Kopiyo Primary School
Volunteer at Kopiyo Primary School
If you want to make a difference and contribute to the education of children this opportunity will give you plentiful of time to teach, interact and learn a with the children. Supporting other teachers with your skills whether in language, mathematics, science, sports and other subjects will create a great impact to the child’s education and development. Children here are aged between 5 and 15 years old and the School has both boys and girls coming from the local village. This school provides the much needed education for the children as a key to success so that they can have a brighter future and uplift the community. Being here means you will be providing the guidance and support that a child needs
Next start date: Join any time for minimum 2 weeks
Highlights:
- Programs is available when schools are open only
- Minimum time to volunteer is 2 weeks
- No skills in specific subjects needed volunteers will be supported by School staff
- Run activities that help children learn and have fun
- Immerse yourself in the rich cultures and traditions of the local village
- Interact with children in your day to day activities
- Enjoy the ambiance of a beautiful environment close to Lake Victoria region
This program is Ideal for:
Volunteers who are interested in working with children, teaching and playing with children of all ages , You’ll be supported by the local teams and placement staff so no working with children experience is required.
What to expect and how you will make a difference
In this program you will be placed in a public school called Kopiyo Primary School that was established to provide quality education to children of East Kanyada community in Homa Bay county of Kenya. The school has approximately 248 Learners aged between 5 and 15 years and runs 8 classes from pre school 1 to Standard 8. The school experiences some challenges that impacts on the learning of children such as teachers shortage to carry the burden of educating the children, Lack of early childhood class, dilapidated classrooms and lack of desks. Your presence as a volunteer will help bridge the gap and expose the children to new frontiers of thinking and a platform of cultural exchange. While at this project volunteers will get involved in:
- Teaching children
- Sports and fun learning activities
- Renovation of classes
- organizing tours for children
- Help teachers with marking books and keeping records
- Help children with environmental projects within the school
- Fundraising for some of the school challenges
The aim of this project is for volunteers to provide their invaluable time and contribute through physical and mental support to the efforts of the school support staff and the children .
Why you should take part in Volunteering at Kopiyo Primary School
When you volunteer in Kopiyo Primary School in Kenya you’ll be adding value to the local community, child development and add to your personal and professional experience by:
- Promoting children welfare and well being
- Protecting the integrity and dignity of children in the society
- Giving a child hope of prosperity in life irrespective of their background
- Imparting knowledge to young school going children and promotion of cultural exchange
- Immersing yourself in Kenyan culture
- Discovering Kenya’s rich history
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers must be of 18 years and above
- All volunteers are required to provide a criminal background check to Siriafrika Ecoventures prior to departure. If unable to obtain a criminal background check, volunteer can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers should be able to communicate in English. and be ready to learn new language.
- No teaching skills in any subject required however prior experience to teaching will be an added advantage.
Location
Kopiyo primary school is located in East Kanyada community , Homaby county. The school is only 9kms from Homa bay town, 109Kms from Kisumu city and 364Kms from Nairobi.
Arrival and orientation
There are two options of arrival that volunteers can choose from:
First option: we recommend this option for volunteers staying shorter period and would like to maximize on their time at the placement. volunteers to book their flight to arrive at Kisumu international Airport in Kisumu. Upon arrival volunteer will be met by one of Siriafrika Ecoventures placement coordinator and be transferred to volunteers accommodation adjacent to the School. Volunteers will be orientated at the project site the next day.
Those who will arrive later than 4pm will be accommodated in Kisumu for Bed and breakfast then be transferred to the project the next day for orientation.
Second Option: Volunteers can opt to arrive in Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in this case volunteers will spend 2 nights in Nairobi. on the second day following arrival day volunteers will have orientation with option of Nairobi city tour (Giraffe Centre, City Market, Nairobi National park etc.) at an additional cost, if interested please inquire in advance. Volunteers will travel by road the next day to the project for approximately 7 hours.
Typical Volunteer Schedule
First Day On your first day of volunteering, you will be introduced to the placement staff you will be working with meet the children at the school familiarize with the facility and the surrounding institutions. | |
WEEKDAYS SCHEDULE (MONDAY – FRIDAY) Work and break times are dependent on each project and placement. A typical volunteer day would be as follows | |
TIME DURATION | ACTIVITY |
07:00 – 08:00 HRS | Breakfast at accommodation |
08:00 -10:00 HRS | Work as per schedule at the placement |
10:00 -10:30 HRS | Tea or refreshment break |
10:30 – 13:00 HRS | Work as per schedule at the placement |
13:00 – 14: 00 HRS | Lunch break with lunch provided at the placement |
14:00 – 17:00 HRS | Work ends. Volunteers are free to relax, prepare for the next day or do some shopping |
20:00 HRS | Dinner at homestay |
WEEKENDS During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of the Lake region . Volunteers can visit Homa Bay beach, hike Homa hills, Visit Ruma National Park, Rusinga Island. Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to destinations, such as Kisumu city for visit to the Impala sanctuary, Kisumu museum and sunset view point. | |
Accommodation
Volunteers are accommodated in a volunteers house adjacent to the School here volunteers stay together with placement staff . With This option you’ll have an opportunity to learn the Kenyan way of life, meet local people, eat local food, speak the local language (Kiswahili & Luo) and engage in local customs and traditions.
Living is basic, yet still comfortable, the volunteers house has electricity and sometime during power blackouts uses solar power for lighting and charging phone and laptops. You can expect to share a room with other volunteers, however in some times volunteers have their own rooms. It is important to note that you will use harvested rain water stored in tanks. The toilets are long drop pit latrines.
Bedding is provided, but it is recommended you bring your own towel and toiletries, as well as a sleeping bag if you wish to travel on the weekends.
Wi-Fi is not available in the majority of the homestays in the village. To keep connected, you can purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone.
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 7am and generally consists of chai tea with or without milk, toast, fruit and sometimes mandazi – African donuts, chapati, Pancakes, Sweet potatoes, yams, boiled corn, cassava etc. A typical lunch can include vegetables with rice or ugali (corn meal), beans, peas, lentils, fish occasional meat and fruit and is served around 1pm. If you will be going out and not returning home for lunch, you will need to pack your own lunch in the morning. Dinner is usually served around 8pm and usually includes traditional food, such as ugali (cornmeal) or mashed potatoes or chapati with peas, meat, fresh water fish and vegetables.
The water is treated and safe to drink , bottled water is also readily available. Volunteers typically drink about two liters per day, which adds up to cost around US$10 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.
Pricing
DURATION | PROGRAM FEE | INCLUDED IN PRICE | NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE |
2 weeks | $415 |
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3 weeks | $500 | ||
4 weeks | $584 | ||
5 weeks | $668 | ||
6 weeks | $752 | ||
8 weeks | $807 | ||
9+ weeks | Request price | ||
Payment is due 30 days prior to your arrival at the placement or 48hours in case of late registration
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What to bring
Clothes
– Moisture wicking shirts
– Disposable t-shirts
– Lightweight pants or shorts (when culturally appropriate)
– Clothing with Insect Shield where necessary
– Sturdy shoes
Accessories
– Sunscreen
– Mosquito repellent (possibly with DEET)
– Bandana
– Sunhat
Toiletries
– Shampoo & conditioner
– Toothpaste & toothbrush
– Deodorant
First Aid Kit Additions
– Motion sickness medicine
– Anti-diarrheal medicine
– Ibuprofen
– Antihistamine
– Antibacterial ointment
– Sunburn cream
Travel Essentials
– Reusable water bottle
– Wet wipes & hand sanitizer
– Flash Light