WELCOME TO KENYA
Huruma Children’s Home is delighted to welcome you to Huruma Children’s Home – Ngong, Kenya. While you are here, we hope you feel you are among friends. Our staff is at your disposal to assist you in any way possible. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any problems or queries.
Phone: +254(0)-724-724181 Mama Cell: +254(0)-733-678285
Email:
Huruma Children’s Home, its staff and management, hope that you have the most enjoyable time in Kenya. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further questions. We would welcome any comments or suggestions on our operation that you may have.
Please ensure that you have read and understood our volunteer information before submitting your application.
Your Arrival and Departure
On arrival to the airport, you will proceed through customs and immigration formalities. One of our representatives will be waiting for you outside the arrivals hall. If new at Huruma look for a sign with Huruma Children’s Home on it. Beware of other people trying to sell you a ride. Please give us your departure flight details so that we can reconfirm your flight arrival and departure times.
Languages
State official language and the most popular languages are Swahili and English. Your pick up and most people around the area will speak English.
Currency and Credit Cards
The unit of currency here is the Kenya Shilling (Ksh). Exchange rate is around $1 = Ksh 85. Visa and MasterCard are accepted in most stores throughout Kenya.
Personal Safety
Valuables, including travelers’ cheques should be locked up when away. The streets in the cities and towns are not dangerous, but it is unwise to walk alone after dark or away from well lit streets, especially carrying bags or cameras. Pick-pocketing is very common, so be aware of where all your belongings and monies are on your person. Try not to make a flagrant display of wealth – your normal holiday spending money amounts is a small fortune to most Kenyans.
Health
The sun in Kenya is hotter that you may imagine. One can get sunburned even on a cloudy day. Please take care and use a protective lotion. Piped water supplies are safe practically everywhere, but local advice should be taken. You can find bottles of water in the town of Karen. Please remember to take Malaria preventives and continue these for the required weeks after your departure from Kenya. Mosquito nets are provided on the beds at the Home.
Clothing
Please show respect for local laws, customs, and sensitivities of your host country. Remember for religious reasons, many people consider scanty dress a discourtesy. This applies particularly to northern and eastern Kenya, as well as the coastal areas. Overall, stay away from shorts and skirts that hit above the knees and bare midriffs.
Photography
Please do not photograph the president, police, soldiers, military, prisons, prisoners, or airports. Always enlist the cooperation of your subject before photographing a stranger. People do not like to be regarded as exhibits and many may not understand that your photos are merely a personal record of your trip.
- Huruma Children’s home upholds a very strong belief in Jesus Christ and our mission is to empower children through rehabilitation, education, and self- reliance skills so that they can become productive citizens of the future.
- People often want to volunteer at Huruma. They all have good hearts and good intentions. Volunteering is a flexible roll. But, once a volunteer has been accepted by Huruma, the Home will do its best to match the volunteer’s interests and desires to the needs of Huruma and their children.
- Please understand that living conditions will probably be very unlike those in your home country. Each person who volunteers will have different skills, gifts, and strengths, and after a short period of exposure to the environment of the Home and a discussion with Mama Zipporah or her designate, it will be possible to identify the best use of each volunteer’s time.
- There are a range of areas where assistance is required, including childcare, education, medical support, administration, fund raising, building/carpentry, gardening and other special areas, such as sports and dancing, working with the teachers in the school, and much more.
- Some volunteers will take on specific roles, while others will simply spend time playing, talking and stimulating the children. This is a particularly valuable activity during the school holidays, when the teaching support is lessened. Volunteers should be able to develop, arrange, and run activities to keep the children busy.
- Volunteers are expected to constantly be a positive influence on the children at all times by giving love, time, motivation and inspiration. Volunteers need to always be sensitive to the backgrounds of the children at the Home.
- Activities that would make volunteer a negative role model, such as use of bad/foul language, consumption of alcohol, smoking of cigarettes, use of illegal drugs, violent behavior or inappropriate sexual involvement should not take place on the grounds of Huruma Children’s Home or in front of their children at any time.
- Volunteers should dress in an appropriate manner to be dealing with children and to respect the Kenyan culture. Long trousers are appropriate for men as well as women. Women can also wear skirts below the knee. No revealing clothing will be allowed. Please respect this rule as the local community is concerned about such things and because of the effect the volunteers have on the children.
- We are expecting the volunteers to give 75% of their time to Huruma Children’s Home. If you have other plans during your stay at Huruma Children’s Home, please let us know in advance. If planning on other activities while in Kenya, please arrange these prior to or at the end of your stay at Huruma.
- Please be aware that Huruma Children’s Home provides a safe environment for all children that require it. This includes children from the streets, abandoned children, children with HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and many other social, emotional and physical needs.
Complete Application