Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
Volunteers who are interested in education and want to teach in a rural environment. You don’t need to be qualified or an experienced teacher to participate on this project as you’ll be under the supervision of a local teacher. However, completing relevant training, such as a TEFL course, would be useful.
Inspired to be a Teaching volunteer in Kenya - Maasai? International Volunteer HQ’s Teaching project is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to assist in classes in rural Maasailand where wild giraffes and gazelles often wander freely across the school grounds. There is a high demand for volunteer support due to large class sizes and a shortage of teachers. Volunteers can gain teaching experience and help to reduce the workload of local teachers by providing one-to-one assistance for students who need it and relieving the teacher of a class or two each day.
With the introduction of free elementary school education in Kenya, the government was faced with a dilemma: a larger number of students with access to education and not enough teachers to accommodate growing class sizes. The majority of Maasai schools are required by law to have at least one teacher per class, however low teacher numbers mean there can be between 50 and 75 children in one class.
The Maasai Teaching project is based about two - three hours south-west of Nairobi in rural Maasailand. As a Teaching volunteer you’ll be based in local schools, helping teachers to manage large classes and delivering a better quality education to students between 4 and 15 years old. Teaching duties include:
School Holidays & National Exams:
Kenyan schools operate year-round, with main holiday periods in April, August and from November to mid-January. National exams take place in the last two weeks of October.
During these times, Teaching and Special Needs Care projects typically close. If your placement overlaps with a school break, you will be transferred to Childcare, Sports Education or Women’s Education. This may require change in homestay due to projects being based in different locations.
2026 Half Term Breaks:
Each school term in Kenya has a half-term break, during which Teaching and Special Needs Care projects close. In 2026, these breaks are 25-27 February and 24-28 June. Volunteers can use this time to rest, go sightseeing, or join a safari.
When you volunteer in Maasai you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, provide IVHQ with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional document to the local team.
Those aged 16 or 17 on their start date, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead.
Volunteers aged over 18 on their start date are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ before departure.
All volunteers must speak English and have adequate volunteer travel insurance.
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
Not sure which program to join?
Get personalized recommendations >
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course credit
We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Get TEFL certified online
This project is set in rural Maasailand. Placements are remote and the nearest town may be up to an hour away, but you’ll have the rare chance to see wildlife roaming freely across the landscape.
The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive in Nairobi the day before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, a member of the local team will greet you at the airport and bring you to temporary volunteer housing in Mlolongo, just a short drive from the airport in Nairobi, where you will spend the night before your orientation and before being transported to your homestay. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation. If you are traveling in Kenya prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up overland in Nairobi the day before your program orientation
Orientation is hosted by our local team in Nairobi on the morning of your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Kenya – an introduction to Kenya, Kenyan customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Kenya, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. Once your orientation is complete, you will be transported to your homestay and introduced to your host family.
First day
You will be escorted to your placement by a member of your homestay family or another volunteer and introduced to the placement staff.
Weekdays
You may have a morning or afternoon shift, or both, and can expect to work a minimum of 3 hours, Monday through Friday. Work and hours at the placement are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at, but a typical volunteer day would be as follows:
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast with the host family |
| 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM | Volunteers travel to their placements and meet with the placement staff. There is usually a morning tea break and lunch break. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to their homestays, go sightseeing or do some shopping. |
| 7:00 - 8:00 PM | Dinner with the host family |
Please note that the schedule may occasionally change due to weather, public or school holidays, or other unforeseen events that could affect your placement. We recommend checking in advance whether your intended travel dates coincide with any public or school holidays.
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have free time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Nairobi, wider Kenya and Eastern Africa. Sunday is a religious day of rest. If you wish, you can accompany your host family to their local church, as a Kenyan church service is a unique and special experience for many volunteers.
In Nairobi you’ll have the opportunity to get up close to a wide variety of wildlife including elephants and giraffes, visit the Nairobi National Park, shop at the many markets and malls, learn about Kenya’s history at museums, or tour Nairobi city, the Kibera Slum, the Maasailands, or the Bomas cultural centre.
Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield including to Mombasa, Uganda or Tanzania, or to embark on a safari.
Please note you will spend your first day in Nairobi for project orientation, before being transferred to your placement location.
You’ll be accommodated in a homestay with a local family where living is basic but authentic. Homestays in Maasai do not have electricity or running water and in these locations you can expect to find squat/pit toilets and bucket showers. This is a unique opportunity to fully immerse yourself in a rural African community and live like the locals do.
Our local team gives your host family a fee for your support, food and board. It is exciting to stay with a host family, and you’ll have a unique opportunity to learn about the Maasai way of life, meet local people, try local food, speak the local language and engage in local customs and traditions.
WiFi can be difficult to access in Maasai, so it’s recommended you purchase a local SIM card with data during your program orientation in Nairobi.
The wide range of Kenyan tribes, ethnicities and cultures are reflected in the diversity of the local cuisine. Volunteers are provided with three meals a day which are served at the accommodation and tend to be rich in carbohydrates.
Breakfast is served around 7 am and generally consists of chai tea, coffee, toast, fruit and sometimes mandazi - African donuts. A typical lunch can include vegetables and lentils with rice, occasional meat and fruit served around 1pm. If you are not returning home from your placement for lunch, you will need to pack your own lunch in the morning. Dinner is usually served around 8 pm and typically includes traditional food, such as ugali; a cornmeal porridge, mboga; a vegetable dish, irio; mashed potatoes with peas and corn, meat and vegetables.
Tap water is not safe to drink in Kenya, though bottled water is readily available. Volunteers typically drink around half a gallon, or two liters per day, which costs around US$15 a week. If you have any special dietary requirements, please make a note on your application so arrangements can be made. However, it is important that volunteers should not expect to eat as they normally do at home.
Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$329 (approximately AU$523) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.
You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.
|
Duration
|
Program Fee
Due 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | $385 Equivalent to $55/day |
| 2 weeks | $525 Equivalent to $38/day |
| 3 weeks | $665 Equivalent to $32/day |
| 4 weeks | $805 Equivalent to $29/day |
| 5 weeks | $945 Equivalent to $27/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,085 Equivalent to $26/day |
| 8 weeks | $1,365 Equivalent to $24/day |
| 10 weeks | $1,645 Equivalent to $24/day |
| 12 weeks | $1,925 Equivalent to $23/day |
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Maasai program.
Arriving early or departing a few days after your program finished? Book your extra nights of accommodation.
Entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important you monitor this right up until you depart for your trip.
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
| Capital | Nairobi |
| Population | 52.57 million |
| Languages | Swahili and English |
| Currency | Kenyan Shilling (KES) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 |
Weather and climate
Kenya enjoys a tropical climate. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. As Nairobi is close to the equator the weather does not vary much. The summer months, from December to February are warm with temperatures ranging between 30°C and 14°C. June is usually the coldest month, with temperatures averaging between 13°C and 22°C.
The main purpose of this trip was to show our children how other people live and hopefully to give them the new perspective of life. Both my wife and I have noticed the positive impact this trip has had on our children.
The whole trip we felt completely safe because our host Emmanuel is well respected in the community and anywhere we went, even when he was not with us, we felt we had a blanket of protection cover us because of him.
The experience has left me reflective about my own life and lifestyle and standards. When I started to tell family and friends about what I was intending to do, those that knew me well said "this is so you". For me, volunteering in Kenya was a natural alignment of who I am as a person.
Don't hold back - go for it! Ask questions if you're unsure about something. Be courageous and vulnerable. Go in with no expectations and you will be rewarded and fulfilled by the time you finish volunteering.
My overall trip was amazing. I felt like I achieved everything I wanted too and more. Kenyan people are so kind and generous, they make you feel very comfortable and appreciate everything you do for them whilst you’re there. If I had to give one piece of advice it would be to stay longer than you think. Time goes super fast and often school days are taken away by holidays, safaris and day trips. Once you’re there you’ll want to be with the children as much as possible! I will definitely be volunteering in Africa again :)
We were very happy with the support and response provided by IVHQ, and all members of the local team were very helpful, friendly and supportive. Nothing was too hard and they helped with our holiday organisation after we finished volunteering. Can not praise them enough!
To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
