Me and my family welcomes volunteers, tourists, professionals and all world-wide kinds of visitors from abroad who will be hosted in the village and be treated to typical African hospitality and generosity for the purpose of social integration and inter-cultural immersion. It is around 500km from Nairobi and about 75km from the Equator. It has an estimated population of 60,000 people. From Nairobi
the main way to get to Homa-Bay is by bus and matatu (local small bus). This trip should take around 8 hours and cost you around 800KES. Once you land in Nairobi, kindly travel by the Guardian Angel Couch Bus to Homa-Bay,We shall be at their booking office to receive you and we plan together all the activities you will be doing, we recommend that you travel during day time to reach in the evening.Alternatively, you can also travel by air up to Kisumu and from there to Homa-bay by bus. Weather
Since we are near to the equator, it is generally hot during the day (25?-35?C) and fresh by the night (12?-20?C). What to bring? Comfortable and light clothing for the day and a warm sweater or a jacket. Be aware that Kenyan moral standards are different from western dress codes and therefore wearing shorts or skirts above your knees will get you a lot of attention. Other important items: mosquito repellant, malaria tablets (consult your doctor before departure), personal medicine, sunscreen, hat, comfortable shoes and slippers. Feel free to bring any other items you think will be necessary for you. Accommodation
Accommodation is at the family’s house, where you will be provided with bed and adequate beddings. With the host family you will be encouraged to eat local African dishes (which most people find quite appetizing!) and take part of the family life and duties. What to do during the stay? There are different projects and services you can take part in. Arrangements will be made for you depending on your skills and preferences. You will be the one deciding how much time (hours and days) and energy you are willing to spend on any project. As for us, we can only assure you that working as part of a community project will provide you a completely new and rewarding experience. Examples of working places:
• Pro-active Junior Academy and Happy Kids School based in Homa-bay, where vulnerable children from the local community, their ages range from 3-14 years old.
• A local public primary school and a public high school within the same locality.
• A local herbalist clinic working with traditional medicine practices.
• Local village farms where you have the chance to learn from local knowledge and discover the countryside of the region
• Agro-forestry and tree nursery establishment projects together with the Ministry of Forest
Your work schedule is organized that you have plenty of free time for yourself, to study local languages, read books, visit friends, interact with local people, go trekking, hiking, etc. Regarding any project you may want to take part in, there are some goods you can easily find at home that could be a great contribution to the local community, such as pens or pencils; study and story books; clothes and shoes; torch lights; old electronic devises that for you have no use anymore (from a memory card to an USB driver, everything is welcome!), even a used and good condition laptop ,instead of ending up in the trash those items would be greatly appreciated here. Community Based Tourism
The voluntourism initiatives are based on Nam Lolwe, the traditional name of Lake Victoria in Kenya which provides a unique and warmest experience of Community Based Tourism (CBT) involving great experiences and opportunities of its own kind in Kenya. The CBT involves people to people learning and living, meeting and interacting with Lakeside community inhabitants, where a visit will leave the tourist with unforgettable experiences and memories very different from today’s globalised and digital world. Typical African hospitality is amazing and not found or affordable at all in the safari package tours, lodges and big hotels. Out-door Activities
There are ample opportunities for hiking, boating, fishing, bird-watching, sun-set watching, mountaineering, picnicking, visit to the nearby Ruma National Park with some wildlife species. We recommend you to visit also some beautiful and legendary Islands on Lake Victoria, the geysers on main land or visit Tom Mboya’s Mausoleum on Rusinga Island. Duration
From 2 week up to 3 months or mor
