EXPECTATIONS
While you are in Shikunga you will be associated
with Kenya Aid and therefore we expect you to
act in a courteous and professional manner at
all times. Being able to run our programs relies
on Kenya Aid having a close and harmonious
working relationship with the communities and
organisations of Western Kenya. People need to
have trust in health service providers to feel safe
and confident in accessing care. This is even more
the case in regions like Shikunga where exposure
to western health services has been limited or nonexistent in the past.
If you are working in the hospital or with patients
in any capacity you must observe the same level
of professionalism and personal privacy that you
would afford any person back home. Remember
photos of patients cannot be taken without their
informed consent and in all cases the dignity and
confidentiality of the patient must be paramount.
We will need you to sign our code of conduct prior
to departure.
We are in contact with our program coordinator
weekly and he will raise any issues that arise
with us.
While you are in Shikunga you will be available to
contact us all times either by email or phone. Your
enjoyment and safety are our priority and we will
take all measures to ensure that you are in a safe
and appropriate environment at all times. We aim
to support you with information and advice before
you leave and when you return we are available to
debrief you, answer any questions you have and
find out what your experiences were like to help us
constantly monitor and improve our services.
One of the issues that previous volunteers have
raised is that they have often been approached
by people they meet in Shikunga and asked for
money for such things as school fees, medical
fees, food etc. This can obviously make you feel
uncomfortable or even embarrassed. Whether you
provide occasional financial assistance is up to you
but you need to be comfortable with whatever
you decide. As nice as it would be, unfortunately it
is impossible to satisfy everyone. The only advice
we have is that while individual gifts are certainly
appreciated they can have limited impact whereas
gifts that are for community projects can have a far
wider reaching effect.
In the past, many of our volunteers have done
some fundraising prior to departure which they
have used to improve some of the programs they
were working on. Some have purchased mosquito
nets, helped with construction projects or bought
medication - if you would like to discuss this
further with a member of our team please get
in touch.
The money you pay prior to departure is the only
money that you will be required to contribute to
Kenya Aid’s programs. All of this money will be
used for activities while you are there and will
be sent to Onesmus prior to your arrival. Any
additional donations are at your discretion.
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