We support community health on Mfangano Island, Kenya.
Our focus is on technology, social solidarity, and sustainability.
Currently, we do not have specific volunteer positions posted, but depending on your interest and skill set, we are sure you can help us with something great.
If you are interested in volunteering, please send a letter of inquiry to our Volunteer coordinator, Kelsi, at khines@organichealthresponse.org.
In your letter, please express why you are interested in volunteering with OHR, your area(s) of interest, and the amount of time you are available to commit.
Currently, two OHR gals are working hard on Mfangano to help us develop and implement initiatives. Kelsi Hines and Annika Terrana are both graduates of the University of Wisconsin – Madison with education in African Studies. Naturally, they met in Kenya, as part of the same study abroad program. OHR is proud to have them as a part of the family.
This is Annika’s first visit to Mfangano Island. When studying in Kenya, she completed her internship in Mombasa where she worked to educate youth about environmental issues, mostly deforestation. She returned to Kenya in September as OHR’s Sustainability and Technology Awareness Coordinator and will be volunteering on the island until June of 2010.
This is Kelsi’s second visit to Mfangano. Her first visit was in June of 2008, when she worked on Joel’s farm as a WWOOFer after the completion of her study abroad program. While studying in Kenya, she was posted to complete her internship in Meru, Kenya where she worked at Meru District Hospital studying public health. She returned to Wisconsin to complete her degree in Sociology, but knew she had to get back to Kenya. In Spring of 2009, she became involved in The EDGE Project, a student run organization working on Lingira Island, Uganda. Through this organization, she was able to return this summer. Leading a group of 15, the EDGE students worked on Lingira focusing on women’s empowerment and educating the community on topics such as food security and water contamination. When her obligations were complete in Uganda, Kelsi came to spend the last three months of her trip volunteering on Mfangano.
Both Annika and Kelsi are helping OHR organize for World AIDS Day which takes place on December 1st of every year. This year, OHR is hosting a World AIDS Day event not only in celebration of OHR’s commitment to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, but also to celebrate the opening of Mfangano’s first Cyber-VCT Center – The Ekialo Kiona Center. The day will be filled with fun events, speakers, refreshments, prizes, and special guests. At the same time, they are working to understand women’s issues within the island, develop and coordinate the Ekialo Kiona Radio Station, and develop ways to implement sustainable technologies into the community.