Volunteer

Written by Sue Hayward | 27 May 2011

The Happy House: Information for Prospective Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Children of Watamu Charity at the Happy House. We very much appreciate your interest in our work and we look forward to receiving your completed application form. This information sheet is designed to help you decide whether or not volunteering with us is for you and, if so, to plan your trip and to get the most from your volunteer experience.

Please read all the information and if you wish to apply please complete the two applications forms and e-mail to Sue. Thank-you for caring.

Location and Background:

The Happy House is situated a 10 minute walk from the centre of Watamu, a small fishing village, located on the coast, approximately 60 kms. north of Mombasa. The Happy House has been purpose built, in February 2011 it is home to 51 vulnerable abandoned and orphaned children. The work will develop and adapt to meet the needs of the children looked after at the Happy House. It is their home, probably for most of them for the majority of their childhood.

As a volunteer for this very special place, you will support the development of the Happy House. It will be necessary to adopt a flexible approach to your visit whilst a routine is established for you and which best suits the needs of the children. Your duties may involve you working directly with the children, in the gardens or carrying out any of the multitude of tasks that will need to be done on a daily basis. We opened a Nursery School at the Happy House in January 2011, have you any skills that can 'Make a Difference' to the education of children. The days will be varied, interesting and purposeful, building on your skills and experience.

Applying to us:

Please note that in order to volunteer with us, you must be at least 18 years of age at time of arrival. You will also need to provide us with satisfactory police clearance.

We can arrange a pick up service to and from Mombasa or Malindi airports plus accomodation near the Happy House, the costs to be paid by the volunteer. Lunch can be taken at the Happy House.

We do ask volunteers to do some fund raising prior to their visit to show commitment towards our ongoing work with the children. Monies rasied should not be used for personal expenses.

Getting There:

Flights: The nearest airport is Moi International, Mombasa. You should not book your flight until your application to volunteer has been accepted.

Passport: You should ensure that your passport will remain valid for at least six months beyond the end of your projected stay in Kenya.

Visa: This can be obtained from the Kenyan Embassy or High Commission. www.kenyahighcommission.net/visas.htm Alternatively, visas can be bought by British passport holders on arrival at any point of entry to Kenya provided they meet the usual immigration formalities. However, if purchased this way, please note that the fee is payable in U.S. dollars and is currently $25 (the fee for non British passport holders may be different).

Insurance: It is your personal responsibility to ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for theft, loss, illness or injury.

Currency: The local currency is Kenyan shillings (Ksh). Watamu has ATM cash machines and facilities to exchange cash.

Health:

It is important that we are aware of any medical conditions or health issues that may affect you during your stay. Please complete the medical section of the application form if you decide to volunteer.
It is strongly recommended that you seek medical advice from your G.P. as part of preparing for your trip. You may want to consider having a dental check-up and any necessary dental treatment prior to departure.
N.B. It is your responsibility to bring with you sufficient supplies of any prescribed or other medicines that you may need during your stay.

Inoculations: You should check with your G.P. Practice which inoculations it is necessary to have, for example tetanus, polio, typhoid, Hepatitis A and B and yellow fever. An International Certificate for Yellow Fever may be required if you are entering Kenya overland and/or intending to travel outside of Kenya in other African countries. You should plan ahead and organise your jabs at least six weeks in advance of your departure.

Heat: Given the strength of the sun, you are strongly advised to wear a hat and sunglasses and to use high factor sun screen. It is essential to drink plenty of fluids (excluding alcohol and caffeine) to prevent dehydration. It is also advisable to bring re-hydration sachets to replace fluids should you suffer with diarrhoea.
N.B. You are strongly advised to stick to bottled water and to avoid drinking the local tap water. The Happy House has a water filter system available for use.

Malaria: Malaria is endemic to Kenya. Your G.P. will advise on anti-malarial tablets. When taking these, it is important to maintain a careful routine and to cover the period before and after your trip with doses, as prescribed. It is also important to avoid being bitten by keeping arms, legs and feet covered as much as possible after dusk and covering exposed parts with a strong repellent, such as Deet. Always ensure that you sleep under the mosquito net provided.

HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases: These are widespread in Kenya. You are strongly advised not to enter into any sexual relationships during your stay.

The following website has further relevant medical information www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/africa/kenya.php

Emergencies:

You will need to give us emergency contact details as part of your application. Should it be necessary for us to contact your next of kin, this will be arranged by the Director of the Happy House.

Clothing:

As Kenya is in the tropics, light clothing is suitable throughout the year. You will be expected to respect local ways and feelings by dressing appropriately at all times, avoiding, for example, vest tops and shorts/short skirts which expose body parts. These may both offend and attract unwanted attention. In Watamu, it is only on rare occasions that you may need a sweater or fleece. A waterproof is advisable during the rainy season i.e. mainly, April – June (long rains) and November/December (short rains).

Travel:

You may want to spend some time travelling within Kenya or more widely in East Africa. This should be arranged either before your volunteer period or after it. During your stay, we can put you in touch with local travel agents who will be able to organise safaris, boat trips and local tours. You should be aware, however, that these may be expensive and budget accordingly.

Disclaimer:

Whilst we want to ensure you that all reasonable precautions will be taken to ensure that your period with us is as pleasurable and safe as possible, Kenya is a developing country and the Children of Watamu Charity cannot accept legal responsibility for any harm that may befall you whilst there. If you decide to volunteer with us, you will need to confirm your acceptance of our disclaimer conditions on the Volunteer Disclaimer which is part of the Application Form.

 Volunteer_Application_Form.doc 68.04 Kb

 Volunteer_Disclaimer_Information.doc 31.00 Kb

Once we have accepted your application, we will send you a confirmation e-mail together with some further information. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or need to clarify anything, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We look forward to receiving your application.

Sue