Volunteer FAQs

Where is Action for Children in Conflict based?

Thika town is about 40 km north of Nairobi. This is where Action for Children in Conflict runs its street child prevention and rehabilitation projects.
Both the Interim Care Centre and Volunteer House are located in the Town Centre. Thika is a modern, busy town with lots of local amenities, including bars, restaurants, supermarkets, a gym and internet cafes.


Who is responsible for volunteers whilst they are in Kenya?

Our Kenyan Director, Eleanor Harrison, resides in Kenya and supervises and leads all our programme activities. We also have locally employed staff members who are extremely reliable and trustworthy.

The staff, volunteers and children are very friendly and you will be warmly welcomed. You will be working along side the local staff at all times and they will be happy to offer support and advice.


What is the accomodation like?

Volunteers either stay at the AfCiC house in Thika or at the Interim Care Centre (ICC). Please see our separate page about volunteer accomodation for more information.


What is there to do at weekends/evenings?

Thika has a number of bars and clubs where people go to drink, eat roasted meat and dance. They are different from the Western style places in Nairobi and give you a chance to see real Africa. The locals are very friendly and enjoy meeting people from other places. You can easily arrange trips to local places of interest at the weekends. Nairobi has many tourist attractions e.g giraffe centre, baby elephant santuary, as well as bars and clubs. You will have two days off per week.


Is it possible to travel after volunteering?

Yes. With prior notice we can help you arrange a safari or a trip to the Coast or other interesting areas.


How much does it cost?

We ask all volunteers who choose to stay at the Interim Care Centre to raise a minimum of £350 for their first month stay and £300 for each subsequent month. This includes accomodation, meals at the centre and a contribution to the running of the ICC.
Volunteers who stay at the house are required to raise a minimum project contribution of £700 for stays of three months, £900 for stays of six months and £1100 for stays of nine months. The volunteer is involved in directly spending this money for the charity which will directly benefit the children that we work with. This does not include rent for accommodation which is approximately £120 per month.

All volunteers pay for their own airfare, insurance, vaccinations and other in country expenses.


When do I need to pay?


The Project Contribution needs to be paid a month before coming to volunteer with us. If you pay the contribution through our UK office we kindly ask if you can gift aid the payment to further benefit our children's work.
Rent for the ICC should be paid in full to the UK office in pound sterling prior to departure. We prefer volunteers staying at the house to pay rent for the house in Kenyan Shillings to the Kenyan Director once you arrive in Thika.
If we are arranging flights, insurance and other items these will need to be paid as bookings are made.


What will AfCiC provided in return?

• Professional references on successful completion of placement.
• Assistance with looking for jobs in the NGO sector.
• A supportive, challenging placement directly working in a Kenyan Community.
• A fun, rewarding, enriching experience in another culture.

How do I apply?

Please email kenya@actionchildren.org or info@actionchildren.org for an application form.


What is the best way of fundraising?

We have a volunteer fundraising pack which will be sent to you, and includes a variety of ideas from organising fundraiser events to writing official funding requests. We will offer you all the support we can give, and can provide you with headed paper, leaflets, posters, information on our programmes, maps and photos.
Former volunteers have successfully raised money through a variety of means including sponsored sporting events, appealing on local radio, organising coffee mornings or African Awareness Days, asking for small contributions from friends, families and local community groups, and lots more ..


How do I prepare for the trip?

Following acceptance on the volunteering programme, we will send you an induction pack with detailed information on what to take, visas, vaccinations etc. We will also provide you with information on safety measures.

We hope to hear from you soon and to welcome you to our AfCiC Family!