Volunteer

Volunteer either on-site in Kenya or from home.
Spend two weeks to six months, or even longer, in Kenya starting on the 1st or 15th of each month.
Placements are in Kiserian or Eremit Maasai communities in Kajiado, which is 80 Km south-west of Nairobi.
Positions involve working in these areas.

You don’t need to travel to Kenya, you can help from your own home by:
Researching international development agencies and foundations that could provide resources to implement MANDO programs and projects. MANDO seeks to create global partnerships with humanitarian organizations, foundations, educational and business leaders;
Reviewing grant proposals. Editors make sure that each proposal meets donor requirements and are formatted correctly;
Coordinating a fund drive at your office, school, place of worship, book or social club;
…or simply referring us to someone you know who can help.

 

Education

It is estimated that less than half of Maasai children attend schools.
Teaching volunteers are needed urgently to help reverse this trend.
Volunteers educate children at primary school level.
Subjects taught include English, mathematics, science and social studies.
Volunteers are encouraged to initiate extra-curricular activities such as arts and crafts, reading groups, drama, music and sports.
Kenyan classrooms will be different from volunteers’ past experience. At best, a standard classroom may consist of chairs and a chalkboard with little else. Students often find themselves sharing textbooks if they are available.
Each grade has its own classroom with 30 to 50 students.
The school day begins at 7:50 am and ends at 5.00 pm.
There are eight classes a day with several breaks.
After 3.00 pm students engage in activities such as sports, debating or tend to homework.
Regular teaching staff is made up of paid, local volunteers.
Volunteers may work as the sole teacher in the classroom or in partnership with a Kenyan teacher.
The level of English language skills of class members often differs, and volunteers are expected to accommodate these.
School is in session three months at a time (January to March, May to July, September to November) with a month break in between.
Work expected of volunteers is subject to the needs of a particular project and their own experience and skills.

 

Water

As funding permits, MANDO involves volunteers in project development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as when completed, handing over the project to the community.
Some activities would be:
To gather information about a project’s locale and interviews with the local notables to produce an audio or video clip (with translation) to further identify needs;
Cite pump locations and use GPS to document unique terrains;
Prepare a proposal with budget for the tools, materials and work required for a specific part of a project;
Share stories of the communities receiving project support so that donors and sponsors can learn why the need is so great;
Work on a specific task such as tank and water trough construction or fixing hand pumps;
Compiling reports on progress to MANDO and to donors and sponsors including photos, GPS coordinates and benefits to a community;
Train communities in repairing and maintaining boreholes or pumps, sanitation and hygiene practices.

 

Health

Volunteers assist MANDO staff with patient consultations, recording patient histories, diagnosing medical conditions, prescribing medication, applying dressings, minor surgeries and counselling patients.
Volunteers have the opportunity to work in the areas of general medical practice, maternal health, minor surgery and laboratory work.
Although the type of work volunteers will perform is subject to the needs of the particular hospital, volunteers can expect to be working with limited medical resources and technology, therefor volunteers need to be self-directed and use initiative.
The type of work volunteers will perform is subject to the needs of a particular project and their own experience and skills.

 

Food Security

In a new MANDO initiative, farmers grow their way out of poverty.
MANDO provides training, tools, non-genetically modified seeds for staples such as maize and beans as well as help selling the harvest if there is
a surplus, or storing it.
Volunteers would be involved with:
Recruiting Matonyok farmers to participate;
Prepping land;
Harrowing rows;
Planting at the nursery or directly to the field;
Watering crops in the nursery;
Transplanting to the fields;
Weeding.

 

Entrepreneurship For Women

MANDO community women are using micro loans to start and build businesses through the Warriors’ Credit Initiative (WCI).
In this effort MANDO teams up with C I CAN, a U.S.-based educational sponsor.
Volunteers would be involved in:
Processing loans to members;
Ensuring compliance with loan policies and procedures;
Keeping records and monitoring recoveries and delinquencies;
Appraising business possibilities;
Advising for customer relationships;
Maintaining image;
Attending planning and review meetings.

For  more details visit the MANDO web site.

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