Volunteers

BE APART

Anyone who is interested in getting to know the Kenyan culture should consider spending time volunteering at an orphanage. Volunteers are warmly welcomed to Child of Mercy Children’s Home at any time, all year round. Volunteers have the opportunity to become part of the day-to-day routine at COMECH and get to know what life is all about for Kenyan people.

WHERE WE ARE

Child of Mercy Children’s Home is situated in Mombasa County in the south coast region called Likoni. We are along Shelly Beach Road, 20 minutes walk from the Likoni Ferry. A 15 minute walk away from Timbwani Nursery and Primary School and about half an hour to the large supermarket back across the ferry in Mombasa. The house is set within a half-acre walled plot with poultry area, veg plot and space to play games with the children.

ACCOMODATION

By staying in the same house with the children, volunteers are completely integrated in their lives. As a volunteer you will stay upstairs on the first floor, so you have your own area with separated rooms, shower, flush-toilet, lounge area with balcony and kitchenette with hob (gas burner/hot plate) and fridge. All meals are provided but you can also self-cater upstairs if you like.

A DAY IN A VOLUNTEER’S LIFE – DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES:

Your most important role is to give the children love, attention and care.

As a volunteer you could help us take care of the children during their free time by helping them with their homework and playing games with them.

Your time may also be spent preparing food for the children, general cleaning and washing, joining the children during their daily evening devotions or even helping at the local primary and nursery school.

We are very happy if you are willing to organize games and activities for the children, drawing and painting or reading to them.

On Sundays, you could also join the children by going to church.

The children like going to the beach for a good swim. Volunteers can take them over the weekends and during school holidays.

If you are interested you may also create your own activities with the children. Any ideas are welcomed and you may have specific skills that you can offer.

FREE TIME
During your free time, you also have the opportunity to go on safari tours and other trips of your own liking to explore Mombasa more and other Kenyan regions. If there are any particular activities that you would like to try, let us know and we will do our best to organize for you.

BOARDING FEES

We welcome all volunteers to come stay at our institution and spend time with the children. One hundred percent of volunteer boarding fees go toward running the children’s home including food, water, electricity, clothing, staff wages and general overhead costs. Costs are as follows:

∙ 1-3 nights: 35 Euros

∙ 4-7 nights: 81 Euros

∙ 8-15 nights: 175 Euros

∙ 16-24 nights: 280 Euros

∙ Monthly cost: 350 Euros

The above rates apply unless you have booked through an Agency where we have an agreement for a fixed amount to cover for your stay.

All payments are to be paid in advance or on arrival since we are a non-profit organization relying on donations to be able to operate. We regret that once payments are made they are non-refundable even at the event of cutting short your volunteering period.

Please contact us for current payment. childofmercycentre_2010@yahoo.com or childofmercy2010@gmail.com Phone +254 721788731 or +254 727449389

Upon your arrival, we will review some important policies we have in place that are for the safety and comfort of our children, staff and volunteers. Thank you for choosing to volunteer with us.

PREPARATION & PACKING TIPS FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS

INTERNET: WIFI is not always available at COMECH, so we suggest looking into getting a sim card for your phone upon your arrival.

ROOMS: Mosquito nets for sleeping and beddings are always provided.

MEALS: Meals are provided although some volunteers like to pick up more items at the supermarket for snacks and breakfast. The volunteer section has a fridge and a gas burner.

LAUNDRY: Clothing is hand washed at the Children’s Home and laundry day can be any day. Thick fabrics like denim shorts and fluffy towels do not dry quickly. We especially recommend packing quick-dry towels such as those sold for backpackers or campers.

EXPENSES: The community is very cash-based: taxis, local retail shops, markets and many souvenir shops require cash payment. One volunteer from the USA suggests notifying your bank that you’ll be travelling: he learned from experience as he had some trouble getting money from the ATM.

GIFTS: Incase you would like to bring something for the kids, they love playing volleyball and football (aka soccer) so balls with a pump are always a hit. Any other stationeries (pens, pencils, rulers, writing materials, colors etc), toys and games for both indoor and outdoor activities of your choice are always appreciated. Packaged snacks are also fun to share.

ACTIVITIES: The children love spending time with the volunteers in the evenings when they come back from school and learning new games from them too. Consider bringing some of your favorites to teach them. Of particular note, the kids have especially enjoyed simple magic tricks by some of our volunteers! If you choose to volunteer and teach at the local primary school, you can bring any small teaching aids you would like.

VOLUNTEERING – A LIFE TIME EXPERIENCE

As a volunteer you will gain a lot from this experience. It is an exciting and unforgettable adventure where you can explore the culture of Kenya. Helping abandoned and neglected children and making a difference to their lives is incredibly rewarding and life changing in itself. Volunteering is a great vehicle for personal development making you more independent and self-aware, learning new skills and getting an increasing understanding of a different culture. It is a precious and worthwhile experience you will never forget.

“What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good” ~ ARISTOTLE

If this interests you, you can also read the comments below of former volunteers who described their stay at Child of Mercy Children

Volunteer Stories

Ines and Lena from Germany

Habari, we were staying at the Child of Mercy Children’s Home for 3 months (June-August 2013). It is a really well organized orphanage with lovely accommodations for volunteers.

We enjoyed teaching the children at school or kindergarten, helping them with their homework or just being around with them. While their free time we took them to the beach, did some game competitions or arranged trips with them, for example Haller Park, football match, cinema etc…

During our 3 months stay we got really close to the children and took them to our hearts. Also Mama Jessy and the rest of the staff is so kind and made us feel at home. It was a wonderful time and a great experience to be part of such a BIG family with a different culture in a foreign country.

We didn’t only learn something about the Kenyan life “pole pole” and the culture, we also had the opportunity to explore and fell in love with the beautiful Kenya. We already miss the children, Jessica and the rest of the staff and are looking forward to see them again very soon. If you also want to make such great experiences, take your chance and be a volunteer at COMECH.

Every day is worth it!

Johanna and Yasemin from Germany

Several years of our lifetime passed by learning law of calculations, German literature of the 18th century, etc. So we decided to get away from uninspired theoretical schooling to continue with learning by experiencing, travelling and facing real life.

Freshly graduated from school and before starting our studies at university we left to stay two months in Kenya volunteering. Finally we arrived at the beautiful place “Child of Mercy”! We got to know COMECH as a lovely and caring home for children with friendly and open-hearted staff. Beginning from the first moment we were welcomed warmly and felt at home. Passing more and more time at COMECH our relationship with the children became closer and familiar. Moreover volunteering is the best way to get to know a country with its people. During our stay we became acquainted with the Kenyan culture and the locals while living an authentic everyday life. Aside from our days in the project we went on various journeys to explore Kenya’s fascinating places and diversity. We didn’t only take the COMECH children to our hearts but also some of the other volunteers we spent a long time with, we formed a familiar friendship.

Concluding our two months in Africa it is to be said that this journey was an unforgettable lifetime experience that we recommend warmly to everyone. Over and above we noticed a positive personal change, felt like a part of COMECH and are going to miss Kenya and especially the lovely children.

Mara from Germany

Since I was a child I have been interested in other cultures. That is the reason why I love to travel all over the world. But then I felt I have to stay somewhere for longer than two to six weeks to become part of the day-to-day routine in order to get to know other cultures and ways of life.

So I heard about volunteering at orphanages in Kenya, especially of Child of Mercy in Likoni and decided to experience such an adventure. I was really excited when I got there because of never have been worked with children or not knowing any details about the accommodation or what a day looks like.

It only took me a few days to get to know everyone and the day-to-day routine, so that I could take a part of the people’s lives. Jessy as well as all the other workers at COMECH tried to make me feel at home and they are very friendly and open-hearted. I really enjoyed playing with the children and supporting them.

Life is so different in Africa but because of everybody being so kind and frank I indeed felt like being home. COMECH has such a special vibe that I will never forget. So it shaped out as the best experience in life and I can warmly recommended it to everyone who is interested in other cultures and wants to know what life is about for people in Kenya, especially for children in an orphanage center.

Karolina and Kotryna from Lithuania

We are both from Lithuania and had a privilege of spending a month in COMECH and it was an extraordinary experience that left a lasting impact on our lives.

We had the opportunity to bond with the local children who were absolutely fantastic. We spent countless hours at the beach, dancing, playing games and creating beautiful memories together.

In addition to the fun activities, we also had the chance to give back by teaching subjects like English, Math and Biology at the local school. This allowed us to make a meaningful contribution to the community and connect with the students on a deeper level.

The staff at COMECH was exceptional. They were not only friendly, but also went above and beyond to ensure that we had everything we needed to make our experience unforgettable.

Beside volunteering, we explored Kenya extensively. Going on Safaris and visiting other African countries. A long the way, we met incredible people and created friendships that will last a lifetime to sum up, volunteering in COMECH Mombasa, Kenya was a life changing adventure. It enriched our lives with unforgettable moments, taught us the value of giving back and introduced us to the warmth and hospitality of Kenya.

We returned to Lithuania with hearts full of love for the kids and cherished memories of our lifetime in Africa. We highly encourage anyone seeking a transformative volunteering experience to consider COMECH.

Erin from US

Our family of seven (our five kids are ages 8 to 18) volunteered at Child of Mercy Children’s Home (COMECH) for 2 weeks in July 2023, and it has been a life changing experience. We have come to love these kids. They each have their own unique personality and it has been incredibly fulfilling to become friends with each of them. You wouldn’t think it was possible in only 2 weeks, but by the time we had to leave, they felt like family.

The staff at COMECH are absolutely fantastic. They were friendly and accommodating, were willing to accompany us whenever we ventured into the city, and happily allowed us to do fun activities with the kids. I’ve never had so much fun making pancakes! We also made a spaghetti and pasta sauce dinner for everyone, played sand horseshoes on the beach, made homemade play-dough, watched movies with the yummiest popcorn, taught card games like Skip-bo and Cover Your Assets, learned some Kenyan dance moves , enjoyed a few exciting and loud games of volleyball, tried jackfruit for the first time, attended church together, had the unique experience of shopping in the clothing market, were treated to some of Collins’ delectable diners, and took many, many pictures!!

The staff also arranged for us to volunteer at the local primary school. Which serves underprivileged children (a short walk from the Children’s Home). This gave us something productive and fun to do during the mornings when the COMECH kids were at school. In the afternoons we occasionally visited the city and markets.

The apartment for volunteers, which is in the same building as some of the children, struck the perfect balance between being integrated into the daily life of the orphanage and also having our own space.

The best thing about COMECH is the loving and faith-filled atmosphere that accompanies the family style living. The staff is doing an amazing job here: we have been so impressed!

We hope to return someday and in the meantime we recommend this volunteer experience whole heartedly to all our friends and family!

Marjine and Devi from Netherlands

(Marjine) The three weeks my boyfriend and I have spent at child of Mercy Children’s Home was a time I’m never going to forget. How loving the kids were from the start and the fact that Collins and Susan were so welcoming really made an impact on me.

They showed us their country and culture in away I could never ask. It was such a beautiful experience to see how they live and how everything works so differently compared with the Netherlands. I will certainly try to come back one day to relive this amazing experience and see you guys again.

Selina and Falko from Germany

(Selina) I love travelling all over the world and was always interested in other cultures. I stayed for 6 weeks at the center, Child of Mercy Children’s Home. Since day one I felt really welcomed and like a member of the family. The kids are really special and lovely. The staff is also really heartfelt and helpful in every situation. A big respect for their work! It’s really impressing how they look out for each other. They can really be proud of their team spirit.

I loved to play a lot of games with the kids, going to the beach and also visiting the water park, cooking delicious pasta or baking pancakes or cinnamon snails. It made a lot of fun! I was also able to do some activities outside of the center. I visited the city to see the markets and the daily busy life in Mombasa while the kids went to school.

It was also possible to volunteer at the local primary school. A short walk from the Children’s Home. This experience was also really nice to create my own school lesson made so much fun.

The best part of my visit was to stay and sleep at the same place with the kids. I felt like being part of the family. Every time you had an opportunity to stay with the kids and also had my own private space which for me was the best combination.

A big part of my heart is now for this place here. I will miss everybody and I hope to one day come back again.

Luciana from Brazil

COMECH is really a beautiful place made with and by beautiful people! The structure for the volunteers is just great. They take care of us with a lot of love and care to make sure everything is smooth!

The volunteer experience there was also very rich! The kids are very respective and appreciative! Susan and Collins are little angels on this planet! I’m honored to be part of it!

Daphne from Germany

Every time I felt very comfortable with the children and all the staff and also in the area for the volunteers.

You are in very good hands, even if you don’t know your way around Kenya very well. You can always ask if you don’t know something and Susan, the manager James, Jessy the director and everyone else will help you at any time.

The children also always helped me when I didn’t know something from day one. They showed me everything and taught me a lot. I met them as children and now most of them are young adults. Everyone is really great and you can clearly tell that they grew up together. It’s a big family with a great team spirit. The Children and everyone who is there for the children can be very proud of themselves.

I think COMECH is a beautiful place and I can only recommend it.

I would like to thank everyone very much and I am sure that I will come back soon.

Tiantong (George) Yang from US

I’m a high school student of The Harker School in San Jose, California USA. I play violin and guitar and have won numerous international awards in violin, including an invitation from American Protégé to in Carnegie Hall in New York. My passion is to use music to serve the society and people in need of support.