VOLUNTEER

OUR VOLUNTEER PHILOSOPHY

Arrive is seeking responsible volunteers to partner with and serve the local community in Uriri, Migori County and Ewuaso, Maasailand, Kenya.

Because we operate on a grassroots scale, we are committed to an intentional approach centered around each individual we support. In all of our work, we work to keep the safety and well-being of the populations we serve at the center. 

This means that we are committed to being a global leader in responsible volunteering, because we believe that there are important ways that volunteers can use their resources, privilege, and talents to help promote positive, sustainable, and most importantly, community-led growth. Because of this mission, we aspire to attract and welcome responsible and successful volunteers and advocates into the Arrive family. 

There are two main ways Arrive ensures that our volunteer program, and organization as a whole, are responsible and dedicated to long-term sustainable development. 1) Be Aware - Be aware of the pitfalls of “white savior complex” behavior. Without being aware of the potential risks, we cannot make informed decisions on how to avoid those risks. 2) Control the Controllables - We cannot control the actions or perceptions of others. We can control our own actions and the integrity of our volunteer program. We don’t let worrying about things we can’t control distract us from the things we can. For more information on the effectiveness of responsible international aid, Educate Yourself.

Volunteer Options

Arrive is dedicated to offering the best worthwhile, genuine, and cost-efficient volunteer experience in the world. The founders of Arrive believe every person is different and has different skills, and that those skills should be used in the volunteer project. Flexibility is essential when determining the best possible volunteer program for each individual volunteer. For example, soccer players can run free soccer clinics for local students and street children. Or, engineers can work on a variety of projects and even start new projects! For each special skill, there is a special volunteer project Arrive will work to create. However, most volunteers can choose a wide variety of volunteer activities that fall under one of the three pillars of volunteer work: Education, Health, and Community Development.

COMMUNITY NEEDS + HOW OUR VOLUNTEERS CAN HELP

Read below to learn more about the issues facing Kenya today and how our volunteers can partner with the local community to make a difference.

Education

Education is vital to development. Arrive believes that education is critical to achieve progress. Helping in the education system directly puts the volunteer in touch with Kenya’s youth. Education is the only hope for many of these children to live a life not under the poverty line, and therefore is simply a vital part of Arrive’s volunteer programs. Education related volunteer programs include: academic (science, math, and English teaching), sports education, dance education, music education, counseling and so much more. Helping to improve the education system by being in the classroom to encourage and motivate students is invaluable.

Health

Health is vital to survival yet is often forgone because of lack of money or accessible medication. Arrive believes in a proactive approach (where a volunteer can help teach people in the community about health hazards and how to avoid these hazards) and traditional medical help (for example, working in a medical clinic). There are many diseases in East Africa, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, ringworms, tuberculosis, and more. Luckily, most of these diseases can be completely prevented by education about the disease and proactive action, like ensuring mosquito nets for everyone. Other diseases can be cured with medication that costs under $1, but still the diseases go untreated due to lack of money. Even basic knowledge such as correct hair care can eliminate ringworms, and volunteers will help the local people with these issues. Volunteers can also work on clean water projects and other health related improvements.

Community Development

Community development is essential to growth, both economic and social. By adding infrastructure that ensures clean water, for example, will greatly help the people who do not have access to clean water right now. Building (from picnic tables to homes), painting, planting/gardening, fetching water, and other projects will enable the small rural communities to begin and sustain the growth they want. Each of these aspects is extremely important in improving the lives of local people and giving them hope and opportunity to progress in life. Volunteers can choose different programs based on what they see – Arrive encourages volunteers to help build the community in many ways.

If you are interested in volunteering with us please visit our FAQ’s and Testimonials page for more information and contact us for the next steps.