Volunteer Applications, Costs, and Administration

You can write a letter, or e-mail, of application to us any time you like, but we usually require a minimum of two weeks to prepare for your joining our program.

In this letter please state:

· your contact details (especially e-mail address),

· the dates which you would be interested in joining us between,

· the areas of our project which would interest you most,

· any relevant experience you have,

· and enclose a copy of your CV.

Volunteer Charges and Date Reservations

£50 - once only, non-refundable, administration fee. 

This is paid if you are accepted as suitable, and when you want to reserve dates on our volunteer program. As soon as we receive your £50 admin fee we shall reserve a place in our accommodation, and on our program, for you. 

AND 

£650 per calendar month (or minimum of 4 weeks) project cost

In order to provide facilities for volunteers we have to cover ongoing expenses principally those related to accommodation - rent, house maintenance, electricity and water bills, home help (for cleaning and clothes washing) and security. Other costs include maintenance costs of volunteer equipment such as mountain bikes and mobile phone; and a range of other expenses associated with the volunteer program. Local Ocean Trust is a small community based project limited in its activities by available funding. So an increase in staff or volunteer numbers means an increase in project running expenses; such as transportation, administration, materials and communications. To enable you to work with us we need these costs to be covered by volunteers, we estimate these costs to total approximately £400 month. The excess we ask as a contribution from volunteers to fund project program running.

Alison has lots of ideas about ways you can raise funds at home, on behalf of the project, to help meet these costs.

-The monthly fee must be paid, in full, at least one month in advance of your arrival. 

- If you fail to pay the balance of your payment a month before you are booked to arrive we shall offer your dates to any other volunteer who can pay the fee, and it will not be possible to refund your administration fee.

- Four weeks stay is the minimum length possible and we charge £600 as the minimum total of fees for either 4 weeks or one calendar month (this includes both the admin fee and the monthly contribution). Assuming availability extra weeks can be added on to the first month, with a pro-rata increase in fee. So, for example one calendar month plus two weeks extra would cost £875.

- Any extension requested by volunteers who have started work with us in the field will be welcomed, but can only be granted depending upon availability.

These payments do not include any international or local flights, or transportation to or from Watamu (except to and from the local Malindi airport). They also do not include any insurance, or food costs. The Lonely Planet Guide to Kenya, and the Kenya on a Shoestring, publications and web sites offer good information on these expenses.

Pre-departure Preparations and Administration

In addition to this information Alison can provide advice and information upon request. You may e-mail her with inquiries at any time, and you will be supplied with her telephone number if your application letter is accepted.

- You must arrange your own flights and travel insurance and inform us about your flight dates and your approximate time of arrival in Watamu. Currently the best and cheapest way to get to Watamu is to fly to Nairobi and then take an internal flight from Nairobi to Malindi. You can book internal flights with Air Kenya through most international travel agents. With appropriate warning we can arrange to pick up volunteers from Malindi airport. Flying directly to Mombasa international airport is another option but it can be more expensive with the additional hassle of a 2hr taxi drive from Mombasa to Watamu. Details of other transport options (Bus, train, Matatu and car hire) between Nairobi and Mombassa (overnight train, bus, luxury mini-bus), and Mombasa and Watamu (bus, matatu, taxi) can be found in guide books such as the Lonely Planet Guide to Kenya, and Kenya on a Shoestring.

- Photocopies of your travel insurance document, flights details, vaccination certificate, and passport must be sent to Alison prior to your departure. You must also take copies to give to Steve when you get to Watamu. Please do not send scanned images of these to Steve’s e-mail address because Kenyan phone lines and internet connections are very slow, and large attachments cause download problems. This is necessary so that we have a record of these in case of you losing them or having them stolen. This is also useful in the event of you requiring medical evacuation. Any failure on the part of a volunteer to supply this information to us will result in a cancellation of our agreement and our refusal to allow you to stay in our volunteer accommodation. This is purely to protect us from the responsibility, and costs, of having to assist volunteers in need of medical attention who are without medical insurance.

Whilst we will make every effort to minimise the risks that may occur when volunteers participate in LOT/WTW activities, there will always be an element of risk when involved in field work and practical duties. Volunteers will be provided with training and orientation by LOT/WTW staff and required to sign the following disclaimer upon arrival and after a debriefing by the Project Manager - click here to download.

If you have the time, any background reading on Kenya, or tropical marine conservation before you depart will improve your knowledge base to start learning and working from. 

If you have any inquiries please contact Alison or Steve by Email at the addresses above.

We look forward to your time with us!