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Construction and Renovation in Nakuru

Get your hands dirty — literally. Help the rural communities of Nakuru build safer homes, better schools, and more functional shared spaces. A hands-on, physically engaging, and deeply meaningful experience.

Where

Where

Nakuru, Kenya

When

When

Departures every week, year-round (excluding occasional closures or local holidays)

Duration

Duration

Minimum 1 week

Accommodation

Accommodation

Shared or private rooms in a comfortable, secure volunteers' house with meals included

Language

Language

English (beginner level recommended)

Ideal for

Ideal for

Those who love hands-on work, want to make a concrete and tangible contribution to the community, and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty under the Kenyan sun.

Travel destination

Project details

About section

A construction project in the rural heart of Kenya

 

In Nakuru, many families live in precarious housing, and public facilities such as schools, health centres and community spaces are often in urgent need of maintenance or expansion.

The project was created to address these concrete needs: improving living conditions and shared spaces through construction, renovation and repair work led by experienced coordinators.

As a volunteer, you will work side by side with local residents on real construction sites: mixing concrete, plastering walls, painting classrooms, repairing roofs, or building sanitation systems. Every day is different — every wall raised is one more piece of community built.

No technical skills are required: you will learn the basics of masonry, carpentry and painting on the job, discovering how rural communities tackle challenges with creativity and determination.

An experience that gets your hands dirty and fills your heart — and leaves something solid behind, in the most literal sense.

Why participate

Build Something That Truly Lasts

Every wall, every repaired roof, every painted classroom concretely improves the lives of families and children in the Nakuru community.

Build Something That Truly Lasts

Learn a Trade with Your Own Hands

Learn a Trade with Your Own Hands

Also available as a group trip!

This project is included in Group Volunteer Trip to Kenya

The Weekly Program

Weekdays

From Monday to Friday, days are dedicated to construction and renovation work at community sites — schools, homes, health centres or communal spaces that are in need of attention.

The morning begins with a briefing from the coordinator, who assigns the day's tasks. Activities range from preparing materials and laying bricks to plastering, painting, repairing furniture, and building sanitation structures.

There is a lunch break mid-day to recharge. In the afternoon, construction work continues, totalling around 4–5 hours of activity per day. In the evening, you return to the accommodation for dinner and to share the day's experiences with the other volunteers.

Weekends are free: you can relax, explore the area, or organise excursions to the natural parks of the Rift Valley.

07:00Breakfast and preparation for the day
08:30Briefing with the coordinator and start of work at the construction site
10:30Break and continuation of activities: painting, plastering, materials transport
12:00Lunch break and rest during the hottest hours
14:00Resumption of afternoon work at the construction site
18:00Shared dinner at the centre and free time with other volunteers

Weekend

Weekends are free from mandatory activities. You can explore the area, join small group outings, or relax with the other volunteers.

Safari at Lake Nakuru National Park

Safari at Lake Nakuru National Park

Discover pink flamingos, rhinos and giraffes in one of Kenya's most spectacular national parks.

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Cost calculator

Weeks:
2
Daily cost:
£0
Total cost:
£0
🍽️Accommodation, meals and daily essentials included
🚫No group kitty, no add-ons, no hidden fees
🫶Your fee directly supports our local partner

What's included

What's not included

FAQs

During your stay in Nakuru, you will live in the volunteers' house — a simple but welcoming facility surrounded by greenery, just a few minutes from the south entrance of Lake Nakuru National Park. The house consists of four residential units with shared rooms (2–8 people), en-suite bathrooms, and communal areas for socialising and relaxing.

For those looking for more privacy, private rooms with en-suite bathrooms are also available. The accommodation has no Wi-Fi or air conditioning, but is designed to offer you an authentic experience connected to local life. If you want to stay connected for messages, calls and maps, we recommend using Airalo to purchase an eSIM that can be activated before you leave. That way you'll be connected from the moment you arrive. You can do so easily by clicking this link.

Rooms are equipped with beds with provided linen, running water, hot showers, a safe, and a lock. Common areas are cleaned on weekends, but every volunteer is encouraged to keep the space tidy and clean.

🛏️ Included amenities:

- Shared or private room accommodation
- 3 meals a day on weekdays, 2 on weekends
- Drinking water available
- Ongoing support from the local team
- Safe and lockable rooms
- Quiet, safe surroundings immersed in nature


The volunteers' house is also a meeting place: here you will live side by side with other participants from around the world, sharing experiences, meals and moments of everyday life in an open and welcoming atmosphere.
The safety of our volunteers is our absolute priority. All of our programmes are carefully selected and monitored to ensure a safe environment, both at the project sites and in the accommodation where you will be staying.

🔹 Participant screening and protected environments

To ensure a safe experience for everyone, we ask each participant to provide a criminal record check before departure. This process allows us to verify the background of each volunteer and protect the minors and communities involved in the project. The process is done entirely online, and we will guide you through it!

🔹 High safety standards

We only partner with schools and communities that offer welcoming, reliable, and well-structured environments for hosting international volunteers. The facilities are located in safe areas, with controlled access and the constant presence of the local team. Our partners globally welcome over 2,000 travellers per year — the youngest being 14 years old and the most senior over 70 — and are experienced and trained in managing this diversity.

🔹 24-hour support

From the moment you arrive until the end of your programme, you can count on continuous assistance from our local staff, ready to help you with any need — even in the evenings or on weekends. In addition, our our team is just a WhatsApp message away for any eventuality!

🔹 Training and orientation

Before departure, you will receive a detailed guide with all practical information on culture, behaviour and safety. On your first day on site, you will take part in an orientation briefing with useful tips to make the most of your experience.

🔹 Good practices for a worry-free experience

Kenya is a warm and welcoming country, but as in any destination it is important to keep a few simple precautions in mind:
✔ Avoid displaying valuables or large amounts of cash in public
✔ Move around preferably during daylight hours, especially outside town centres
✔ Always follow the local team's guidance and do not wander alone in unfamiliar areas


💡 Our goal is to offer you a safe, supported and welcoming environment, where you can focus on what truly matters: living a transformative and meaningful experience.
🧭 Orientation Day

Your journey in Kenya begins with a full day dedicated to orientation, designed to help you settle in, understand the local context, and start the experience with confidence and awareness.

On your first Monday, you will take part in a series of activities led by the local team:

- Welcome meeting, programme introduction, and house rules
- Practical tips on health, safety and cultural behaviour
- Introduction to Kenyan culture, a few words in Swahili, and local curiosities
- Tour of the area, with useful information on supermarkets, transport and local SIM cards. If you prefer to arrive with an eSIM already active, without having to search for a local SIM on the ground, you can purchase one before departure through Airalo, our affiliate partner.
👉 You can do so using this link
- Visit to Nakuru town to purchase any essential items


Orientation is also an opportunity to start bonding with the other volunteers, share your reasons for coming, and be guided by people who know the area deeply.

📌 After this introductory day, you will begin your activities at the construction project from Tuesday. But from day one, you will already feel part of a community.
To start your experience on the right foot, we recommend booking a flight arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi, ideally on Saturday or Sunday morning between 08:00 and 18:00. Our welcome and transfer service to Nakuru operates during this time window.

If you arrive on Saturday, please note that you will need to book an extra night at our facility (with a surcharge).

If you arrive after 18:00, pick-up is still possible, but with a small extra charge for out-of-hours transport.

Arriving too early or too late? No problem: you can make your own way to us or arrange a personalised transfer (also with a small surcharge). In any case, we ask that you share your flight details as soon as you book, so we can assist you as best we can.

On arrival, a member of our team will be waiting for you at a clearly marked meeting point outside the terminal, holding a sign with your name or the name of our local partner. All practical information will be sent to you by email after your participation is confirmed.

📱 A useful tip: if you want internet access from the moment you arrive, you can activate an eSIM before departure with Airalo, our partner. Use this link

The journey from the airport to the volunteers' house takes approximately 3 hours by car, and you may share the ride with other participants arriving at similar times.

If for any reason you don't immediately find our staff at the meeting point, stay put — we will find you! Emergency contacts will be provided after booking, along with all detailed instructions.

🚖 Departure and return flight recommendations

At the end of the project, check-out from the volunteers' house is by 12:00 on Saturday. The return transfer to the airport or other destinations is not included in the programme, as there are usually many participants departing at different times with only a few coordinators available.

In any case, our team will be happy to help you arrange a taxi or a private transfer shared with your fellow travellers!

We recommend booking your return flight for Saturday afternoon or evening, so you can leave the facility comfortably in the morning and reach the airport without rushing (approximately 3 hours by car).

🗓️ If you plan to continue travelling elsewhere, let us know in advance so we can give you useful tips for planning your onward journey.

💡 After your participation is confirmed, we will send you a detailed document by email with all the latest practical information and emergency contact details.
Still have questions?

Book your spot

Booking
1

Send your application (free!)

Choose the project that inspires you most and indicate the period you would like to travel. No commitment: the application is free and non-binding.

2

Meet your coordinator

After your application, we will put you in touch with your dedicated coordinator. They will explain everything in detail and answer all your questions.

3

Confirm your spot

When you're ready, pay the deposit to lock in your spot. You'll get everything you need: local contacts, a visa guide and your pre-trip pack.

4

Set off on your adventure!

Pack your bags and go! On arrival you will find other volunteers like you, a welcoming local team and an experience you will hardly forget.

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