Volunteers sought for Harambee in Kenya - Information Night in Waterford

Friends of Londiani is an Irish charity working in the Londiani area of Kenya since 2002. FOL works in the key development areas of Health, Education and Water and they are now looking for volunteers for their 2010 projects called 'Harambee'. This is a Swahili word for "togetherness" and together Irish volunteers and the Kenyan communities will work towards a better future.

In August 2009, five people from Waterford went to Kenya with this Irish charity and are now eager to encourage others to follow suit. They have described their trip as a truly humbling experience and much more than your average holiday. As a volunteer with Friends of Londiani you will be expected to live in remote conditions often without running water or electricity but instead with the valuable support and care of the local community. During your time in Kenya, you will work on projects that will help the Kenyan villagers become the authors of their own development. This will involve organising Health Awareness Days, constructing classrooms, installing rainwater tanks and running education courses on important issues such as HIV AIDS, maternal health and malaria. All this work will be done in partnership with the local government and community committees.

To participate in the project, you must be over 18 years of age on the 1st January 2010 and be willing to learn new skills. FOL will run training events to help prepare you for the project and there will be approx 20 volunteers working with you in the villages around Londiani. It is a great opportunity to see rural parts of Kenya and experience the day to day life of a community. Friends of Londiani also give you lots of support to reach the fundraising targets.

If you would like more information, come along to The Tower Hotel on Wednesday 21st October between 6pm and 9pm and chat to some of our returned volunteers, get more information and see some of the work you can become involved in.