CIVS Kenya is a community development agency operating especially in the marginalized and poverty-stricken rural areas of Kenya. We pursue an integrated socio-economic and cultural development approach in the fight against poverty and social exclusion of Kenyan communities under the maxim “DEVELOPMENT BY PEOPLE”. We believe that people should retain the responsibility for their own development while CIVS supports, guides and mentors their efforts with innovative and customized high quality services. CIVS achieves this aims through its two program areas: International Voluntary Service (IVS) and Community Development. The INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE is designed for people who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty, fostering development by the people as well as developing harmonious relations among people of different backgrounds and cultures. We organize short term, medium and long term and weltwärts project attachments throughout the year both in cities and rural areas for volunteers to offer their services as they learn, gain exposure and experience. Our COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT activities focus on the areas of Food Security, Water & Sanitation, Vulnerable Children & HIV/AIDS, Good Governance and Emergency Relief in order to mitigate the effects of hunger, environmental degradation, diseases and mismanagement of public resources.

Good Samaritan Children’s Centre is a community-based organization that was established in the year 2004 in response to the needs of the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Soweto Slum. The Centre started with two children who were abandoned by their parents, rescued by the area district officials, and brought to the founder’s house. It is hosts around 63 children both boys and girls. These are either orphans or abandoned children.
The children have been orphaned for various reasons, although majority are due to the HIV epidemic, poverty and unwanted pregnancies. The children’s circumstances and histories are as different as their personalities, but now they have the optimism and opportunity for a more positive future.

The dedicated caregivers at the project are working hard to provide the basics of life such as shelter, security and food. However, they are acutely aware that it is education, which can break the cycle of poverty.
Kenya has over one million orphans and vulnerable children living in children’s homes, which are predominantly privately funded and operated, there is little government assistance. From time to time, they receive donations of food items and clothing from people in the local community and other well-wishers.
The caregivers at the orphanage are dedicated and loving, doing the best they can with the little resources they have. At the very least, they are providing these children with a stable family environment. They also have a primary school section running from preschool to standard six. The children are between the ages of 6 months to 18 years and are all attending formal education.

Posssible volunteer tasks :

• Assisting in feeding of children and serving of meals ;

• Assisting with teaching of subjects such as English, Mathematics, Creative Arts, Science and Social Studies subjects ;

• Providing of guidance and counseling services to the children ;

• Playing with the children and organizing of dance events during school holidays ;

• Helping the children with homework.

The volunteer will live in a host family that is about 30 minutes’ drive to the project site and will commute with a public bus at a cost of about 0.60 cents euros per day.