Volunteer Testimonials
Connor Deegan running computer training in the mHub
Connor Deegan, Australia, July 5 - August 2, 2017
"After deciding that I would like to do some volunteering, I scoured the Internet looking for the organisation that I would most like to work with. I was open to volunteering with any organisation that has a positive social impact, and I was open to volunteering anywhere in the world. This obviously led me to consider a very large number of organisations. After much deliberation, I eventually decided that I would like to work with the Riley Orton Foundation. I made this decision for several reasons. I could tell that the ROF’s work is making a real difference in people’s lives, and that their commitment to sustainable development will ensure that the benefits of their work are not short-lived. I was also struck by the ROF's truly authentic nature – it is run by people from the community that it aims to empower. Finally, I felt as though the ROF would genuinely benefit from having me work with them, since they do not typically receive large numbers of volunteers and do not have a reliable source of external funding. All of this proved to be true, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kisumu. My time working with the ROF has ignited in me a real passion for the advancement of girls’ education. It is clear, in my opinion, that this is far and away the most effective means of empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty. It is precisely this that the ROF are doing, and they’re doing a very good job of it! If you would like to ask me anything at all about what it's like to work with the ROF, feel free to email me at [email protected]."
"After deciding that I would like to do some volunteering, I scoured the Internet looking for the organisation that I would most like to work with. I was open to volunteering with any organisation that has a positive social impact, and I was open to volunteering anywhere in the world. This obviously led me to consider a very large number of organisations. After much deliberation, I eventually decided that I would like to work with the Riley Orton Foundation. I made this decision for several reasons. I could tell that the ROF’s work is making a real difference in people’s lives, and that their commitment to sustainable development will ensure that the benefits of their work are not short-lived. I was also struck by the ROF's truly authentic nature – it is run by people from the community that it aims to empower. Finally, I felt as though the ROF would genuinely benefit from having me work with them, since they do not typically receive large numbers of volunteers and do not have a reliable source of external funding. All of this proved to be true, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kisumu. My time working with the ROF has ignited in me a real passion for the advancement of girls’ education. It is clear, in my opinion, that this is far and away the most effective means of empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty. It is precisely this that the ROF are doing, and they’re doing a very good job of it! If you would like to ask me anything at all about what it's like to work with the ROF, feel free to email me at [email protected]."
|
Jo Cordell, UK, 26th April - 30th June 2017
Testimonial coming soon. |
|
|
Megan Sonier, USA, March - June 2017
"I am very lucky to have been able to have the opportunity to work with the Riley Orton Foundation and to live with David, Erick, and their beautiful families for four months in the spring of 2017. Volunteering with ROF is unlike any other volunteer experience out there: you will feel like a valued member of the ROF team, you will have tangible tasks and goals to work on, you will be able to see the direct impact of the work that you will be doing, and you will gain professional skills that you can utilize for the rest of your life. My main role was to support the brilliant vision of David and Erick and to assist them bring those visions to reality: grant writing, research, graphic design, monitoring & evaluation, project planning, etc. Although I woke up every morning bursting with excitement and passion for the work that I was doing, the aspect of my time in Kenya that meant the most to me was living with and becoming a part |
Megan Sonier at Akili School's Obambo campus
|
of the ROF family. Chapati cooking lessons, long chats and lots of laughter in the garden, dance parties and bedtime stories with Alyssa and Meggy, their daughters. I miss these moments everyday and would give the world to be back!"
|
Rachael Young, Australia, Oct 2015- Jan 2016
"I spent 3 months working as a Mama Hope Global Advocate at the Akili Girls School. It was a life changing experience that broadened my perspective and allowed me to gain grassroots experience. I worked on financial reporting, partnership expansion, training programs and data collection. David and Erick are welcoming and wonderful people, and Kisumu is a beautiful town!" |
|
|
Lauren Else,USA/University of Edinburgh, UK, June- July 2016
"During summer 2016, I completed my dissertation research in the Obunga slum with ROF. While there, I was able to assist in grant applications, program development, and monitoring and evaluation efforts. I loved getting to spend time with the students, some of the sweetest girls in the world! David, Erick, Dennis, and their families are incredibly accommodating and helpful. In addition to the incredible experience, my time there enabled me to gain valuable professional experience for a career in international development work." |
|
|
Jane Body, Australia, June - August 2016
"The best part of volunteering with ROF is that you get to welcome a whole new family in to your life. Living with David, Erick and their beautiful wives and daughters was such a wonderful time in mine and I can't wait to get back and visit them. Not once will you feel like a stranger or a guest, you will be welcomed as part of the family and get to share in all the special moments that happen while you're there. You will eat well, laugh a lot, have a multitude of interesting conversations and learn that families all over the world have one thing in common - love! I have so many favourite moments from my time at ROF but one in particular that brings a smile to my face over and over is |
Jane Body at Obunga Demonstration Farm
|
an afternoon I spent chatting to the Akili girls about their hopes and dreams for the future and talking about the things we could do together at the school to work towards them. The girls wanted to learn how to farm, how to care for the chickens and how to make sure they were doing the right things to protect the environment. Above all, each of them wanted to learn how to plant and grow flowers. I felt so lucky to be privy to their dreams and to be able to spend my time in Kisumu working to support these up and coming change makers. I also found such beauty in the simplicity of our common love for flowers and how some things like that are just universal!
During my time at Akili I got to work on the development of their sustainability (Sustainakility) program. The whole idea stemmed from wanting to provide the girls with some environmental education in to realising we could implement a whole lifestyle program that would benefit the students and the wider community for years to come! In the year since I've been there I am blown away by the life that has been given to this little idea and I absolutely love seeing how the farm and the other sustainability projects are growing and how much ROF is trying to give back to the community they work within. Not only are the students being educated and included, but so are their families, friends and neighbours."
NOTE: Jane has recently secured a position as Mama Hope's East African co-ordinator. This means that she will soon be returning to East Africa to oversee the various projects that Mama Hope contributes to in the region, including ours!
During my time at Akili I got to work on the development of their sustainability (Sustainakility) program. The whole idea stemmed from wanting to provide the girls with some environmental education in to realising we could implement a whole lifestyle program that would benefit the students and the wider community for years to come! In the year since I've been there I am blown away by the life that has been given to this little idea and I absolutely love seeing how the farm and the other sustainability projects are growing and how much ROF is trying to give back to the community they work within. Not only are the students being educated and included, but so are their families, friends and neighbours."
NOTE: Jane has recently secured a position as Mama Hope's East African co-ordinator. This means that she will soon be returning to East Africa to oversee the various projects that Mama Hope contributes to in the region, including ours!
|
Sandra Green, Sweden, 3 weeks in February 2016
"I volunteered at the boarding school for 3 weeks during February 2016. I discussed issues relating to gender equality with the students. I was so impressed and inspired by David and Erick, their initiatives and strong passion for this school. It is sad that these types of initiatives aren't the Kenyan government's responsibilities, and that it takes passionate individuals to ensure that girls get the education that they have a right to. ROF and the Akili school is so important for the girls of the Obunga slum. I didn't have any previous experiences from interacting with children at all, basically. I have always felt like I don't know how to talk to kids, ha ha. But at the Akili school that changed for me, I became really comfortable spending time with the kids there. Whether it was playing football with them, singing and dancing or playing together (the game "Simon says" was changed to "Esther says" - because girls don't need boys telling them what to do!) or being in the classrom discussion gender roles and self esteem - all of it gave me so much and I hope it gave them something too. I don't know if it just was the fact that I |
Sandra Green with Akili students
|
"spent every day for 3 weeks with them, or if they are just really special kids, or maybe a combination. But I learned a lot about children and how incredibly brilliant, clever, funny and awesome they can be. At least the Akili children, not too sure about other kids just yet ;)
When I look back at that time now, the first thing I always think about is how each morning when we arrived at the Akili school, we always got a heart-warming welcome from the girls. They would run and meet us, hug us and take our hands to lead us up to the school. It always made me tear up a little bit, it even makes me tear up just thinking about it now."
When I look back at that time now, the first thing I always think about is how each morning when we arrived at the Akili school, we always got a heart-warming welcome from the girls. They would run and meet us, hug us and take our hands to lead us up to the school. It always made me tear up a little bit, it even makes me tear up just thinking about it now."
