FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I know that Fadhili is a legitimate international volunteer placement organization?
Fadhili Helpers is a registered Kenyan Organization as a Community Based Organization and our Registration Certificate number is 6967 (Click here to see a copy of our certificate). We are also registered and verified by a number of international volunteer travel portals. Feel free to ring us anytime on +254722880250.
Why volunteer with Fadhili?
Fadhili Helpers has been established to give people from around the world the opportunity to work on community initiated projects in Kenya, and also reach out throug Christian Missions.  The organization is built on strong foundations that we try to provide every volunteer with. We are very affordable compare to many volunteer/missions agency. Being a Kenyan Organization, we have experienced the programs first hand and the service that we give has been tried and proved.
Why volunteer abroad?
Volunteering is based on the concept of giving through the donation of your time, your skills, your energy and often just simply your presence to help others in need. However, while volunteers have a tremendous effect on the people they work with, you will very rarely find a volunteer who feels they have given more than they have received. The lessons and benefits that a volunteer receives while volunteering are endless and can include increased self confidence and social awareness, development of life skills, personal growth, friendship and building of independence. Furthermore, volunteering can help to enhance career prospects. Not only do volunteers increase their skill base, work experience and international contacts through volunteering, employees often look favorably upon those that are willing to go outside of their comfort zone and give up their time to assist other.
Why pay to volunteer?
As a volunteer you are giving up your time and your skills to help those in need, therefore many people fail to see why they should also have to PAY to volunteer. The program fees you pay go directly to an NGO in the country you will be volunteering in and are used to pay for expenses associated with your stay such as food, accommodation, transport, orientation and  staff salaries to ensure your volunteering stay in the host country goes as smoothly as possible. All our partner NGOs are funded almost entirely by volunteer fees and therefore in order for the program to continue it is imperative we charge volunteers for their board, meals and transport. While in the perfect world, these costs would be funded by a large NGO such as UNICEF, every organization has priorities and cannot be everywhere at once.
How do I volunteer with Fadhili?
Click Here to see the booking process for Fadhili or simply book online
Do I need specific skills or qualifications to volunteer?
Generally the only requirement for volunteers is to be fluent in English. However, in most of the medical and health placements, volunteers must be qualified or training in a relevant medical field (documentation be presented to partner organization on arrival in host country).
Can people from outside of Kenya volunteer with Fadhili?
Yes, although Fadhiliis based in Kenya, we are an international volunteer placement organization and therefore accommodate people from all nationalities.
Which countries do volunteers come from?
Volunteers come from a variety of countries but we find the majority come from countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Ireland, France and Japan.
Will I be working with other volunteers?
Some of our programs are flexible and if you wish to be placed by yourself you can, however in most cases you will be working and living with other volunteers.
How is Accommodation like?
As for this moment, we are not able to give free accommodation to our guests. Considering the fact that hotels and guesthouses can be expensive for volunteers especially those wanting to stay for longer periods, we work on a program where we place our volunteers in a home stay where they live with a local family. We usually give that family money from your fee for both food and board (That is if you are staying to work in an orphanage). For those people coming to attend a short mission trip, you do not need to stay in a home. Different mission trips have different needs and so, please contact me and I will give you the details for a particular trip. It is exciting to stay with a family; that-way, you will learn the Kenyan-way-of-life and get to interact very well.
How should I plan to dress?
Casual dressing is OK here in Kenya. It is however considered polite if you put on clothes that do not show too much skin, and especially for ladies. You can bring a couple of official clothes for church (if you are a church person) and other such-kind meetings. Official does not mean that they have to be suits and stuff like that. Kenya is generally a warm country and so you do not need to bring very warm clothes. Jeans and T-shirts will be ideal. Be ready to get dirty!
What about Food?
Kenya has diversity of cultures and the food is usually ok. Regardless of the culture your host is from, they will be sure to give you a good Kenyan treat. I am sure that they would be excited to taste some of your food too! Kenyans eat three meals in a day. There is breakfast taken in the morning, then lunch, which is served at about 1 PM and then dinner/supper served at 7 or 8 in the evening. If you have special eating needs, kindly feel free to let us know ahead of time so that we can make arrangement for you. However, I need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is need to be flexible.(:
Will I be able to access money?
The Kenyan currency is the Shilling. 1 US dollar is the equivalent of approximately 72 Kenya Shillings. There are exchange bureaus where you will change your money. It is safer to carry traveler’s checks than cash. You can change traveler’s checks into our local currency at our banks. We will guide you on this. You can also carry a debit or a credit card for ATM transactions.
Is travel insurance included in the program costs?
In order to keep costs as low as possible for the volunteer we do not include travel insurance in our fees as we have found that generally volunteers can acquire it cheaper by getting it privately. While travel insurance is not compulsory to volunteer on our programs, we do recommend it.
In case you fall sick and need doctor’s attention, we will take you to the hospital. We have good and reputable hospitals around where you can be treated.
How will I communicate?
Many parts of the country have a good communication infrastructure. You will be able to easily send and receive emails, call internationally and have access to a post office. You can also use a mobile phone. You will be guided on this.
How will I get around?
The easiest way to travel in Kenya is to use a “Matatu”. These are public transport vans that carry up to 13 passengers. There are buses also but buses only go to certain places. If you need to travel to other towns, there are intercity buses and trains as well. You will have someone to accompany you if you need to travel to a market or a mall. You need not worry about losing your way.
Is it Secure?
Kenya is a safe country. It is among the few countries in Africa that has not had civil war. We have tourist police officers whose work is to take care of you the visitor. There has however been a few incidences where one has been mugged or pick-pocketed down –town and stuff like that. You are cautioned to make sure that you have your valuables kept well somewhere you can feel them especially when you are in crowded places. We will also provide you with someone to take you around.
Will I be able to shop?
There are very good grocery stores around where you can shop. You will be able to get everything that you need from toiletries to drinks to sanitary and other things you may need. If you want to eat out sometimes, there are very good restaurants around and all these will be shown to you during orientation.
What vaccinations will I require?
Generally the only vaccination REQUIRED is Yellow Fever when you volunteer in Africa, however we will send you a list of recommended immunizations when you sign up to your particular program.
Do I need to be able to speak the local language?
No, the only language you require is English. In a lot of cases our partner organization will provide you with a basic language course to assist you in your day to day activities and you will pick up a lot of phrases and terms over your volunteering period.
Can I take time out from volunteering to go sightseeing?
Yes, our partner organizations are very flexible and often encourage you to take time out from volunteer work to travel and explore your host country. Our partner organizations also have partner tourist organizations and contacts to make this easier for you.