If you are thinking about it just go for it! The opportunity is amazing and IVHQ provides a great service for support networks and is always available to answer any queries. IVHQ puts you at ease before you even get to your destination as they provide you with way more than you need to know.
Teaching Volunteer Program in Kenya - Nairobi
Purpose
Improve access to quality education
Start dates
Programs start on the 1st and 15th of every month
Duration
Choose from 1-12 weeks
Volunteer hours
Up to 5 hours a day
Age
Volunteers aged 18+ and families
Accommodation
Homestay
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
This program is ideal for:
Aspiring teachers as well as volunteers with an interest in education and supporting youth development opportunities in disadvantaged communities. You don’t need to be a qualified teacher as volunteers work under the supervision of local staff. However, we encourage you to come prepared by completing relevant training, such as a TEFL course.
Project details
Excited to be a volunteer Teacher in Kenya? International Volunteer HQ’s Teaching project empowers volunteers to assist in schools in Nairobi and the surrounding area. Classes can be large and under-resourced so having volunteers available makes a genuine difference both to the pressure on local teachers and the education students receive. Volunteers also gain teaching experience while helping to broaden the horizons of students and providing valuable exposure to the English language.
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Classes at schools in Kenya can be large and under-resourced. Teaching volunteers provide invaluable support by lightening the load for local staff and contributing to the education of the students. International volunteers are sought after as teachers for their ability to introduce different languages, cultures and ideas to students who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to learn about them.
As a Teaching volunteer you can be based in either community schools or government schools, where you’ll assist local teachers with lessons in a range of subjects including:
- Maths
- English
- Science
- Geography
- History
- Art
- Physical Education.
Volunteers with experience can also lead their own classes and you’ll also help outside the classroom, providing support with preparing and serving meals, supervising the children during break times and providing assistance in other areas of the school.
School holidays 2024: Please note, this project is not available during the school holidays. If you apply for this project during school holidays, you will be switched to either Sports Education or Women’s Education. If you apply for this project during a half-term break, you will have these days free to explore the local area, embark on a safari, or another other tour/excursion.
- February 29th - March 1st (half-term break)
- April 8th - 28th (school holidays)
- June 20th - 21st (half-term break)
- August 5th - 25th (school holidays)
- October 24th - Dec 15th (national exams & end of year break)
- December 15th - program closes for 2024
Why do Teaching volunteering in Nairobi with IVHQ?
When you volunteer on the Teaching project in Kenya you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged students
- Helping students develop life skills in a safe place
- Learning about Kenya’s education system
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining teaching experience
- Immersing yourself in Kenya’s diverse culture
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program
- All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
Not sure which program to join?
Get personalized recommendations >
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
Kenya photo gallery
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IVHQ Women's Education project
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What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience
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Olivia Kerr
27 Sep 2024
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Rebecca Messitt
18 Sep 2024
The local team was amazing! They played a huge role in making me feel safe and allowing me to truly enjoy my trip. I gained a lot of awareness and I would recommend to anyone to sign up with IVHQ and visit Kenya! Kenyans are very friendly and helpful.
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VW
Vivian Wong
25 Jul 2023
I loved the program checklist on the MyIVHQ profile which felt personable, easy to navigate, and helped me prepare for my volunteering trip. The local team were amazing, thoroughly professional, attentive, and ensured we were well looked after and safe during my time there. My accommodation was comfortable and my host family was very welcoming and lovely. The meals were absolutely delicious and cooked with a lot of love and care. I have gained new life-long friends and contacts in Kenya for when I visit there again. I have learned a lot about their culture and their way of living. It has also taught me a lot about myself and I am so very grateful for this experience. My advice would be to not hesitate, go book that trip, and make the best memories because it's rare to get an experience like this!
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XJ
Xhulia Jasimi
24 Sep 2022
The biggest impact my volunteering trip had on me was being in an environment I had never been before. I had the opportunity to experience, what I had only seen in the TV. I weighted and compared the differences of Nairobi and the life there, and my country. I gained a whole new perspective of what is happening outside.
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AM
Alexis Martin
15 Dec 2021
I’ve been following IVHQ since I was in college (I.e almost 10 years) due to their range of programs and countries they offered and the positive reviews I saw but I never had the time to do it. Finally due to covid, I had some flexibility and I decided to book. This was my first volunteer trip abroad and will not be my last. IVHQ definitely exceeded my expectation for my teaching program. The program and the checklist prepared me if not over prepared me (which I like personally) to be ready for my trip mentally and physically which I understood bc depending on where your program is located determines your accommodations, and they all vary per what you may require. I enjoyed all of it. My host family was so nice and fun. They had two small boys that every night for dinner me and my roommates got a good kick out of before bed. The teachers and kids at my school were so welcoming and inquisitive. I wanted to do nothing but immerse myself farther into the culture the longer I stayed. The safari and meeting the Masai tribe are a must. And lastly, I was lucky enough to have like minded roommates and volunteers around me to do my journey with. I could’ve have asked for a better experience and I’m already excited to book my next trip.
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MM
Maximilian Millington
10 Nov 2021
I feel like it was the best decision I’ve made in my life. At first I was a bit nervous, but after just staying at my accommodation for one night I already felt like I was at home. In the same way the school I volunteered at made me feel like I was part of it in a very short amount of time. I even regret not being able to stay any longer, and so I can only recommend this program to everyone!
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To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
Academic course credit
Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course creditRecommended online TEFL course
Recommended online TEFL course
We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Get TEFL certified onlineLocation
Location
Nairobi is home to IVHQ’s Kenya program. The capital city of Kenya is a dynamic, diverse metropolis known for its natural beauty and wildlife safaris. Volunteer projects are set in and around Nairobi and the Kibera Slum which is home to hundreds of thousands of people living below the poverty line. Volunteers can help by providing support to local initiatives designed to improve their quality of life and access to basic essentials.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive in Nairobi the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, a member of the local team will greet you at the airport and bring you to temporary volunteer housing in Mlolongo, just a short drive from the airport in Nairobi, where you will spend the night before your orientation and before being transported to your homestay. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation. If you are traveling in Kenya prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up overland in Nairobi the day before your program orientation
Orientation is hosted by our local team in Nairobi on the morning of your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Kenya – an introduction to Kenya, Kenyan customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Kenya, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. Once your orientation is complete, you will be transported to your homestay and introduced to your host family.
Volunteer schedule example
First day
You will be escorted to your placement by a member of your homestay family or another volunteer and introduced to the placement staff.
Weekdays
You may have a morning or afternoon shift, or both, and can expect to work a minimum of 3 hours, Monday through Friday. Work and hours at the placement are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at, but a typical volunteer day would be as follows:
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast with the host family |
| 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM | Volunteers travel to their placements and meet with the placement staff. There is usually a morning tea break and lunch break. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to their homestays, go sightseeing or do some shopping. |
| 7:00 - 8:00 PM | Dinner with the host family |
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have free time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Nairobi, wider Kenya and Eastern Africa. Sunday is a religious day of rest. If you wish, you can accompany your host family to their local church, as a Kenyan church service is a unique and special experience for many volunteers.
In Nairobi you’ll have the opportunity to get up close to a wide variety of wildlife including elephants and giraffes, visit the Nairobi National Park, shop at the many markets and malls, learn about Kenya’s history at museums, or tour Nairobi city, the Kibera Slum, the Maasailands, or the Bomas cultural center.
Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield including to Mombasa, Uganda or Tanzania, or to embark on a safari.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers are accommodated in homestays with local families who have been approved by our local team in Kenya. Volunteers can expect to share a bedroom with two to four other volunteers of the same gender.
Bedrooms have single or bunk beds and bedding is provided. Living is comfortable and most homestays have electricity, running water and western bathrooms. It is important to note that there are often power outages and water shortages, and volunteers need to be prepared to have the occasional bucket shower and periods of time without power. Some rural homestays do not have electricity or running water and in these locations you can expect to find squat/pit toilets and bucket showers.
Our local team gives your host family a fee for your support, food and board. It is exciting to stay with a host family, and you’ll have a unique opportunity to learn about the Kenyan way of life, meet local people, try local food, speak the local language and engage in local customs and traditions.
WiFi can be accessed from local cafes and restaurants within walking distance of most homestays in Nairobi.
Meals
The wide range of Kenyan tribes, ethnicities and cultures are reflected in the diversity of the local cuisine. Volunteers are provided with three meals a day which are served at the accommodation and tend to be rich in carbohydrates.
Breakfast is served around 7 am and generally consists of chai tea, coffee, toast, fruit and sometimes mandazi - African donuts. A typical lunch can include vegetables and lentils with rice, occasional meat and fruit served around 1pm. If you are not returning home from your placement for lunch, you will need to pack your own lunch in the morning. Dinner is usually served around 8 pm and typically includes traditional food, such as ugali; a cornmeal porridge, mboga; a vegetable dish, irio; mashed potatoes with peas and corn, meat and vegetables.
Tap water is not safe to drink in Kenya, though bottled water is readily available. Volunteers typically drink around half a gallon, or two liters per day, which costs around US$15 a week. If you have any special dietary requirements, please make a note on your application so arrangements can be made. However, it is important that volunteers should not expect to eat as they normally do at home.
Group of IVHQ volunteers
Typical volunteer lunch
Typical volunteer dinner
Typical volunteer breakfast
Typical volunteer bedroom
Typical volunteer homestay kitchen
Pricing
Secure your place for just US$299 (approximately CA$440), pay your Program Fee later.
Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$299 (approximately CA$440) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.
You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $385 Equivalent to $55/day |
| 2 weeks | $525 Equivalent to $38/day |
| 3 weeks | $665 Equivalent to $32/day |
| 4 weeks | $805 Equivalent to $29/day |
| 5 weeks | $945 Equivalent to $27/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,085 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,365 Equivalent to $24/day |
| 10 weeks | $1,645 Equivalent to $24/day |
| 12 weeks | $1,925 Equivalent to $23/day |
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$299 (approximately CA$440) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Kenya generally find US$50-100 per week to be sufficient for expenses.
- Meals
- Airport pick-up
- Accommodation
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- Transport to and from your placement each day
- Return airport transfer when your program finishes
- Flights
- Visa (if required), travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check.
- Personal spending money for snacks, laundry, public transportation, drinks and leisure activities during your free time.
Popular add-ons & experiences in Nairobi
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Nairobi program.
Extra Night of Accommodation
Arriving early or departing a few days after your program finished? Book your extra nights of accommodation.
From CA$47
Check what's required to visit Kenya
Safety and support
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Essential country information
Essential country information
| Capital | Nairobi |
| Population | 52.57 million |
| Languages | Swahili and English |
| Currency | Kenyan Shilling (KES) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 |
Weather and climate
Kenya enjoys a tropical climate. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. As Nairobi is close to the equator the weather does not vary much. The summer months, from December to February are warm with temperatures ranging between 30°C and 14°C. June is usually the coldest month, with temperatures averaging between 13°C and 22°C.
Apply to check if you're eligible!
