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Do I need a visa to get into Kenya?
• How is the accommodation situation?
• What should I bring for wearing?
• What about food?
• How will I change my money?
• Do I have to worry about helath?
• How will I communicate?
• How will I get around?
• Do I have to worry about security?
• How will I shop?
Visa: Yes you will need a valid visa to
be able to stay in Kenya. Visas are issued on arrival at the
airport at a fee of 50 US Dollars (or £30 UK). You can
also get visas from the Kenyan High Commission in your own
country. There are no problems usually with visa issuance
on arrival at the airport. If you intend to visit neighboring
countries like Uganda and Tanzania, Please ask for a Multiple
Entry Visa. A Kenyan visa is valid for three months initially.
For those who intend to stay for a period longer than three
months, after your visa expires we will help you get a residence
permit or an alien identity card.
Accommodation: As for this moment, we are
not able to give free accommodation to our guests. Considering
the fact that hotels and guesthouses can be expensive for
volunteers especially those wanting to stay for longer periods,
we work on a program where we place our volunteers in a home
stay where they live with a local family. In the future, we
hope to expand our orphanage to include housing for volunteers
as as soon as we receive funds (That is if you are staying
to work in an orphanage). For those people coming to attend
a short mission trip, you do not need to stay in a home. Different
mission trips have different needs and so, please contact
me and I will give you the details for a particular trip.
It is exciting to stay with a family; in this way, you will
learn the Kenyan way of life and get to interact very well.
Clothing and Culture:
Casual dressing is fine in Kenya. It is however considered
polite if you put on clothes that do not show too much skin,
and especially for ladies. You can bring a couple of official
clothes for church (if you are a church goer) and other formal
meetings. Official does not mean that they have to be suits
and stuff like that. Kenya is generally a warm country and
so you do not need to bring very warm clothes. Jeans and T-shirts
will be ideal. Be ready to get dirty!
Food:
Kenya has diversity of cultures and the food is usually OK.
Regardless of the culture your host is from, they will be
sure to give you a good Kenyan treat. I am sure that they
would be exited to taste some of your food too! Kenyans eat
three meals in a day. There is breakfast taken in the morning,
then lunch, which is served at about 1 PM and then dinner/supper
served at 7 or 8 in the evening. If you have special eating
needs, kindly feel free to let us know ahead of time so that
we can make arrangement for you. However, I need to stress
the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally
do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken
care of, but also as a volunteer, there is need to be flexible.
Money: The Kenyan currency
is the Shilling. 1 US dollar is the equivalent of approximately
72 Kenya Shillings. There are exchange bureaux where you will
change your money. It is safer to carry traveler’s checks
than cash. You can change traveler’s checks into our
local currency at our banks. We will guide you on this. You
can also carry a debit or a credit card for ATM transactions.
Health: It is expected
that participants have their own health insurance. As an organization,
we are not able to cater for your health needs. However before
you come to Africa, it is important that you get shots for
prevention against Malaria, Hepatitis and Typhoid. Also, you
should bring anti-malaria pills, some preventive agents like
mosquito repellents and nets plus drugs for little problems
like headaches and stomach-aches. If you fall sick and need
doctor’s attention, we will take you to the hospital.
We have good and reputable hospitals around where you can
be treated.
Communication: Many
parts of the country have a good communication infrastructure.
There are several cyber cafes in Kisii, so you will be able
to send and receive emails, call internationally and have
access to a post office. You can also use a mobile phone.
You will be guided on this. It is advisable to acquire a local
SIM for your phone.
Transport:
The easiest way to travel in Kenya is to use a “Matatu”.
These are public transport vans that carry up to 14 passengers.
There are also buses and shuttles, but they only go to certain
places. If you need to travel to other towns, there are intercity
buses and trains. You will have someone to accompany you if
you need to travel to a market or a mall. You need not worry
about losing your way.
Security: Kenya
is a safe country. It is among the few countries in Africa
that has not had a civil war. We have tourist police officers
whose work is to take care of you, the visitor. There have
however been a few incidents of mugging and pick-pocketing
down–town. You are advised to make sure that you have
your valuables kept safe somewhere you can feel them especially
when you are in crowded places. We will also provide you with
someone to take you around.
Shopping:
There are very good stores and supermarkets around where you
can shop. THere are usually hawkers and small stalls in the
town as well. Learn to barter! You will be able to get everything
that you need from toiletries to drinks to sanitary and other
things you may need. If you want to eat out sometimes, there
are very good restaurants in town and all these will be shown
to you during orientation.
