Volunteer Opportunities in Maasai Mara: the Anyoraa Project
At Anyoraa Camp, volunteers can participate in several programs, many of which complement each other. Your activities will vary depending on the needs of the community when you arrive. Our main goal is to empower the Maasai community, which often doesn’t benefit from tourism as much as expected. They also face unique challenges as they balance traditional ways of life with modern education for their children.
Maasai culture is rich and vibrant, but includes customs such as early-child marriage and limited access to opportunities for women. Many boys, for instance, tend to cattle and often can’t complete their schooling. As their children return from secondary education, the community faces new challenges with limited opportunities for these young adults.
We charge a fee for hosting our volunteers, which includes full board accommodation, drinking water and transport from Nairobi.
Digital Literacy for Youth
One of the key programs here focuses on digital literacy. Schools in the area have limited access to computers, and many students and women are unfamiliar with technology. Some are even hesitant to open a laptop! Volunteers help demystify computers and the internet, using a structured curriculum and easy-to-understand lessons. We provide training and orientation to ensure volunteers are fully prepared.
Water Project
We also run a water project: we provide clean water to the local Maasai community, as well as the town next to us.
Volunteers who come to work at the water project help the team to improve the grid, to fix any issues and to quantify the water that is provided to the local businesses who pay a fair fee for it (so that we can continue to provide free water to the village).
Many volunteers combine this program with another one, and love every minute of seeing the way of life in the area in a very real way.
Eco Farming at Anyoraa
One of our goals with the Anyoraa project is to grow our own fruits and vegetables, and empower the community to do so.
Upkeeping a vegetable garden and planting and watering fruit trees, harvesting and recording the harvest is peaceful, but really needed work. This program is perfect for volunteers who like nature and have any kind of gardening experience or agricultural background, and would like to do something a bit more physical and reconnect to nature.
Primary School Education Support
In nearby primary schools, teachers are often overwhelmed by large classes. Volunteers help with classroom activities, provide one-on-one tutoring for children needing extra attention, and participate in storytelling, reading sessions, and even sports. Sports play a huge role in Maasai Mara, with volleyball, football, and baseball being popular. These activities help children build confidence and develop essential life skills.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring along books or any items that can enhance lessons, especially during presentations about their home countries. This helps broaden the children’s worldview and gives them a sense of “traveling” through your stories.
Healthcare Internship Program
For healthcare students or recent graduates, we offer the chance to work alongside Kenyan doctors in the small, but dynamic, Oloolaimutia clinic. Depending on the day, it can be busy or quiet, which is why our internship includes outreach education in local schools and centers. Volunteers provide first aid, mental health, sex education, and HIV prevention workshops—critical topics in the area.
Specialized Volunteering
If you have a unique skill set that doesn’t fit into one of our existing programs, we’d love to hear from you! Our goal is to match your talents with the needs of the community, giving you the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
Your Volunteer Accomodation
We have both shared rooms and private rooms (available for an upgraded fee)
Our cabins have hot water and electricity, as well as an emergency light as power cuts are not uncommon in the area.
We also provide full board accommodation at Maasai Mara, so you will get to experience a variety of delicious Kenyan food, cooked by our staff, with veggie and vegan options, as needed.
We also have a drinking water fountain in our main dining hall.
Here’s a glimpse of a typical day for volunteers in Maasai Mara:
7:30 AM: Breakfast at the camp
8:45 AM: Volunteers head out to their placements
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Work at the placements with a quick break for lunch
3:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Go for a walk around the camp, visit the glass making project, or plant some seeds!
6:30 PM: Return to the volunteer cabins and get ready for dinner
7:00 PM: Dinner is served
7:30 PM: Sit by the campfire, play pool, listen to music, chat with friends, or watch the stars…. It’s all up to you!
Ololaimutia Village in Maasai Mara is pretty small and Anyoraa is quite a rural set up. Most volunteers find they go to bed much earlier than usual after their full days in the sun, and the peaceful environment. It’s always a good idea to bring playing cards and games, books or movies to watch. Many volunteers gather around the restaurant or campfire to chat and share stories, too!
Whilst you’re staying right next to the National Reserve, volunteers can also book onto one of our incredible Safari tours at a price you won’t find anywhere else, thanks to our Founder, Izzo, also being a trained Safari Guide for well over a decade now!
At Marafiki Community International, we believe in the power of community, collaboration, and shared experiences. We’re here to walk alongside the people we serve, and we’re excited for you to join us on this journey!
If you’d love more information or to reserve your volunteer experience for yourself or a group, please email Marta directly at marta@marafikicommunity.org or send us a direct message on our Instagram page @marafikikenya
Interested in volunteering opportunities in Nairobi? Click here