Hekima Place welcomes volunteers year round. We recommend volunteers spend at least a week, but encourage longer stays when possible. The Program Manager has overall responsibility for coordinating the Volunteer Program. This includes scheduling and supervising all volunteer activities. The main objective for volunteers is to provide supplementary support to the staff with the aim of helping the children grow socially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Volunteers are an asset and can contribute a great deal to Hekima Place. Our staff and children enjoy spending time getting to know volunteers. Hekima Place is not an orphanage, but a home – a large extended family. Most volunteers will find the time they spend here with the children to be a fulfilling and life changing experience.

There is a variety of work available and flexibility is required. For example:

Manual labor – assisting with property maintenance, cleaning and gardening.

School help – teaching, working as a classroom aid, organizing, supervising children’s activities (academic, sports, arts, crafts) both at Hekima School and at Hekima Place; assisting with homework, reading/playing with small children. Extracurricular program/activity ideas could include computer training, photography, music, drama, cooking, sports, etc.

Housekeeping – assisting staff and children with cooking, cleaning and chores.

Hours of work  vary but volunteers are expected to work with the children at least five days per week. Mutually agreed upon free time will be arranged; however, it is generally expected that volunteers will be present on the weekends when the children are not in school.  Volunteers are expected to work closely with the mums who live in the houses with the children. The mums are to be respected the same as  you would a child’s natural parent. The mums will have plenty of suggestions on ways to spend quality time with the children.

Free time can be spent shopping or visiting local tourist sites. A safari to a game park is generally enjoyed at the end of the stay.