Abstract

Amy Farndale’s desire to teach in Africa, and particularly one of the developing countries within, became a reality for the first time in 2007. In her initial visit to 4 schools and an orphanage in the Kajiado District of the Rift Valley Province in Kenya, her feelings of devotion to some of the world’s most needy children blossomed. This led to a consecutive visit to a school and NGO in 2008. This article details the procedures involved in planning volunteer projects, describes Mrs Farndale’s experiences in several educational settings of Maasai land, and recounts some feelings of frustration and cultural shock whilst volunteer teaching in Kenya. The article highlights Kenya’s ‘free’ education system, and raises issues involving cultural understanding and ethnocentricity. It also supports the need for further research into international volunteer teaching.