KENYA

KENYA 2024

Anticipated Trip Cost: $4,650
Anticipated Dates: June 8 – June 22, 2024

Leadership Development

9-month leadership development program with integrated local service component
Youthlinc’s mission is to transform volunteers into lifetime humanitarians, which takes time and effort- we are not a “pay-and-go” program
Twenty five years of proven curriculum and data show that our program truly changes and improves our volunteers & communities abroad
Connect and build friendships with your team for 9 months prior to travel

Projects

Work the Rotary Club of Nairobi Utumishi to make a lasting impact in rural villages
Work with Wendo Retreat to provide day camp activities for students with special needs
Projects relate to community health, business & vocational skills, ecological improvements, construction, cultural exchange, and education

What's Included?

We are a Utah-based program. Round-trip international airfare is included from Salt Lake City. Minors will never be asked to fly alone to another city to meet their team for the first time.
All meals, accommodation, transportation, & clean water
Excursions to Sweetwaters Tented Camp and see elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, impalas, buffaloes, lions, and more on guided safaris
Travel insurance, medical professional travels with team, 1:3 ratio of adults:student

NAKURU, KENYA

Kenya holds a special place in Youthlinc’s history. It was our very first international site! In 2000, a small group of 20 participants worked in a village near Mombasa, Kenya and we have been traveling in Kenya ever since.

This year, teams will be working on the outskirts of Nakuru, Kenya. Nakuru is a beautiful area known for its farming, wildlife, and national parks. The team will continue to work with the wonderful school community at Muriundu Primary to complete their committee projects, including building a water trench and catchment system to help eliminate classroom flooding. The team will be lodged at Wendo Retreat, an amazing outdoor residential facility that promotes learning, cooperation, responsibility, environmental awareness, community, and resourcefulness through experiential education and adventure challenges.

The team will end their stay at the Sweetwaters Serena Tented Camp where they experience elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, impalas, buffaloes, lions, and more on guided safaris.

David Muiru, a Rotarian in the Nairobi Utumishi Rotary Club, is our In-Country Coordinator. Fun fact: He actually met the very first Youthlinc team way back in 2000 and has been helping Youthlinc in one way or another since then. We are grateful for his oversight and continued support over the years!

Read About Our 2023 Projects

In 2023, our participants worked with local contractors and community volunteers to construct a new classroom for the Muiriundu Primary School in Nakuru. The school is still in need of repairs and resources.

Our team planned and hosted an opening and closing ceremonies to celebrate and engage in new relationships. They visited families homes and shared thoughts and hopes for the future. And celebrated the end of their trip with a fun fair/carnival with the primary school.

Every participant prepared and taught a STEM lesson. They taught lessons in the morning and afternoon at Miuriundu Primary School. In addition to STEM, the team provided 60 Chromebooks, established Wi-fi at the school, and taught basic computer skills to primary students and their parents.

Youthlinc partners with the local Days for Girls enterprise in Nakuru, Kenya to provide reusable feminine hygiene kits and maturation curriculum. The team provided support and education and supported Days for Girls to empower local women teach and give back to their own communities.

The 2023 team initiated a new sewing co-op in Nakuru. This is the second group of women to form a co-op. This year, our groups worked closely with previous sewing groups to teach lessons together. Together, we empowered women to teach women, solidifying a support group as the new co-op gets going. The goal for this co-op is to support the school by providing new uniforms.

In addition to empowering women, our business group worked with young adult men and local motorcycle mechanics to provide apprenticeship opportunities. Our team and the mechanics provided daily workshops in mechanics and motorcycle repair, as well as business basics.

The ecological committee focused on agroforestry, installing 10 kitchen gardens at the primary school. Youthlincers provided lessons and group collaboration with the older students at the school. Construction and planting was done by both Youthlinc and Muriunudu school students.

The team ended their stay at the Sweetwaters Serena Tented Camp where they took guided safaris to see elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, impalas, buffaloes, lions, and more.

In-country Coordinator

David Muiru

My name is David Muiru a Kenyan real estate consultant with thirty four years experience in the real estate with a wide range of exposure in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda and a good part of East and Central Africa Regions.

I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in (Land Economics) Upper Second Class Honors obtained from the University of Nairobi in 1985, in addition I earned a Diploma Certificate of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya and honored as a Senior Valuer in Kenya through the award of a Fellowship Certificate of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya.

My involvement in charity began in early 1977 when I joined the first Interact Club of Starehe Boys Centre & School in Nairobi under the initiation of Senior Rotarians Rtn. Prem Patel and Rtn. Ramlal Sharma. In 1989 long after graduating from University of Nairobi, I became a charter Member of the Nairobi Utumishi Rotaract Club and in the same year I joined Nairobi Utumishi Rotary Club.

In 1996, I was requested by now Past District Governor Peter Mbui of Rotary International District 9212, if I could help the late Shirley Michel of Salt Lake City to manage a charitable project on her behalf at the Ngala School for the Deaf in Nakuru through regular visits on and off my way to my home in Nakuru. At the time of my acceptance little did I know what I had gotten myself in.

In the year 2000 a gentleman and a missionary Dr. Vanderhoof of Salt Lake City had contacted me and requested if I could meet and take him to Ngala School for the Deaf on behalf of Shirley Michel and obviously, the answer was yes and so we went.

In the summer of 2001, I participated at the 2001 Rotary International Convention in San Antonio, Texas and during my visit I visited Salt Lake City courteously hosted by Rtn. Dr. Vanderhoof and Rtn. Sue Vanderhoof and the Rotary Club of Holladay in Salt Lake City.

During this visit I was hosted for dinner by Rtn. Judy Zone , the founder of Youthlinc. It was there in her home where I met for the first time the Youthlinc team that would be joining me in Kenya. That began my long journey with Youthlinc. At that time, I did not realize I was going to be its Country Coordinator, my engagement as a volunteer has been to help it with local logistics while in Kenya.

We did five years in Ngala School for the Deaf until 2005; then another five years in Kaaga Special School in Meru from 2006 to 2011. Part of our many achievements in Meru was chartering of the Rotary Club of Meru in 2006. In the year 2012 Judy Zone identified a new site in Kajuki in Tharaka which endured eight years to 2019 of continued Youthlinc support.

It’s a milestone achievement that from 2020, Youthlinc will be hosted in a new site/s in Nakuru under my coordination and the story goes on to infinitum.

I am a family man married to Jane Muiru an Insurance Underwriter at ICEA-LION Company Limited, a father of two boys one of whom is a graduate of Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) at University of Nairobi in 2016 and working for a local insurance company. The second boy is attending university education at Daystar University.

Candice Noss
KENYA TEAM LEADER

Hello!! I’m Candice Noss and I’m so excited to be the team leader for the Kenya team this year!! I’ve gone to Peru and Fiji- both incredible experiences with Youthlinc. I absolutely love humanitarian work and am looking forward to another fantastic year of service.

I am married to a phenomenal man and we have 6 kids (5 girls and 1 boy). We live in Henefer. As a physical therapist and a life coach I created my own business, The Mind Body Spirit Trifecta, where I empower women. I coach freshmen girls basketball for our HS, I breed mini-Ausiedoodles, I do a jump rope club for our elementary school and I spend most of my time as a taxi driver for all my kids and their sports. 😉 I love riding horses, playing sports and reading books.

Anna Moore
KENYA ATL

Anna has been with Youthlinc for the past two years. Her first year she discovered her love for local service and had an amazing trip abroad, so she signed up again to Vietnam. Vietnam was such a culturally enriching experience so she signed up again. Anna is excited to be the assistant team leader for the Kenya team this year.

Other than Youthlinc, Anna loves camping, hiking, skiing, and anything else outside. She is currently attending BYUI to get a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in international studies.

Britnie Powell has been involved with YouthLINC since the beginning. She was on the pilot expedition to Kenya in 2000. Since then Britnie has been committed to continuing service both locally and globally. She has returned to Kenya several times doing humanitarian work, traveled to Peru with YouthLINC, taught English in China, participated in a CHOICE expedition to Guatemala, and lead the YouthLINC Thailand team for the past two years.

The work Britnie has done in other countries inspired her to become a teacher. She now has a Masters Degree in education and is currently teaching 6th grade at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education. At school she received a grant to have a Service Learning Club in which the students do a range of service activities: supporting a local care center for the elderly, environmental projects, organic gardening, helping the humane society, and they have even helped YouthLINC put together hygiene kits!

Locally, Britnie has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club, volunteered at Cottonwood Hospital, the Battered Woman’s Shelter, has tutored ESL students, made meals for the homeless, and has been a Sub-4-Santa for many years.

At home, she has two pet tarantulas, two pythons, a tree frog, and a handful of other creepy creatures. She is stoked to be returning to Kenya as the team leader this year!