4. What kinds of gifts do I bring to the host family?
Host families will appreciate any kind of gifts that you will afford. These will range from
 Clothes of any size
 Toys
 Electronics e.g Discmans, ipods, walkmans, radios
 Shoes of any sizes
 School bags, books, watches, picture frames etc
We say clothes etc of any sizes because we keep on changing families and we don’t want to limit your donations to a certain size; even if the gifts don’t fit them in size they will be able to give to a person/relative of their choice.

5 What kind of gifts do I bring to Touch Africa International?
Touch Africa is a growing organisation and any kind of gifts that will increase its capacity to perform and deliver better services are highly welcomed;
We are a network of volunteers who comprise our staff and these gifts will be divided amongst to enhance better performance in their work; these include things like camera (both digital and film) ,computers , laptops, binoculars, radios, televisions , literature of all types, travelling bags, sleeping bags ,working shoes(boots).
We also welcome cash donations of any amount; it an be brought upon arrival or be sent to our account prior to arrival;
Cash will be used to:
Administrative cost; e.g. pay rent and other bills.
Assist in finding, profiling and listing of other volunteer placements.
Assist in humanitarian crisis presents at the moment.
Assist other needy worthy courses in the communities we serve.
Donations are however not compulsory if you cannot afford to; your personal
Participation to the project is highly appreciated.

6. What personal things do I need to bring?
You may bring personal medicines, a sleeping bag. Please don’t forget to carry sun screen cream, mosquito repellent lotion or spray.
Volunteers should bring their own shampoo, spotlight, sports (tennis) shoes, pen and notebook,
Swimming costume as once in a while we will visit the beach for a swim as most of our work placements are located in the coast province.

7. What kind of clothes (should I bring) do I wear at the work placement/host family?
Any kind of clothes are acceptable at the work place as long as it decently covers you well. Short pants and miniskirts are highly discouraged. Trousers and jeans for ladies are okay. A sweater or a light jacket sometimes it’s cold in the evening.

8. Will there be other volunteers while am at the project?
Most of our volunteer placements are general thus they don’t have start dates; volunteers come randomly as per the date of the available flight and maybe the leave from work or school;
This makes our programm attractive and gives ample options for the volunteers to plan themselves;
It is thus not necessary that you will find other volunteers at your specific project that you are working at; you may arrive to meet another volunteer who is just leaving or about to leave;
You may also arrive and meet many volunteers at one place at a time though we highly discourage that as it limits contacts with members of the community making it hard for the visitors to learn the culture of that community. Many volunteers at one time reduce the impact per person as there are cases of duplication of duties.
We only encourage many volunteers at one time in times of medical and community camps as the work is planned and available for all these volunteers.
However you will meet at one point in your stay with other volunteers whom we have put in the same area and maybe working at a different project and share experiences;

9.Do you have many volunteers staying for long periods of time?
Volunteers can stay for a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of up to 2 years ; the visas however last for up to 3 months and while here we will assist you to renew your visa;
Volunteers who stay for a long time are rotated among our projects in different places and at some points travel to the city (Nairobi) to assist Touch Africa office administrative work.

10.Which airport do I land?
Volunteers can land at any airport in Kenya as long as its close to the work placements that they will be placed; however if its a complicated process to connect flights to the various destinations in Kenya, then you can land in Nairobi; you will stay for a day or two and then we take a bus to the volunteer project where you will enjoy the beautiful countryside as we travel.

11. Will I be met/picked at the airport?
Our trained staff will meet you at the airport, holding placards, displaying your name. Give us the exact details of your flight number, Airline Company and local time of arrival.
We will come with a taxi to pick you up and its all part of the administration costs that we quote to you;

12. How will I get to the project from Nairobi?
Upon arrival at the airport you will be taken to an already booked hotel/hostel room in the town/city; where you will unwind and spend the night; the following day we will have an orientation session and make all the remaining payments.
In the afternoon we will visit a local place e.g. an animal orphanage; a nature trail or a community project.
You might spend another night so that the following morning you take an early morning bus to your community of volunteering; here you will travel with one of our staff or you will be escorted to the bus stop and your host family will receive upon arrival.

13.How much do I need as out of pocket money?
This depends with how much activity you want to do; food and accommodation is already provided; if you are an outgoing person then you definitely need to carry enough money; most of the out of pocket expenditure include; drinks (beer, soda and water), personal snacks e.g. crisps etc. tips to hotel waiters .personal transport to travel to the nearest town during the weekend; this money can amount to 30 dollars minimum and 100 dollars$ maximum.
The cost of travelling (safari) within the country after volunteering will depend on how much you want to spend and where you want to go and how many days you have available; if you tell us the approximate amount that you want to spend on safari then we can be able to advise on the best places to go and best value for your money;

14.How will I make payments since I don’t want to carry cash?
Volunteers send us the advance booking fee of 100 dollars into our account so that we can book and start planning for them; volunteers can carry travellers cheques which will be cashed upon arrival and paid to Touch Africa.

15.Can I send all the money in advance?
You can also send all your volunteer fees to Touch Africa in advance to avoid carrying such large amounts of money; Deposit all the money to our account details below:
ACCOUNT NAME: TOUCH AFRICA INTERNATIONAL.
BANK: CO-OPERATIVE BANK OF KENYA
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0110082756300
BRANCH: KIMATHI STREET, NAIROBI.
SWIFT CODE: KCOOKENA
COUNTRY: Kenya
We will send you an email once we receive the amount.

16.Where exactly in Kenya do volunteers stay and work?
This depends with the project that you are working at; some of the places are very rural but we are keen to set you up with a host family /house which have supply of the basic amenities which include clean treated boiled water.
Some of the placements are very rural but not far away from a town centre of which you can visit on the weekend.

17. What kind of accommodation will be provided during my stay?
You’ll get very comfortable and clean accommodation with a very friendly, educated and welcoming host family. You may sometimes share your room with another volunteer & will have all the basic amenities. Sometimes the accommodation is provided by the organization where you’ll work. Our host families have experience of giving comfortable stay to international volunteers.

18. Are there things that volunteers do when they are not working?
Play with the children; conduct home visits in the community that they are staying in; participate in community events as advised by the host family which include weddings, funerals, circumcisions etc .write their volunteer reports and journals ,go out in the evening for a drink/dance with members of the community/age mates or with other volunteers. Visit other projects as they find necessary.

19. How welcoming is the host family and community to volunteers?
Our host families are trained to live with, respect and appreciate people from other cultures; the community leaders and the local police are made aware of the presence of visitors in the area.

20.How much do you expect or do usually volunteers bring as a donation to the organisation?
Any amount is highly appreciated will be put into good use.

21. Is there any age limit to join the program?
No, there is no age limit. However, you should be fit to travel and work. We accept anyone above the age of 18 years to join our program. People coming on their own and are below the age of 18 need the following.
A letter from their parents indicating they have agreed and given them permission to take part in the program.
- or -
A signed letter from their school or church indicating that they have agreed or are aware of the volunteer’s trip to Kenya.

22. Can I bring along children with me?
Yes, you can, provided they are minimum 12 yrs old. You’ll be paying for their food and accommodation separate to your program fee at a discounted rate.

23. Can I come with a friend, my family or in a group?
Yes, at Touch Africa you are welcome to join with a friend, family or in a group. We offer special discounted fee for family and group bookings.

24. What should I do in case of an emergency during my trip?
You’ll be provided with a pre-departure manual after you’ve signed up with us for our program. It’ll have the entire phone no’s and addresses of our country co-ordinators whom you may contact in case of any emergency.
A local supervisor will be available also on 24 hours

25. Do I need any vaccinations before I leave for my trip?
Yes, you must consult a travel doctor from your country well in advance and get the needful done well before your arrival date. We have put down a list of immunizations required by most participants; however it is best to check with your doctor.
Hepatitis A and B
Typhoid
Rabies
Polio
Tetanus and diphtheria
Japanese B encephalitis
Volunteer are advised to take malaria preventive medications with them.

26. Will I have access to e-mail, telephone etc.?
You’ll have easy access to e-mail; telephone etc. at your placement or it will be there in close vicinity. Cyber (internet) cafes are located practically every major town. If these services are not available at your local town then you will be going to the next town during the weekends.
You can choose to carry your mobile phone if you want better connectivity with people back home.
Local phones are also cheap and you can buy a handset at a cost of 35 dollars of which you can donate to a friend or to touch Africa at the end of your volunteers so that it can be used by other volunteers.

27. ATM’s are available?
ATM’s are available in plenty in the city upon arrival and the major towns that you will be going to on the weekends.

28. Will I have time for sight seeing & in-country travel?
Everyday after the work is over you’ll have the evenings to yourself. There will be plenty of time to explore the city of your placement. Touch Africa has ties with popular travel & tour operators and offer you the best value for your money through their unbeatable packages for in-country travel.

Any other queries can be submitted to touchafrica1@gmail.com