A nonrefundable deposit of $1000 is due 2 months prior to trip dates for the purchasing of your flights.
$1,500 is due 1 month. prior to your trip for other preparations and bookings, such as food and lodging.
Specific due dates of payments will vary for every group and you will be. notified via email of these dates as they approach.
Bare in mind that the total cost of a trip may vary due to the time of year at which your trip takes place and/or due to fluctuations in air transportation prices. We try to strategically plan our trips to get you the best prices available.
Make checks payable to Hope for Kenya and included in the memo the month and year of your trip (Ex: May 2025 Trip).
Send checks to Hope For Kenya, PO Box 27, 97 Main St, Corinth, NY 12822
Immunization Shots (approx. $300 not included)
Malaria pills (malarone) should be obtained before your trip. You can rewuest a script from your. primary care office. Mosquito nets are provided in every bedroom for all team members as an additional precaution.
Obtaining a passport or renewing your passport is an individual responsibilty of every team member. Please be sure to check that your passport will not expire within 6 months after your trip. Kenya will not provide visa's to passport holder's whose passport will expire in 6 months from their travel date. Renewing or obtaininng a passport can take time so make sure you leave yourself a few months to get your paperwork in order.
You will need a passport stamped with a temporary visa. Visa applications (except East Africa Tourist Visa) can be processed through the new electronic visa processing system eVisa (www.evisa.go.ke).
How do I Apply?
When filling out your visa application online, use the following information:
Specify reason for Entry: VISITING FRIENDS/SAFARI
Proposed Date of Entry: PLEASE CONTACT US
Duration of stay: As specified to you by your team leader
Full Names and Addresses of places to be visited in Kenya: Peter Midodo, PO Box 380-40302, Ndhiwa, Kenya, East Africa
Tel/Cel# in Kenya 11254722696305
Peter's email petmidodo@gmail.com
Port of entry Jomo Kenyatta Airport, Nairobi
Make a copy of the main page of your passport and keep separately in case your passport is lost or stolen.
Safety during our trips is a top priority. You will be sleeping in the home of one of our directors, Peter Midodo, which is gaurded and gated. You will always be accompanied by your team leader or one of our staff members in Kenya. For your safety, we do not allow any team member to depart from the group for personal excersions or to simply explore the area. People in the commnity and the students at our school will often invite you to their home. Most likely, they are honored that you came to visit and want to introduce you to their family or provide you with a meal. If there is something you would like to see in the community, something you need, or someone you wish to visit, please let your group leader know and we will try our best to accommodate. We encourage you to experience the fullness of Kenyan life and all that your trip has to offer!
Cell phone service has become much easier to obtain in the last couple years due to the increase in technology in Kenya. However, using your cell phone service from the US can be very expensive due to different service plans. Some cell phones with international calling allow you to use your phone in Kenya, but these calls are often very expensive.
Please make sure your provider has unlocked your phone, this may mean calling your provider and asking them to do so. In Kenya you will be able to purchase a SIM card from SafariCom, a local phone and internet service provider. This will not change any settings on your phone. You can purchase data at many SafariCom locations throughout the trip. Modem sticks can also be purchased or laptop usage, although many phones have the capability of being used as a “hotspot” for internet use. For phone and internet data purchases, please allot yourself anywhere from $25-$50, depending on your normal usage. SIM cards are available for $1, and data ranges from $0.50 to $5.00.
*Please note, if you have a TracFone with an apple phone that has been under contract for less than a year, they will not unlock your phone.
You will need a converter/adapter for small appliances and laptops. Africa uses 220/240 volts. You can purchase these at stores like Rite Aid or CVS. Make sure it says “converter” not just adapter or your small appliance will burn up. If you are only using a computer then an adapter is adequate as it has its own converter.
For a group of 4 or more we hire a cook as both Peter and Rachel work full time. All meals and housing expenses in Kenya are included in your budget.
Never eat anything that has not been cooked or drink any water that is not bottled. You can eat fruit that comes with a skin like a pineapple which will protect it from any water used to wash it. Three meals will be provided daily, along with bottled drinking water for those present. Do not bring food with you to your bedrooms. Please notify us if you have any allergies.
Be consciencous that we will be staying at someone's home as guests. All team members are expected to keep their room clean and help keep the living area tidy. Kenya is a very respect oriented culture so please be respectful by being mindful of how you address others and conduct yourself. Be inquisitive about cultural differences or unique experiences, but honor those differences and come ready to learn.
At Peter’s house there are three bathrooms for guests with toilets that flush and peter’s house is the only location you will find toilet paper. Be prepared that you will be using squatty potties almost everywhere else in Kenya and there are often not sinks available for hand washing. You should always carry a small packet of tissues and hand santizer, especially on the airport and safari car rides (gas station toilets can be an experience).
Please take care of any items of value. While Peter has a security guard, he cannot guarantee the safety of personal items of value left unattended at home or when traveling. The people of Kenya are very friendly, but also can be very desperate and will often ask you for money or your belongings. We advise that you do not bring any clothing items, accessories, luggage, or other personal items of great value unless necessary. Kenya can also be very dusty or extremely muddy and our students play hard. Therefore, there is a high chance that the things you bring could get very dirty.
Kleenex tissues (small packets), hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, suntan lotion, sun hat, bug spray (must be travel size if packed in your carry-on bag), ear plugs, small flash light, towel, anti-bacterial cream. Snacks, power bars are good to have.
One carry-on up to 26 lbs (a back pack is highly recommended as it allows you to pull 2 suitcases.)
Two checked in cases/bags 50 lbs (max) each.
They will hand wash our clothes or you can try it yourself, all you need is your bar of soap and you can use the shower basin they provide. Bring enough clothes for 7 days. Try to stay with light colors as dark colors fade when they dry in the hot sun. It is better for clothing to be light weight so it dries quickly in the sun. Try to bring items that don’t wrinkle easily. Weather is 75-85 F during the day and 55-65 F at night. A sheet or light blanket will keep you warm at night (provided).
Sneakers, sandals or shoes.
Kenyan’s dress modestly so we want to respect their culture in the way we dress.
Men: Shirts must be worn at all times. T-shirts to dress shirts are acceptable (avoid any t-shirt logos that may be offensive). Kenyan teachers wear dress/polo shirts and dress pants. It seems to be acceptable for us to wear shorts (to the knee) and a clean shirt.
Ladies: 95% of Kenyan ladies wear dresses that come below the knee so we ask that all ladies wear shorts, Bermuda shorts or skirts that come to the knee. Short sleeve shirts are fine, no tank tops or spaghetti straps (shoulders should be covered).
Do not eat raw food or drink any water unless purchased sealed (bottled water will be provided).
Do not ask for ice or drink anything with ice in it.
Do not brush teeth with water from the faucet. Use bottled water.
Do not enter streams, rivers, or lakes.
Do not leave the group without permission.
Do not pet dogs or any other animals.
Kenya is a very male dominated society and so women and their opinions tend not to be valued as highly as men. At the Joy School this is not so much the case, but we cannot speak for all the teachers or workers. We ask that both men and women speak respectfully and think twice before questioning how or why Kenyans do things that you may disagree with. If you are unsure you can at any time approach a team leader or someone who has been there before.
When developing friendships you must be aware of several factors that are common across Kenya and Africa. There is a Kenyan saying, “Will you be my friend so you can help me?” It is our normal practice when an individual asks any team member for money that we reply “all our giving goes through Peter (our host) and you can ask him to see how we can help”. In the same way all team members must be very prudent when communicating with the opposite sex. You may be seen as their ticket out of poverty and they will happily marry you; the fact that they may already be married will not be a hindrance.
You may want to buy some souvenirs when you are there. You can exchange $20, $50 and $100 bills that are in very good condition (no folds, tears or writing) and were printed from 2013 on. Any American money printed prior to 2013 will not be accepted due to excessive amounts of forgery.
Kenya Trip Itinerary
Schedules do not generally exist in Kenya so we plan our days loosely always ready to go with the flow. This generally means what we wanted to do today may happen tomorrow instead or not at all. There are also times when we have to be ready at a moment’s notice to do what was planned for tomorrow in the next 30 minutes. Please do not make any individual plans to leave the group location or miss a meal without permission from team leader.
This is a general schedule for our trips.
Day 1: Arrive early at Church of the Nations (we will notify you of the time as it varies for each trip). Travel to New York for International flight to Kenya where we will arrive Sunday and get a connecting flight to Kisumu.
Day 2: The first morning in Kenya is quite an experience. Breakfast around 8.30am and then of to the Joy School.
Day 3: If you're up early, grab a coffee and sit on the porch for a while. Watch the valley come to life before the crazy starts. We spend the day with the students and teachers at the Joy School.
Day 4: After breakfast we leave for Bishop Odera High School and the Dago Village. We like to use our neck cushions to sit on. This one is a bumpy road. Odera is one of the High Schools where our sponsored children attend and the Dago Village is where Peter Midodo was born and went to school. You will see some raw Kenya today.
Day 5: We are back at the Joy School visiting classrooms and interacting with lots and lots of kids. If you have ever felt left out in a crowd before, this should cure that. You will be touched, petted and lovingly handled all morning. In the afternoon we explore “Market Day” in Ndhiwa to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a very different way of shopping.
Day 6: Back to the Joy School for another day full of all kinds of emotions as you play, teach or play soccer with the kids. If you are interested, we can arrange for you to go home with one of the students for a visit. It’s quite an experience.
Day 7: A chance to sleep in (a little) before heading back to the Joy School. This is a “no schedule day” as it is only the boarding students who will be there. This is one of the more special days as you will be able to spend longer periods of time with the kids.
Day 8/Sundays: We visit Peter’s church where one of the team leaders will speak. The church is eager to welcome you and you will be likely asked to introduce yourself briefly. Bring discrete earplugs if you have sensitive hearing. They turn up the praise to number 11/10!!! The rest of the day is “free time” for you to rest, visit a family or spend more time with the students at the Joy School. It's a great time for reflection and snoozing. We may also visit some "soap stone" shops if you would like.
Day 9: This is our day to visit Nyatambe High School where many of our Joy School students attend as boarders. An even bumpier ride than Odera. Be warned. The team will have an opportunity to meet with the students in smaller groups and have a chance to answer lots of questions about America. In the afternoon there will be some formal speeches and singing by the students. We will also visit the B.L. Tezza School for the Deaf this day to meet children who have come from very difficult backgrounds with disabilities.
Day 10: Our last day to say good bye to all our friends at the Joy School. We serve their lunch that day and provide some special treats like soda for the students and teachers. Savor this day. Say what you mean to say. It stays with them when you’re gone.
Day 11: Rise and shine, we leave for our safari at 6am in the morning so all packing is done the night before. It’s a 4-5 hour drive and when you get there you will understand why we get us so early. Also quite bumpy towards the end. But by now you’re numb to that :0)
Day 12: Rise and Shine…we head out on our morning Safari at 6am watching the sunrise over the Masai Mara. We return for a late breakfast and prepare for our trip trip back to home base. If you’ve been changed by being in Kenya and you feel emotionally stretched, the Safari experience will double that stretch. It is breathtaking to see God’s Spirit evident in the things that are made.
Day 13: Packing up and heading to Kisumu for our flight to Nairobi and then our connecting flight back to New York
Day 14: We arrive back in New York in the morning making our way home some time in the late afternoon or evening.
Give yourselves a few days to fully recover. You will be amazed how hard you pushed yourself to soak everything in and overcome the jet lag. It’s quite normal. Thank you for putting this trip at the top of your life list! You will be forever changed!
Preparing for international travel may seem daunting, but we are here to help! Please contact us anytime if you have any quesions.