Intern or Volunteer with a Grassroots Human Rights Organization in Kenya

  Kenya

Kakamega,  Mombasa

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter 
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: See FSD Website

Description: Examples of how you can support Human Rights Initiatives in Kenya:

* Support an organization's mission to raise social, political, and environmental awareness and fight injustice within marginalized coastal communities. Provide or assist legal counseling to defend and extend citizens' rights.

* Produce informative publications, and/or conduct awareness campaigns on issues such as fair trade, political rights, environmental exploitation and the implementation of alternative social mechanisms to benefit the poor.

* Work with an organization's Girls Forum Program that educates young women on their rights, HIV/AIDS, and reproductive health concerns through direct school visits and participatory educational theater.

* Provide counseling, tutoring, and recreational activities to primary school children who've been orphaned, generally due to HIV/AIDS, and are at severe risk of dropping out of school.

* Give psychological treatment and/or social work services to individuals and families devastated by HIV/AIDS.

* Provide counseling, nursing, and/or activities (such as craft and art-making) at a hospice for elderly and infirmed nuns who've dedicated their lives to serving the local community and have few resources or family to support themselves.

For more opportunities in human rights in Kenya, visit our website or contact us directly.

About FSD

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:

1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.

2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led By Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.

3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.

Highlights: Development Issues Addressed by FSD in Kenya
Kenyas history as an independent nation is mired in major human rights abuses, severe corruption, and widespread illegal expropriation of public lands. Corrupt governmental infrastructure created by previous leaders continues to be in place, leaving the country vulnerable to a repeated history of high-ranking criminal patterns.

In Kenyas struggle with the AIDS epidemic, children orphaned by AIDS as well as those living with or affected by the disease must deal with increased human rights abuses. The stigma associated with the virus often prevents people from seeking proper testing and care and those who have contracted the virus are often treated harshly. Poor education about the disease frequently leads to the rape of young children in hopes of curing the virus. One of the many adverse effects of the epidemic is the difficulty children have in getting an education when all the pressures of running a household, making a living and sometimes raising young brothers and sisters are put upon them.

Human rights work, such as educational and empowerment trainings, counseling, provision of legal assistance (particularly to women), and awareness campaigns are some of the methods used by FSD to support its partner organizations. In both Mombasa and Kakamega, communities need to be aware of their basic human rights, legal resources, and education in order to improve their livelihoods. Interns and volunteers can provide assistance by researching various programs and solutions, offering professional expertise, conducting outreach initiatives, and/or counseling those in need. These efforts serve to shift oppressive cultural and governmental forces that limit development and community well-being.

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Depends on Program Selected; See FSD Website

Included in the fee is: a one-week orientation; family homestay will all meals provided; language lessons (not available in Latin America); development trainings and workshops; group sessions; midterm retreat (9+ weeks only); final debriefing session; on-going in-country support from FSD site team and U.S. staff; $200 mini-grant; eligibility for additional project funding up to $500, medical evacuation and limited health insurance; and pick-up from the airport.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization and the FSD Site Team. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.

Age Range: 18-75

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Kenya Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 3-10

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement: FSD supports the efforts of grassroots organizations in the developing world that are working to better their communities, environments, and the economic opportunities around them. We believe community development is only sustainable if it empowers the people to effectively use and cultivate their own resources in a conscious manner. Through our programs, we aim to raise international awareness of the economic challenges in developing countries and to support cross-cultural communities in finding more effective solutions to development issues.

Year Founded: 1995