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Volunteer Africa 2009

See things like you've never seen them before - volunteer in East Africa with GAPS this year, make a difference and see the real Africa

with projects in partnership with UNICEF Kenya, the Aga Khan Foundation, the University of Melbourne and others

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Country Profile: Kenya

[kenya profile]

Described as the ‘cradle of humanity’, this former British colony is a land with sharp contrasts of landscape, wildlife and cultures.

Kenya is home to spectacular natural landscapes, including equatorial glaciers, dormant volcanoes, alkaline lakes home to thousands of flamingos, spectacular coral reefs and tropical rainforest.

You have your first taste of a wild African safari on the way to the city fromNairobi Airport. On the left of airport road, is the Nairobi National Park. This extends over onto Maasai Mara and then the Serengeti. The Mara-Serengeti ecosystems are considered to be perhaps the last of the ecosystems in which human impact is at its lowest. Over August and September these National Parks set the stage for the annual wildebeest migration, an event that dates back millions of years. Big cats on land and crocodiles, in the rivers which must be crossed, wait in anticipation for the millions of Wildebeest, for whom the endless journey is inborn.

The Maasai, the quintessential warrior tribe, are one of the few tribes to have retained their traditional way of life. The customary test of manhood for the Maasai was the killing of a lion. Even today, the mighty beast cowers off at the sight of a Maasai. Beautiful curios, mementos of this intriguing culture can be picked up at various markets where the Maasai gather to sell their artefacts and jewellery.

The world stands still in the ancient Swahili cities that speckle the coastline of this country renown for its runners. The strong Arabic flavour of the Kenyan coast is the residue of various Arabic incursions.

For the majority of Kenyans it’s “haraka haraka haina baraka” – haste makes waste. There is a strong “hakuna matata” culture which literally translates into “no worries”; wisdom from the Lion King. The Kenyan people take joy in the simple things. Many congregate under a shady acacia on a Sunday to sing, or at tiny eateries put together with corrugated iron and planks of wood. Nyama choma, the Kenyan barbeque, and Tusker, the Kenyan beer, are synonymous with the weekend.

The major sources of foreign exchange for Kenya are tourism, horticulture and tea – Kenyais among the top three tea exporters in the world.

Several international organizations, including UNO, have located their regional headquarters in Kenya. Politically, multipartyKenya has been a stable democracy. Along with the natural extremities come extremities in economic situation. A few wealthy elite and a myriad of desperately poor has translated into high rates of crime. This combined with an HIV/AIDS epidemic and widespread corruption has crippled the local economy.

The word Safari is a Swahili word meaning travel, and aptly so, for only in Kenya can a real safari be had.

[Map of Kenya]

You can make a difference in Kenya by entering a partnership, donating or volunteering.