, the traditional “ugali and sukuma”. Most of the meals are veg-friendly as you can see.
ACCOMMODATION IS FREE, HOWEVER, WE ASK FOR £15 PER PERSON PER NIGHT TO ENABLE US TO BUY FOOD AND TO PAY THE LADY WHO HELPS US IN THE HOUSE.
— About the school
Our Primary School is located at ///unreturned.since.chore at WHAT3WORDS
Our High School is located at ///mastered.reinsurance.choirs at WHAT3WORDS
ADVICE: Before coming to Taru, you should have a clear idea of what you want to do with the children: what do you want to teach them? How can you help them? What are your favourite subjects? Then, when you arrive in Taru, we suggest you have a first day of observation to see how a normal day goes and how the teachers do their job. They usually follow the official curriculum book. Then, you can talk with the Head Teachers on how to fit in the timetable. You can choose what you want to teach and to which level. Bear in mind that you are not here to change the way of teaching (teachers must follow the official curriculum) but to bring new ideas and activities to the kids, to open their minds to the world.
Last-minute timetable changes may happen without prior notice – be flexible, VERY FLEXIBLE!
In which subjects can you help?
- Mathematics: the kids tend to have more difficulties on this subject.
- English: the writing skills should be reinforced. Dictation and composition are good exercises. Oral skills can be improved by working on expressing ideas clearly, debating, giving opinions, and talking in public. The children are not enough exposed to books or texts and their comprehension skills could be improved
- Creative Arts: any activity to develop creativity and concentration! And the children love it!
- Physical Education: any activity which is not football or athletics
- Extra-curricular activities: movies, theatre, debates…….YouTube is good to use as a learning tool.
The children are also happy to do new activities. They get happy easily and that’s so good to see their smiles on their faces.
ADVICE: at school, resources are limited, so you will have to adapt with what they have. It’s sometimes challenging but you’ll always find a way.
WE ASK THAT ALL VOLUNTEERS SUPPORT OUR WORK BY FUNDRAISING BEFORE YOU ARRIVE IN TARU, £500 WOULD HELP US TO PLASTER ONE OF THE CLASSES!
— Final notes and Contact
For any other questions about volunteering, you can contact Charlotte and Fernando (previous volunteers from January to March 2020) : charlotte.rive@gmail.com. They will be happy to answer your questions and share their experience.
We will always be at the end of a phone call during your visit, and in the meantime please just shout if you have any questions to ask of us.
Best regards, Paul is contactable on +447838 290573 in the UK, and Eunice is contactable on +254720 887937 in Kenya