Teaching Project in Masailand, Kenya

Travel to one of the fascinating places in the world with fascinating culture and teach young Masai kids to give them a chance to succeed in future.

Education is free for all Kenyans. Yet not many of them are educated. There is lack of schools, and even worse, a shortage of trained teachers. In Kimuka, the school desperately needs volunteer teachers to help educate the Maasai children. The Masai for long have suffered due to illiteracy, poverty and lack of skills. They live a nomadic life attending their cattle but due to erratic rain of late and many other calamities, they are suffering from starvation and many young Masai are now migrating to urban areas for work threatening their very existences as a nomadic tribe.

The teaching project is intended to help the Masai people face this threat without losing their land and cultural heritage. Through education, the Masai will be able to do business, take up agriculture and survive independently. Volunteers will teach students aged 6 to 17. There are many subjects you can choose to teach and you will find the students extremely eager to learn from an international volunteer.

Skill/Qualification

Volunteers must be able to speak English fluently. Kimuka is a very remote area and living conditions are very basic. Volunteers must be willing to forgo luxuries while volunteering. You must also be open-minded.

Volunteer's Responsibilities

Classes in the school start at 8 and end at 12.40 for lunch until 2 pm. The schools are open from Monday to Friday. Volunteers can teach many subjects or concentrate on just one. The subjects taught are: English, math, science, social studies, etc. Volunteers will be helped by local staffers and the principal of the school. Volunteers can also participate in other activities like games or help the school with fund raising and administration work.

Project Location:

The territories the Masai have shrunk drastically recently because of creation of national parks and human settlements. In Kenya, the Masai used to roam in all of the Great Rift Valley. Today, they are mainly restricted to Kajiado and Narok districts. The lands are mainly semi-arid and arid. Our project is located in Kimuka, about 50 miles from Nairobi. It is a sleepy Masai village.