We are gearing up for Rafiki 2023. This is most definitely going to be our very last trip and we are determined to make it a good one. For those of you thinking of coming you can download the full information pack here, but the most important points are as follows:
Dates:
We intend to travel to Kisumu near Lake Victoria on the morning of the 17th June. Anyone intending to join us would need to meet us at Nairobi International Airport to take the connecting flight to Kisumu. There are a range of different flights available both direct and indirect including day flights from Heathrow on the 16th (British Airways) which would mean an overnight stay in Nairobi or overnight flights (Kenya Airways) that would arrive at Jomo Kenyatta airport in time to get the morning flight to Kisumu. At the moment the cost of these flights is about £800 including return.
The programme ends in Nairobi after our final dinner on Saturday the 24th of June. This will connect with the British Airways return flight to London. For Kenya Airways, an overnight stay would be required to connect the next day to the flight.
Costs:
The costs exclude both the return flight to Kenya which at the time of writing is available for around £800, and any overnight stay in Nairobi you may require. We can help you find the best options. In Nairobi we usually stay in the 680 Hotel in the city or the Easy Hotel which near the Airport.
The costs of the Rafiki programme itself are £1000 per person. This includes return flight to Kisumu, accommodation in Kisumu and breakfast and dinner in Kisumu, along with all travel to and from the projects. We will help you raise funds for your trip by assisting with ideas, support and advertising. We will also help you to arrange an event in London, a quiz or dinner, to help raise money towards your trip.
Itinerary:
Saturday 17th June
After arriving in Kisumu we will transfer to the hotel, have some lunch and then get down to the business of preparing for the week’s activities. We will arrive laden with equipment for the week that will need sorting. In the evening we will go out for dinner.
Sunday 18th June
On our first full day, after breakfast, we will tour some of the Footsteps projects, including the Agricultural College. We will organise a visit to the home of one of our project managers to hear about life in this part of Kenya and sample some home cooked African cuisine! This is a great opportunity to ask questions!! In the evening, if the weather is good, we will go to Lake Victoria and eat fish, African style.
Monday 19th June to Friday 23rd June
The main part of the programme runs from Monday to Thursday and all the activities are aimed at bringing new experiences to the lives of the children we will be working with. Activities planned for the week depend very much on the skills of the volunteers joining us. On previous trips we have run football, cricket, rugby and netball sessions. We have even had tennis and hockey when we have had the equipment to allow it. We have had art classes, knitting, tie dying, painting, all kinds of music and all kinds of games. Equipment for the activities has to be sourced by the volunteers—schools have very little by way of sports, games or arts equipment and so all the volunteers are asked to beg, borrow or raise funds to buy any equipment they will need to run the activities they are involved in.
It is good idea to have breakfast in the hotel and from experience, it is always better to go to the loo before leaving for the day. The places we visit are quite remote and an African latrine is not ventured into lightly! You must be ready to leave the hotel at 8:00am and we will make our way over to Nyakach, our area of activity. Our first stop will be the local supermarket where you can stock up on water for the day and food for lunch time. This is not included in the trip price.
We will arrive on site at the schools to start the programme by 9:30am. A lockable classroom will be provided where we can keep all our belongings and eat our lunch. The bus will collect us from the schools at around 4:00pm to return to the hotel. Every evening we will go somewhere different for dinner.
On our last day we will leave behind all the equipment we have brought with us. It is likely that the end of the day will be accompanied by some speeches and mutual thanks.
Saturday 24th June
On Saturday morning after breakfast there is the potential to visit one of the local markets to test out your haggling skills, before we head to the airport for the mid-afternoon flight to Nairobi. There will be an opportunity to enjoy an early evening dinner somewhere in Central Nairobi dependant on your chosen return flight to London.
Please could you let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in joining us in 2023. To hold a place for you we need a deposit of £100.
Either message us or contact Sandra on sandrahcrawford@outlook.com
