Realistic Advice for the ‘would-be’ volunteer

The Trip of a Lifetime? But not for the faint hearted!

Here’s some realistic advice for a ‘would-be’ volunteer to Buburi Clinic from Joy following her first visit. You do not need a medical or nursing training to support this charity by volunteering to visit Buburi clinic but you do need other qualities that will support and not hinder the work going on there. You cannot book this kind of visit from a travel agent! You will meet real people carrying on their normal lives – most of them being rural subsistence farmers who live in extreme poverty. In preparation you will need some injections. Yellow fever jab you have to pay for, approximately £50, others are free on the NHS. Get advice from your local practice nurse. Some Malaria tablets are expensive but the mosquito bites are free! Worming treatment is a good idea on your return, sun and Antizan cream are recommended. You will need a passport with at least 6 months left on it.

Costs – Flight (variable according to the time of year) plus about £300/week as a basic cost but extras such as Safaris and presents are more. Overweight charges on the internal flight on the way out are covered by the charity if you are bringing supplies to donate. You will need your own travel insurance as well.
Accommodation is basic and everyone uses a ‘long drop’ type toilet which requires a strong stomach because of the associated smell! The shower can be warm but only on a good day. Dust, mud and heat are things that you will have to deal with, sometimes in extremes. Cooking is done on a gas ring outside when a head torch is very useful. The food is ‘different’ but at the same time quite healthy with lots of fruit and veg. There is not much meat or sugar. Everyone needs to pull their weight and help with whatever needs doing- cooking, cleaning, shopping, selling glasses, attending meetings – it makes more work for others if one person doesn’t muck in. Living in Buburi is like camping with a bed and mosquito net but no running water or electricity.
Transport requires some courage but is cheap. The various forms of transport we use are aeroplanes-large and small, coaches, local buses (matatus) which are mini-bus size, often don’t obey the rules of the road and are frequently over-full! Then there are taxis and tuk tuks (3 wheeler taxis), piki piki (the back of a motorbike- no helmets) or borda borda (the back of a bicycle). Bedrooms have 1,2 or 3 beds so you are likely to be sharing. There is no television or computer and entertainment comes in the form of socialising with your fellow travellers and braving the long-drop after dark when the dogs have been let out! There are many beggars and it helps if you are armed with some little treats for the children. You will see extreme poverty and very sick patients at the clinic so you need to be in good health yourself before travelling with a good sense of humour to match. The currency is Kenyan shillings and everyone will charge you more than they should because of the colour of your skin- called a skin tax! Haggling is expected. You need to be culturally sensitive, Kenyans may think differently to you! Although there is some network coverage you may still be out of contact with your family in the UK for several days or the entire time you are away. We would encourage you to collect some things together before travelling to give to the local people. These may include second-hand clothes, spectacles, new or previously owned, medical supplies (ask for details of what is suitable) school equipment, second hand mobiles etc.

Maybe hardest of all, before you fly to Kenya, you are asked to raise £500 for the Friends of Buburi charity which could be in the form of a personal donation or obtained by fundraising. The charity will give you as much support and information for this as possible. It is hoped that all visitors to Buburi will be enthused to support this charity in the future in whatever way they can.

This is no holiday but the Kenyan way of life is very relaxed so it is a real change and therefore refreshing. So…..if you have read all this and still want to visit, get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.