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Volunteering in Nairobi: The Truth You Need to Know
This article was written by Alessia Lai, Travel Designer at ORMA Guides. You can also read it here.
You land in Nairobi with your heart full of expectations. Outside the airport, the air is warm, the traffic chaotic, the colors vibrant. You are here to do good, to lend a hand. And yet, the reality that will hit you in the weeks to come will be very different from what you imagined.
In the poorest neighborhoods of the capital, among tin shacks and dusty streets, children run towards you with huge smiles and outstretched hands.
They call you mzungu, the white man, the foreigner. You feel special, important. But soon, you realize that these scenes happen every day. It’s a repeated script, a cycle of emotional deprivation that manifests in these behaviors.
At shelters and makeshift schools, you meet other volunteers like yourself, people from all over the world who came with the idea of “making a difference.” But the uncomfortable question is this: who are we really doing this for? For them or for ourselves? International volunteering has a dark side that few talk about. Often, instead of helping, it creates dependence. It fuels the myth of the “white savior,” that unconscious sense of superiority that makes us believe we have all the answers—when in reality, we are just temporary guests in a reality we barely understand. We won’t change the world. We won’t change the situation.
Most of the time, you will return home just wanting to wash off the dirt and scrub your skin under a hot shower.
Other times, you will block out your emotions, becoming numb to avoid breaking down in tears.
Other times still, you will have to gather your courage to remove a used condom from the mouth of a one-year-old girl who mistook it for a pacifier, in a place where AIDS is still a serious problem.
And yet, there will be other days, other moments, when you will feel truly focused.
Situations where you feel you have done your small part, that you are part of something.
That you have begun to change what is within your immediate reach, because sometimes, instead of focusing on the big problems, you have to start with the small ones to truly change the course of the world.
Volunteering is all this and much more. But there are right and wrong ways to do it, which brings us to another tough issue.
Voluntourism: When Helping Does More Harm Than Good
Voluntourism is the phenomenon of unqualified volunteering that often causes more harm than good. Too often, those who set out to “change the world” lack experience, knowledge of local culture, and—without realizing it—become part of the problem.
Children see volunteers come and go in a matter of weeks, forming fleeting bonds that break just as quickly.
Organizations, instead of investing in local communities, depend on Western funding and become trapped in a cycle of dependency.
Volunteers arrive without any cultural context, without mediation, sometimes putting themselves or the project at risk because they become easy targets in places where, unfortunately, life has little value.
Or worse,
Volunteers who only want to take photos with children of all ages, perpetuating a horrific human zoo built on their best intentions.
Simply put, we too often fail to recognize the impact of our actions—not always positive—even when done with the best intentions.
The White Savior Complex: Looking in the Mirror Can Hurt
The “White Savior Complex” is the belief that Westerners can solve Africa’s problems with simplistic solutions, without considering historical, political, and economic contexts. It’s easy to feel like a hero when you return home with photos of smiling children and touching stories. But the truth is that poverty is not a tourist attraction, and real change doesn’t come from the ego of those who want to “help” without first listening and understanding.
So What Can We Do?
- Educate yourself before leaving – Study the history, politics, and social dynamics of the country you are visiting.
- Support local projects – Instead of imposing yourself as an “expert,” ask communities what they need and support initiatives created by them.
- Be humble and open to change – Volunteering is not a trip to feel better about yourself but a real long-term commitment. It’s not wrong to go for a short time—because two helping hands are better than none—but it’s important to understand the real impact we can have on a community, respecting their rhythms, projects, and values.
Making a Difference, for Real
If you really want to help in Nairobi—or anywhere else—it’s not about grand gestures or selfies with children. It takes respect, collaboration, and a willingness to learn. We are not here to “save” anyone. We are here to listen, to understand, and to support those who are already making a difference.
Signed:
"A travel designer who has poured her soul into Nairobi and its slums."