Volunteer Story - Lucy Robinson

I volunteered with a friend at Familia Moja for 6 weeks in August/September. Over the 6 weeks we were there I found it very hard not to become attached to the children. All of the children have so much energy and happiness and brought so much joy into my life. I have never met children who work as hard as the children do at Familia. They are so dedicated to their school work and all have high ambitions. I have no doubt that they will become successful and valued adults within their community. 

My experience at Familia was classed as one of my mental health nursing placements. Me and my friend decided to involve the children in various activities including art as a form of creative expression. The children also love dancing, singing and playing, all of which offer an outlet for expression.  We joined the children at church on Sundays where they would often sing, dance and read poems. We were lucky enough to celebrate Familia Moja’s 4th anniversary whilst we were in Kenya which was great fun. We also visited the schools where the children study and even joined in on one of the maths lessons- it was embarrassing as we got all of the answers wrong! The children are all so disciplined and appreciate their education so much. To get the most out of our nursing placement we also visited local hospitals and attended HIV support groups. For other volunteers hoping to volunteer at Familia Moja I would recommend they went during the school holiday period so they can spend more time with the children. 

I would strongly recommend anyone wanting to volunteer, to choose Familia Moja. I believe that by spending time with the children, you can make a difference in their life. The children are so much fun and love getting involved in different activities. It is important for the children to see different people from different backgrounds. This broadens their experiences and gives them insight into other cultures. Volunteers can also act as good role models to the children, but I also think that the children can make a huge difference in other people’s life and make you see life in a different light. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Kenya and miss everyone so much. I definitely plan on returning again!

Lucy

Volunteered at Familia Moja in August/September 2011