Social Concerns
Summer Fellowship

HOPE Project

Site Address:

Across from Holy Cross Catholic Church (Chaani Parish) Off Airport Rd

Mombasa

,

Coast Province

Kenya

Website:

https://hopegiveshope.com

Volunteer Non US Citizen

N/A

Categories:
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Language Preferences:

Location Details

Description

The HOPE Project assists 275 underserved children in Mombasa, Kenya, in attending pre-primary through vocational school and college. Our mission is to ensure that no orphan or vulnerable child in Mombasa is deprived of an education, or their family of basic necessities. Since 1999, we have supported over 4,000 children. Most of our students are either HIV positive or have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Students typically live with their families in one-room mud huts without running water, electricity, or bathrooms. The HOPE Project pays tuition and school fees for our students, and provides them with uniforms, shoes, textbooks, school supplies, and backpacks. Over the weekends and school breaks, we host tutorial sessions to ensure academic success at two locations across Mombasa. Without our support, these children would not be able to attend school and would otherwise be vulnerable to exploitation, radicalization, gangs, drugs, and disease on the streets. After students finish their course of study, we help them launch small businesses and find employment in Mombasa’s challenging labor market. Along with educational assistance, we provide HOPE students and their families with various levels of support to improve their quality of life. Each HOPE family receives a large water tank to store clean drinking water. Every month, we distribute food to over 55 families in need. We provide new beds, mattresses, sheets, and pillows to families sleeping on the ground or on old, dirty mattresses. All too often, mud homes collapse, so we help rebuild or build entirely new homes. We construct outdoor bathrooms for families as they live in areas with no running water. We provide stoves, water tanks, and install solar-powered lighting for families. Families also frequently come to us for assistance in paying medical bills and rent.

Student Role

While in Kenya, students will work closely with the HOPE Project staff on all aspects of the project. Each day working with the project will be different. On Saturdays and during term break, we have a full-day tutorial session with our HOPE students with opportunities for teaching and tutoring. On other days we will assemble and give out food to needy families or deliver beds and mattresses to families sleeping on the ground. Some days will involve visiting the sites and tracking the progress of the construction of homes and outdoor toilets for our students. We will work with some students to set up small businesses. We will have meetings with the parents and guardians of our children and make home visits to check on the status of our students and evaluate new cases for acceptance into the project. We will visit the schools of our students to talk with teachers and school administrators about the progress of our students. Students will also have the opportunity to assist in the classrooms at the schools that some of our students attend. Finally, we plan to hold a workshop during the time students are visiting, which will consist of an educational session in the morning and fun activities for the students in the afternoon. Each of these activities will give students the opportunity to meet and interact with our HOPE students and their families, to see where they live and go to school, and get to know their situations and challenges. The primary responsibilities of the HOPE Project that students will assist with are: Helping Families: Students will join us in giving out food, delivering beds and mattresses, installing solar-powered lighting, monitoring the progress of home rebuilds, and any other services we provide. They will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with the parents and guardians of our children and see how they live. Teaching: Students will have the opportunity to teach pre-primary through high school students in both classroom-style and one-on-one tutorial sessions. They will plan lessons, teach classes, and create exercises for students. Student Mentorship: Most HOPE students have lost one or both parents, and do not have good role models in their lives. Mentorship is critical for students to gain self-confidence, dialog with people their age, and help them to develop a vision for success in and after school. Social Media: We regularly post on social media to keep our donors up to date and attract new followers. We would like to continue to expand our social media presence to attract new donors. Students with experience in photography, videography, social media management, and content creation can make an impact. Project Website and Publications: We send out quarterly newsletters to keep our patrons updated on the Project’s work and write article features which tell the stories of our students and their families. The HOPE Project’s website is also in constant need of updating to better reflect the project’s current activities and students. Students can contribute to the creation of this content. Entrepreneurial Opportunities: The HOPE Project welcomes new ideas to improve our operations and achieve our mission. We are working to make the HOPE Project financially self-sustainable. We welcome students with a business mindset to implement new strategies, increase our fundraising, and improve our website and social media. Home Visits, School Visits, and Parent/Guardian Meetings: We visit our students’ homes to understand and monitor their living situations. We visit the schools our students attend to maintain communications with the school administrators and teachers, as well as check on the academic progress of our students. We also meet periodically with the parents and guardians of our students. Small Businesses: Students will work with us to plan and implement small businesses, such as hairdressing salons and tailoring shops, for HOPE students who have finished their courses of study and wish to start their own businesses. Students will help the project with social media, newsletters, website content, and the creation of videos that document our work and tells the stories of the children and families whose lives you will help to change. We also have some other needs that those with the skills and desire can also help with. For those with computer skills, we have student computers and a computer network that need attention. For those with a marketing background, we have fundraising activities and campaigns that students can assist with. During their work with us, students will be immersed in all aspects of the project in our support of over 250 children and their families. They will participate in activities related to providing an education to these children as well as helping to improve their home lives and those of their families. Students will have the opportunity to mentor the children and give them hope for a better future.

Work Schedule

Students will work 35-40 hours per week. In their free time, students may go to the beach, explore Mombasa, play sports, or go on a safari. Sundays and Mondays are off.

Orientation

The HOPE Project will provide orientation and training upon arrival and will meet to discuss student roles in advance via Zoom meetings. We will meet with the students as often as they like before coming to Kenya to get to know each other, help them prepare for coming to Kenya, and answer any questions they have. We have a small staff of three people, and we will be working with the students on a daily basis while they are here. Students can also take on some projects and work independently as appropriate, but by and large, we work together as a team. Rich Tarro, the Project Director, who is from the US, will be the students’ primary point of contact, but they will also be working closely with the other two HOPE Project staff, who are Kenyan. When the students arrive, we will meet them, get them settled in their housing, show them around Mombasa, and introduce them to what the HOPE Project does and how we operate.

Housing Information

Students will stay in rooms at a hostel at the Pastoral Center for the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa. There is a cafeteria on-site where students will be provided breakfast and dinner. Students will eat lunch away from the Pastoral Center at a location that depends on where they are working that day. There are also several restaurant options within walking distance of the Pastoral Center. There is a fitness center in the area with a pool as well as options for kayaking.

Spanish Language Proficiency

N/A

Other Language Proficiencies

Both English and Swahili are widely spoken in Kenya. All classes in Kenya schools are taught in English.

Drivers License

No, students placed outside of the United States are not allowed to drive.

Student Preferences

Students must be independent and adaptable. They should have a self-starter mentality and be willing to take on any task. Students who can teach and tutor our HOPE students in Math, Chemistry, Biology, or Physics would be helpful. Students with computer skills can assist with the administration of our computer classroom. Students with marketing skills can help to improve our fundraising capacity. Students with administrative skills can assist with project documentation and accounting.

Start And End Dates

Any eight consecutive weeks between May 17 and August 13, 2027.