Social Concerns
Summer Fellowship

HOPE Project

Location Details

Description

The HOPE Project seeks to provide orphans and vulnerable children with access to an education, the prospect of a career, self-reliance, and the opportunity to succeed in life; to create a healthy and safe environment for the children to learn, grow and mature; to prevent them from being out on the streets where they are vulnerable to exploitation, radicalization, gangs, drugs, and disease; and to integrate these children into society as valuable, contributing members.

Student Role

Each day working with the project will be different. On Saturdays and during term break, we have 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. 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 typically work from 9 AM to 4:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday (as HOPE students come in for full-day tutorial sessions on Saturdays). Sundays and Mondays are off-days.

Orientation

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.

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

Eight consecutive weeks between May 17 and August 16, 2026