Green Leaf

A TRUST BASED MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEERING AND FREE LEARNING FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS



I am Calvince Majengo, a 27 years old man from Mfangano Island in the lake Victoria kenya. Am a resident of Mfangano Island.
Am blessed with a lovely, welcoming and God fearing family and neighbours with high hospitality to all Volunteers.
We are welcoming all Volunteers to help us on our rural family farm projects in Mfangano Islands in lake Victoria kenya, please do feel free write us an email.
Protruding from the middle of lake Victoria stands tall Mfangano Island . It is the biggest Island in Kenya in the lake Victoria. It's neighbouring Islands are, Rusinga, Takawiri, Kibwogi, Remba, Ringiti and the Migingo Island.
From the capital Nairobi, you can take a bus from Nairobi to Mbita and then take a ferry across the lake to the Island. NOTE; THIS ROUTE IS LONGER BUT CHEAP. Or one can opt to take a plane from Nairobi to Kisumu then take a bus from Kisumu to Mbita, then ferry from Mbita to the Island. NOTE; THIS ROUTE IS FASTER BUT EXPENSIVE.

HELP REQUIRED FROM HELPERS
1.ORGANIC AND PERM-CULTURE FARMING;
We have a commercial and a non-commercial family farming project, growing variety of vegetables, grains and fruits. We need help around the farm three to five hours a day depending on the helpers will.
Duties include, digging, weeding, transplanting, pruning, buding and grafting technics, irrigation, fencing and harvesting. Helpers with new farming technics on organic and perm-culture also welcome.
Volunteers will have opportunity to learn our organic methods of farming, they will visit and see different local fishing industries and learn our local methods of fishing, and they will learn our ways of preparing different food staffs and those with interest will gain by interacting with the community and learning our local languages that is Swahili, Luo and Suba.
2.ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES;
In Mfangano Island most families/households use firewood for cooking. Others burn charcoal for selling.
These activities has greatly affected our natural forests and rain catchment areas around Mfangano Island. For this reason we have a family based tree planting project (reforestration project) consisting of the local type of trees.
We need help the transplanting process, maintenance of the seed beds, watering the trees general cleaning around the compound. We also need help in putting up a modern goat and chicken house and a modern latrine. If you have any relevant skills in soil conservation practices, grafting and budding e.t.c you are most welcome to. share with us.
Support the Mfangano Island Organic and perm-culture farmers through manual work, sharing skills, identifying grant funding opportunities and help in contacting them.
Volunteer are expected to take only three to five hours at work for three or five days in a week he or she has the freedom to choose where and when to do and when not to do a task.

NOTE; If at all you don't have any relevant skills, you can also just come to relax, tour, enjoy the good climatic condition of Mfangano Island, meet and interact with the locals and learn our way of life through cultural exchange. We also welcome student Volunteers who may want to do research on different learning areas.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND LEARNING
1. VOLUNTEERS will have an opportunity of a life time to visit the local sights of Mfangano Island to enjoy the beautiful scenery from the mountain view. They can always walk and meet people from the local and learn their way of life through cultural exchange.
2. They can go swimming any time they feel like in the lake 100 meters from our residence. Wwoofers can go fishing just for fun if they feel like.
3. Apart from monkeys and snakes ( which are very rare) there are no wild animals in Mfangano Island, this makes it a perfect and safe place for setting camping sites. Simple and cheap lakeside camping also available. If you are interested in sport fishing, bird watching, boat trips/expeditions and hiking then this is the perfect place for you.
4. There are several bear- pubs for local music and variety of drinks, you can also watch soccer if you are a fun of EPL, BUNDESLIGA, LALIGA and the SERIE A.
5. Volunteers with higher interest in crop growing especially seasonal and annual crops should utilities the period between MARCH and JULY yearly. But animal rearing, poultry farming , fishing and other types of farming continues throughout the year
6. The month of JULY is very cold but dry. In AUGUST most seasonal crops are harvested , these are the crops we depend on for both food and commercial in this region seconded by fishing.
DECEMBER is the most enjoyable month with plenty of sunshine. Most tourists visit during this period. Families come together during this period to celebrate CHRISTMAS.

If at all you don't have any relevant skills, you can also just come to relax, tour, enjoy the good climatic condition of Mfangano Island, meet and interact with the locals and learn our way of life and cultural exchange.

ACCOMMODATION; Volunteers will stay with the host family form the local community of Mfangano Island. Each Volunteer will have their own bed fitted with a mosquito net. Couple may share a room, but none couples will stay in different rooms.

Mfangano Island is located in the country side of Kenya, due to this fact we don't have sewage system so we use pit latrines. We also don't have tap water we use water direct from the lake. The lake water is very safe for both cooking, bathing and laundry. Drinking water is either boiled, chemically treated or one can opt to buy from the local shops.

Volunteers will be provided total security over their belongings. They will have three meals a day provided by the host family.
Food will be prepared by the host's family according to the normal daily diet and the request of the visitor in case he or she is interested in a different meal. If a Volunteer comes with their own budget, their meals will be prepared on their order or demand.

"THANK YOU AND WELCOME ALL"

Am blessed with a lovely, welcoming and God fearing family and staff with high hospitality to all volunteers from all around the world. We treat all volunteers, family and staff equally with respect to everyone's opinion and property.