How much are the volunteer fees and what do they include?

The fees charged for a volunteer participating in VoDA's programs varies depending on what kind of program he/she is undertaking. For a volunteer participating on a long term program whose duration falls between 3 - 6 months, a fee ranging between $1500 - $4000 US dollars is charged. This fee includes:

• Pickup at the JKIA international airport in Nairobi
• Program materials and expenses
• Transport to the project (to and fro).
• Administration costs for the VoDA personel handling your project.
• General upkeep of the volunteer with the host family.This include:
  • 3meals a day
  • Excursion activities to local tourist spots

Volunteers are housed/live with a host family within a community for the duration of their stay at the project. This program has been constructed in such a manner as to give the volunteer first hand experiences of the day to day living conditions of a kenyan family in a typical rural setup.

VoDA believes this is the best way a volunteer can comprehend the joys and challenges that a typical kenyan family encounters on  a day to day basis.

Such experiences as VoDA  has witnessed, have come to impact a volunteers perceptions and attitudes towards Africa's situation and more importantly, influence paradigm shifts in a persons character for the better.

These funds are carefully managed by VoDA so that we ensure the volunteers stay is as comfortable as possible and basic amenities are provided for.

The funds also go a long way in improving the host's family financial circumstances as they assist them in meeting their basic famlily needs for the short stay that the volunteer will be attached to the family, the most critcal being 3 meals a day.

This is achieved since the meals that are prepared from the provision of these funds is shared with the volunteer and the family as a whole.Thus, these funds enhance a symbiotic relationship where both the volunteer and the host family benefit from this experience.

Adminstration costs are kept as low as possible with only 5% of the fee paid by the volunteers going to this expense. This fee goes to facilitating transport expenses for VoDA officials travelling to the project site on a regular basis to monitor the progress of the volunteer at the project.

A breakdown of the costs can be clearly indicated by the chart below

Short term program fees

The short term program runs for a period of 3 weeks. Volunteers from all over the world come together to take part in a 3 week international volunteers workcamp. These workcamps have assigned objectives and tasks that need to be accomplished by the end of these 3 weeks. The themes and objectives to be realised are given beforehand of arrival at the project.

The cost of particpating in an international voluntary work camp for a period of 3-4 weeks is €350 euros or $500 dollars.This fee caters for:

• Airport pick up and transfer to your hotel.
• Hotel accomodation costs for two nights.
• Orientation costs(meals and booking of orientation venue).
• Transport (to and from the project).
• Meals 3 times a day for 3 weeks duration.
• 10% of the participation fee is forwaded as a donation to the community at which the project will be located at.

A breakdown of this particpation fee can clearly be indicated by the chart below:

VoDA highy recommends that volunteers book this safari as a group. Because of the size of the group and a special arrangement with a safari company that understands volunteers usually are on a tight budget. The cost of the 3 day safari has been brought down to an amazing low of $550 US dollars.

• This fee caters for transport to and from the Maasai Mara.
• Accomodation at the maasai mara for 3 days and 2 nights.
• 3 meals a day (5 star quality).
• Park and vehicle charges while inside the Maasai Mara.

It would be sad to come to Kenya and not seize the opportunity to see its most precious jewel, the world renowned Maasai Mara where the 7th wonder of the world is showcased. This is where  the great wildebeest migration takes place.

The mara river crossing of the widebeest herd is absolutely breathtaking as it is captivating. The wildebeest move from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara from the month of June to October to calve in the Maasai mara where there is green pasture for their young ones to feed on.

Their is plenty of game to view at the Maasai mara other than the wildebeest migration which is seasonal, that can only be found here and nowhere else in the world. The Maasai Mara is open for gameviewing from January to December.

After your stay at the project and safari, you will proceed to Nairobi where you will be received by our staff to be directed to your hotel in Nairobi.

The following day will be assigned for project debrief where we will request you to fill out a project survey/feedback form. This form  basically inquires from you:

• Lessons learned from your experiences at the project.
• What you liked and disliked about the project organisation.
• What you would like to see be done differently from what was actually done.
• Your much highly valued recommendations.

This project debrief goes a long way in asisting VoDA imrove its organizational procedures in planning and implementing future community development projects.