I had an amazing 3 weeks in Nairobi - I had an amazing 3 weeks in Nairobi, Kenya. I went for a volunteering experience working in the slums of Kibera. I was placed at a community outreach center. It was enriching and the best possible way to spend a summer break. I loved the opportunity to not be a tourist, but actually, immerse myself in a culture completely unlike mine. At work, I had a lot of self-direction in what I did, but some of my larger tasks included; researching and drafting a grant proposal, writing a weekly newsletter, overseeing fundraising. I also chose to work with the kids in the Early Childhood Development Center when I had some free time. I was always learning something new at work and felt completely welcomed by the entire staff. I was touched and left in happy tears on my last day of work as the staff gathered to say goodbye and gave me a lovely handwritten letter with notes from everyone at the staff. In my free time I explored Masai Mara with other volunteers, I also visited Mombasa, the Masai markets, surfing. and seeing as many sunsets as possible. All the other volunteers were lovely, it was sad saying bye, but exciting having a network of friends all across the world.

food and living conditions were much better than I expected - AIRPORT COLLECTION The collection from the airport was well arranged, and very helpful in showing me where to exchange currency. The project briefing was informative and clearly explained the main objectives of the project and how activities were carried out. ACCOMMODATION Very good, any issues/problems I had with the homestay were dealt with professionally. Amir was a great help in supporting everyone with any queries. Location was great, could walk to work (if the sun wasn't trying to melt me that day) and was even walking distance to the city centre - but again I’m lazy and relied on Taxis. Our home mother at the homestay made the place very special, and the family was wonderful. Really appreciated the cold shower. Bring extra money for your own meals though, breakfast is very basic - toast. Dinner is interesting, a bit different but any future volunteers should push themself to try it all! Nothing ever tasted bad and even meat eaters were asked if they wanted seafood or not which was greatly appreciated - I feared, I would be eating fish with heads the whole time I was there but it was largely vegetarian meals. The food and living conditions were much better than I expected and overall, I had a brilliant time and thoroughly enjoyed my time on project. WORK I worked with school in Dar-es-Salaam. The school is a little all over the place, but you get used to it and settle into TZ time - aka, slow paced life. The school project for me was very rewarding I made a real connection with the kids and was really sad to leave. Ubungo is a lovely town and all the people are so welcoming I didn’t feel unsafe once throughout my whole time on project. SUPPORT 10++ for this one, Amir kept an eye on any illness or injury I had, from the tiniest little scrape to a suspected case of strep throat. My health seemed so important here and had a high priority as did my safety. OVERALL Amazing experience. So much free time and flexibility for you to go and explore the Tanzania. You learn so much about the culture here. I'd recommend it to all, just be prepared for a difference in setting as it is a low-income nation. This was my first ever time in a low-income (developing) country and it has really opened my eyes but in a positive way. The entire project for me was an experience I will never forget I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t tell you the best aspect as it was all amazing.

I enjoyed my project - I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the childcare and welfare project in Nakuru, Kenya. Everyone, volunteers and locals alike, were highly friendly and many locals would attempt to stop on the street to chat with you. The accommodation was basic but suitable. Everyone had their own bed and the food each night was delicious! The tap water was not suitable to drink, which meant that you spend some money on bottled water. The project itself was enlightening, and very worthwhile. Sometimes the work could be hard with the little children, as you would see issues that would be very unlikely to arise in the Germany, but the people /staff made everything worthwhile. The weekends were packed full of tourist-safari trips, and it was very interesting to see the difference between "Locals-Kenya" and "Tourist-Kenya". The project was an amazing and rewarding time of my life, and I made friends with people whom I hope I stay in touch with. The project felt well organized but also was relaxed and enjoyable. Overall, I enjoyed my project and would volunteer with Go Volunteer Africa again in a heartbeat. The staff at GVA, especially Paul was very helpful in making the arrangements.

Great Organizers of Family Volunteering Experiences in Africa - My family and I want to thank you all at Go Volunteer Africa for the most wonderful experience in Kenya. We will recommend your organization to anyone interested in volunteering and will also consider working with you in the future. You did an excellent job in every aspect and my children loved every bit of the experience. We had some concerns and reservations because of the little children and weren’t sure if they would fit in and love the experience. We really enjoyed working alongside other volunteer families we met. My family will cherish all memories of the people we met and the experiences we had. It was one of the best decisions I ever made for my family. Kenya was amazing, the culture, landscapes, and great hikes all in one trip, and, on top of that, we made several wonderful friends! The local team is doing some amazing work in Nairobi. Thank you so much Paul, for organizing this family trip. You were very responsive to our many questions and gave us useful information.

The whole experience was brilliant for me - Kenya in general is an amazing country and my experience at orphanage and with Go Volunteer Africa was incredible. Paul my program agent is very professional and organized the trip just right from the moment I signed up. I spent six weeks in Kenya working at the orphanage centre and enjoyed every moment of it!! I also accompanied a volunteer heading to Eldoret program site and I spent 5 days there. The activities were hands on, the wildlife during our safari was mind-boggling, the scenery was awe-inspiring and the staff were utterly fantastic. The whole experience was brilliant for me. Simply living with the basics, cooking lunch and dinner for the children, organizing sports activities and enjoying a truly communal atmosphere was totally unique and wonderful. I learnt so much from the endless knowledge of the staff members, and learnt even more about myself from simply going out there on my own and seeing how I coped. My favorite bit of my stay was vegetable gardens I set up with the children and my family also funded the knitting class. I highly recommend the program in Kenya, the local team is just awesome. Thank you Go Volunteer Africa for giving me an opportunity to make a difference!

An incredible experience, and one that I will never forget. - I was nervous before I came to Kenya. I am now excited to say that I experienced something life-changing in Kenya. I joined Go Volunteer Africa’s Mombasa Program and I loved every bit of my trip. Working in the kindergarten and hospital allowed me glimpses into the education and medical systems and gave me an opportunity to learn. I learned that sometimes to be most helpful, I had to be brave and ask where I’d be most useful. Sometimes doing the little things meant the most to those around me - like calming a crying child to allow the nurses to be able to finish pressing work, or having the patience with a child to sit and help them finish their food for the first time. I was in the public hospital emergency room, where I was also able to see a C-section as well as a live birth. This experience was crucial to my decision to continue studying medicine. I am 20 years old and have just started the pre-med track. In Kenya, I found incredible kindness everywhere I went. An incredible experience, and one that I will never forget. Thank you Paul at Go Volunteer Africa for organizing my trip to Kenya.

I got the experience I wanted - I wanted to have an international experience and combine it with an internship in Public Health. I ended up going with GVA to Uganda, Ashley at GVA arranged for me to intern with a hospital in Mukono, a lively town east of Kampala. I had an amazing experience; they found the perfect hospital for me to work at. GVA team treated me well from the first time I ever sent them an email regarding placement positions in Africa. I had mentioned to them that I would love to work with a pediatrician and that I also liked more surgical procedures, so they placed me in a hospital where I could shadow a pediatrician in the afternoons as well as work in the ER in the mornings. I lived with other volunteers and interns at a group house, and that was amazing. We hung out at night and on weekends. Some of them traveled together, but I went on my own with local GVA guide to see gorillas on a safari at Bwindi national park. I was able to connect with the staff in the hospital and at the group house. The GVA coordinators in Uganda were also extremely helpful to me. Lawrence (my safari guide) would always call to check on me and would even call to simply invite me to get some coffee in the best parts of town so I could get to know the city a little better. I truly felt they had a passion in getting people to volunteer and explore their country. I highly recommend Go Volunteer Africa to anyone with a dream to volunteer in Africa.

Don't book a program with Go Volunteer Africa. They are a scam! - I booked a Wildlife Conservation Project in Botswana with Go Volunteer Africa in January 2020. Jim Kruche was my contact. I paid $1620 for volunteering 4 weeks at the Moremi Game Reserve.. Because I was already in Zambia, I travelled to Maun, Botswana where the project would start. On the 16th of January, three days before the start of the project I received an email from Jim Kruche that the program was cancelled. After this cancellation neither Jim Kruche or anyone else of this organization gave a reply on my request for contact. Finally, on 23 th of February, about 5 weeks later somebody gave me a response, mr Noah Kande. He apologized and promised to sort this out. But guess what, I never heard anything of them again! No project, no money. They are an award winning organization! They should be so ashamed of themselves.