Muungano Development Gateway (MDG) is a non-profit NGO providing voluntary services to marginalized communities in rural areas of Kenya.

VOLUNTEERING

Application

Applications should be received at least one month in advance through MDG partner organization, or direct applications

Arrival and Orientation schedule

Arrival will be the orientation date and volunteers will be received at the Airport upon provision of full flight details and taken to MDG residence where they will be accommodated for two days ahead of placement to respective projects.

MDG advises volunteers to arrive through Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi preferably at the end of every month in order to ensure that they participate in the orientation meetings scheduled to run from 1st – 3rd of every month.
It should be noted that it is the duty of MDG to receive the volunteers at the Airport and requests by volunteers to be picked up by friends/strangers will not be accepted by MDG.
The 2-day orientation session is mandatory and late arrivals will not be allowed as this would interfere with the smooth running of the programme.

Accomodation and Food

Host project will identify host families to accommodate the volunteers and the volunteers will share in the day to day activities at the homestead.

MDG will subsidize the volunteers accommodation at the project through monthly project support accrued from the participation fees paid by the volunteer.

Smoking

It is an offense to smoke in public in Kenya and attracts heavy penalties for offenders.

If you are a smoker, ask for designated smoking zones where smoking is allowed and we request volunteers to remain open-minded to enable MDG serve them better.

Insurance health cover and visa.

This shall be arranged by the volunteers prior to coming to Kenya and volunteers should open up on health issues to enable MDG to effectively serve them.

What to bring

Plate, mug, spoon, fork, bedding, mosquito net and repellents and personal effects.

Educational Tour And Kiswahili Teaching Program

MDG educational tour and Kiswahili teaching program will be held before, in the middle or at the end of the project volunteers who are interested should inform MDG advance for planning purposes
Educational tours cost Euro 100.00 per day per person and the minimum is 3-day package to Kakamega forest and volunteers have the possibility to participate in an 8-day educational tour that will take them to spectacular sites of interest in Kenya detailed educational tour scheduled with members of tour package will be provided upon request.
10-day Kiswahili teaching program costs EURO 200.00 that is all-inclusive and will cover elementary language course and ensure that the volunteers can easily communicate with members of the local community where they will stay for a longer period of time.
Interested volunteers should make arrangement a with MDG secretariat before arrival in Kenya and for those already in Kenya; we need adequate notice for the programme.

Travel from Kenya at the end of the project

MDG will organize for volunteers travel from the project to Nairobi and then to the Airport at no extra cost
Every volunteer should volunteer should volunteer officially sign out at MDG office at the end of the project and will therefore be taken to the airport by MDG representative.

Participation fees for M/LTV program

The participation fees are: Euros 200 per month per volunteer payable upfront for the entire duration of placement

Minimum participation - one month

What does the Euros 200 participation fees entail?

The Euros 200 participation fees paid to MDG will cater for the volunteers overall placement at the project including return airport transfers administrative cost project/ community support, monitoring/evaluation certification and contingency.

MDG has a memorandum of understanding with partners organization at the local community that host volunteers and it disburses part of the fees to subsidize volunteers upkeep at the project and this is done in consultation with the host community.

The volunteers are entitled to accommodation meals, access to water for domestic use and will be empowered by the host to make good use of the locally available recourses to facilitate the placement.
It is important to note the key element to accompany the project costs and MDG role to ensure sustainable project planning and implementation at all stages.

Submission of project report

The volunteers are expected to submit written reports to MDG office at the end of the placement together with the project evaluation as guided by a questionnaire.

Method of Payment

Payment should be made in cash at MDG office or transfer to MDG bank account. MDG will issue receipt upon payment.

It should be noted that travelers cheque cannot be honored by Kenyan Banking institution due to fraud related challenges.

It should also be noted that payment should be done upfront for the entire duration as contained in the volunteers exchange form (VEF) which means that the volunteers staying for 3, 6, 0r 12 months pays in advance in for the entire duration of placement.

Caution

Once a participation has been confirmed and duration of placement noted MDG will enter agreement with the host communities regarding the volunteers duration of placement for that matter it will NOT be allowed for volunteers to suddenly change there placement duration once the commitment has been made as the consequence will be dire for all the parties involved.

Project info sheet

MDG will detailed information sheet upon request and we encourage partner organizations to give regular updates on the project process, progress and evaluation that will enable us to enhance program sustainability.