Kenya Trip

Your Trip to Kenya

When you think of Africa, it’s likely images of Kenya that come to mind — exotic wildlife, stunning landscapes, and colorful people like the Maasai. But for friends like you, Kenya holds another awesome attraction: the child you have taken into your heart through sponsorship. We invite you to join this fully-guided tour to meet your Kenyan sponsored child, as well as experience Compassion’s ministry in this fascinating East African country.

Beginning and ending in the capital city, Nairobi, this trip also includes the city of Kisumu, a port city on Lake Victoria. Visits to church-based Compassion centers will provide you an inside look at the complete range of our ministry and how it meets the needs of children from pre-birth to young adulthood! You will meet moms and babies in the Survival program, interact with children in the Child Sponsorship program and encourage teens preparing for life as self-sufficient young adults. You will also see how the Targeted Response program meets the beyond-sponsorship needs of children, families and even whole communities.

This trip also includes a visit to the Compassion Kenya National Office, a safari through the Nairobi National Park, a visit to an elephant sanctuary and time to shop for unique African souvenirs. But of course, the greatest highlight will be spending an entire day with your sponsored child!

We would love to host you on this special Kenyan tour. Please read through the itinerary and prayerfully consider joining us!

Trip Itinerary

Please note the intinerary is subject to change.

Days 1 & 2, Tuesday & Wednesday: Travel to Nairobi, Kenya

We will begin our journey to Kenya at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., where we will meet our Compassion guide and travel companions at the designated Ethiopian Airlines departure gate. Together, we will board a 10:00 a.m. flight bound for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After a brief layover, we will continue to Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. Our arrival on Wednesday morning will be met by staff from the Compassion Kenya National Office, who will escort us to our hotel and help us check in. The remainder of today will be at leisure, resting up from our long flight and beginning our adjustment to the new time zone.

Day 3, Thursday: Fly to Kisumu, Compassion Center Visit

Rested and recharged after a good night’s sleep, we will return to the airport for a one-hour domestic flight northwest of Nairobi to Kisumu, a port city on beautiful Lake Victoria. We will check into our hotel for the next four nights, then have an orientation by the Compassion Kenya staff to their country and ministry to children in need.

After the orientation, we will visit our first church-based Compassion child development center. Center staff will give us a tour and explain details about the Child Sponsorship program, the heart of Compassion’s ministry. We will also take some time to interact and play with the children, who will be excited to meet us and impressed that we have traveled such a long way to spend time with them.

Day 4, Friday: Experience the Survival Program

Today, moms and babies will greet us as we arrive at a Compassion center that operates the Survival program. This important program provides pregnant women and mothers of babies up to age 1 with the resources, medical assistance and childcare training they need to ensure their babies survive and thrive. Highlights of today will be the opportunity to hold and play with the babies, as well as visits to some of the program mothers’ homes. These visits will open our eyes to their daily lives and the obstacles they face in raising a baby in the context of poverty. The mothers will especially appreciate our words of encouragement for this challenging task.

Day 5, Saturday: Compassion Center Visit, Minister to Children

Saturday is the day that Compassion-assisted children across Kenya look forward to. That’s the day of Compassion activities at the local church. Today, we will join children at a center in Kisumu to experience a typical program day. Be ready to join the children in a variety of activities, from listening to Bible stories to making crafts to playing soccer. We will see how the Compassion curriculum, adapted to the unique needs of Kenyan children, develops them in all areas of life: physical, relational, educational and spiritual.

Later in the day, we will join the staff to lead the children in fun vacation Bible school-type activities. This day will be filled with laughter and joy. The smiles and hugs of the children will be some of our favorite memories of this trip!

Day 6, Sunday: Worship Service, Shopping

Our group is in for an amazing experience today as we join Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God at a Compassion partner church. Our hearts will soar as we take in the exuberance and energy of this typical African worship service. In the afternoon, we will visit one of Kisumu’s local markets to purchase unique, handcrafted souvenirs that will always bring back fond memories of our time in East Africa.

Day 7, Monday: See a Targeted Response Project, Home Visit, Return to Nairobi

Today, we will learn about Compassion’s Targeted Response program. This program meets the pressing needs of children, families and even entire communities that are beyond regular sponsorship benefits. From clean water projects to vocational training programs for assisted teens, this vital program enables Compassion partner churches to go beyond sponsorship to meet specific, targeted needs.

Monday’s agenda also includes a visit to a sponsored child’s home to learn what their daily life is like. It will be difficult to see the level of poverty they live in. But it will be encouraging to hear from their caregivers about the tremendous difference that Child Sponsorship makes not just for their child, but also for the whole family.

Later today, we will head to the airport for the short return flight to Nairobi, where we will spend the remainder of our trip.

Day 8, Tuesday: Spend the Day with Your Sponsored Child!

The highlight of your trip to East Africa happens today! It’s the day when the child you have been praying for, corresponding with and faithfully supporting steps out of their sponsorship photo and into your arms. You will meet your sponsored child at a local recreation area for a full day of fun activities, personal interaction and taking your relationship to a level that’s possible only through an in-person visit. The day will fly by, but the memories you make together will have a lifelong impact!

Day 9, Wednesday: Visit the National Office

On Wednesday, we will meet the true heroes of Compassion Kenya — the National Office staff. We will start by joining the staff for a time of devotion and worship. After a break for tea, coffee and fellowship, the staff will give us a red-carpet tour of the office, explaining how they seamlessly manage such complicated processes as sponsor/child correspondence. It will be a privilege to encourage these dedicated staff members who ensure that the Compassion program is the best it can be for our own sponsored children and the more than 115,000 other children in their care.

Day 10, Thursday: Safari & Elephant Sanctuary Visit, Travel Home

On our last day in Kenya, we will be treated to a game drive through the Nairobi National Park, where we will see zebras, elephants, lions — all the exotic animals that make Kenya a world-famous safari destination. Be sure your camera batteries are fully charged for this up-close experience with African animals in the wild! After our early-morning game drive, we will visit a local elephant sanctuary that rescues vulnerable elephants from poachers.

Later this afternoon, we will pack up and head to the airport for a 5:40 p.m. Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa. After a brief layover, we will settle in for our overnight flight home.

Day 11, Friday: Back in the U.S.

Important Information About Your Trip

Price and Logistics

We work diligently to provide a world-class experience at the most reasonable price possible. If you would like to read more about what accounts for the cost of these trips and the value within visiting your child, please visit our CI difference section. Below, you will find complete pricing details and options specifically for this trip.

Full Trip Price: $ per person for double occupancy

Land Only Trip Price: $
Land Only pricing is available if you plan to purchase your own airfare and ground transportation to the hotel.

Single Supplement: $
The fee for single room occupancy is to be paid with your initial deposit and is refundable up to 30 days prior to the trip start date.

Additional Child Fee: $ per child
Meeting three (3) of your sponsored children are included in your trip cost.

Trip Deposit: $ per person

Final Payment Amount: $ per person

Final Payment Due Date:

Gateway City:
Due to frequent airline changes, we recommend waiting until 6-8 weeks prior to the trip to purchase your airfare to the gateway city.

Included in the Trip Price

international airfare from the gateway city to the destination booked under a group contract by Compassion
all in-country hotel costs
all in-country transportation costs from buses to in-country flights to varying destinations within the country you are visiting
all in-country meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and tips
entrance/exit fees at the airport
fun day venue costs and visits to any tourist attractions
limited travel insurance (see brochure)
meeting up to three personally sponsored children and all child-associated costs: This may include the costs for transportation, translation services, meals, lodging, activity entrance fees, etc., for the child(ren), their student center representative and parent (when desired by the parent/child).
administration fees

Not included in the Trip Price

domestic ticket cost from your hometown for you and your guests to meet at the gateway city
fuel surcharges
travel documents such as passports and visas
immunizations
baggage fees, including fees related to exceeding weight limits or number of pieces allowed
additional snacks, mini-bar, shopping, gifts for your child or souvenirs purchased in-country
Internet, phone calls or laundry services while traveling
transportation to and from the airport if you choose to fly “Land Only” apart from the Compassion group

Cancellation Policy
In the event that you need to cancel your trip, please refer to our cancellation policy below:

All deposits are nonrefundable.
Fifty percent of the trip cost will be required for cancellations 59-31 days prior to the sponsor trip.
One hundred percent of the trip cost will be required for cancellations 30-0 days prior to the sponsor trip. Although rare, in the event that Compassion feels it is necessary to cancel a trip, a full refund will be given to anyone who has already applied a payment to Compassion for their trip cost.

Terms and Conditions

BACKGROUND CHECK: In order to ensure our children’s protection and determine eligibility to travel with Compassion, we now require all travelers over the age of 18 to complete a criminal background check to ensure the safety of the children in our programs. Compassion uses a third-party vendor, ScreeningOne, to process all background checks. The results of your background check are confidential, and all personal information is encrypted and secure. Compassion reserves the right to not permit a traveler to go on a trip or rescind eligibility at any time even if the traveler’s background check was preliminarily approved.

AIR TRANSPORTATION and FUEL SURCHARGES: Air transportation as included in the trip is based on economy-class transportation and is subject to all rules and regulations governing these fares. Fuel surcharges are added on a per-ticket basis at time of confirmation. In the event these surcharges are higher than budget estimates, we may require additional funds to cover these increased surcharges. We will communicate any pricing changes immediately.

CANCELLATIONS In the event that you need to cancel your trip, please refer to our cancellation policy below:

All deposits are nonrefundable.
Fifty percent of the trip cost will be required for cancellations 59-31 days prior to the sponsor trip.
One hundred percent of the trip cost will be required for cancellations 30-0 days prior to the sponsor trip.

MINIMUM PARTICIPANTS: On each trip, we have a designated minimum of participants. If we are unable to fill the trip to the required amount of participants, we will be forced to cancel or reschedule the trip for another date. In the event of a cancellation, we will communicate as early as possible, and all deposits will be refunded.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Compassion International reserves the right to adjust or alter any travel program when necessary or desirable for the protection, safety or improvement of said travel program, or when local conditions do not permit operation as published. Compassion International reserves the right to accept or deny participants application at our sole discretion.

RESPONSIBILITY: Compassion International makes arrangements with airlines, hotels and other independent parties to provide you with the travel services you purchase. These parties are independent suppliers over whom we have no direct control. We are not responsible for any claims, losses, damages, costs or expenses arising out of injury, accident or death; damage, loss or delay of baggage or other property; or delay, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment, upset, disappointment, distress or frustration, whether physical or mental, resulting from (1) the act or omission of any party other than Compassion International or its employees; (2) mechanical breakdown, government actions, weather or other factors beyond our control; (3) failure to obtain documents, passports, visas and health certificates valid through the date of reentry, when required, in which case a cancellation charge will be assessed; (4) failure to follow instructions including but not limited to check-in and checkout times and baggage handling; (5) cancellation or change for any reason in the travel services offered; and (6) medical or health problems or physical disabilities. Compassion International reserves the right to cancel or alter the travel services at its discretion, except as otherwise noted herein. In the event of change, Compassion International will try to substitute comparable services; in the event of complete cancellation by Compassion International, we shall refund all monies paid to us. Compassion International will not be responsible for any other cost incurred by participants.

Trip Staff

Preparing for international travel may seem daunting, but we are here to help! For each trip, we have both a designated administrator and a trip leader.

Leader:

Claudia Bleck

Your trip leader will be Claudia Bleck, who has led dozens of trips across all regions of the world, and has the experience and cross cultural training to guide you through an incredible, immersive experience! Claudia will prepare you and your fellow travelers each day for the adventure ahead of you. Whether this is your first international trip or you are a seasoned traveler, Claudia will manage the logistics and details of the trip so that you can wholeheartedly enjoy the journey!

Accommodations

Our trip leaders and in-country staff are hard at work planning this trip, and while we may not have a hotel chosen just yet, it is important to us that you have an understanding of the type of accommodations that we typically choose.

Compassion carefully selects the lodging for each trip, which is determined by many variables, such as safety, menu, location and amenities. It is the pleasure of our field staff to search out perfect accommodations for each trip. Because they have relationships with hotels in their areas, they are often able to secure venues that offer Compassion generous discounts because of our frequent trips and our overall mission.

Most hotels we utilize for Sponsor Trips are equivalent to United States’ four-star hotels (or higher).

Country's Culture

Weather

Although Kenya spans the equator, most of it is situated at 4,000 feet or higher. Day temperatures vary from mild to hot and humid, with chilly nights.

Higher elevations can be about 10 degrees F cooler than in low-lying areas.
Kenya is basically a year- round destination.
Rainiest months are April and May, with a short season from late October through December.

Food

Kenyan cuisine is fairly simple, emphasizing basics such as potatoes and maize (corn).

Local dishes include irio (mashed-up potatoes, maize, beans or dried chickpeas), samosas, ugali (a stiff cornmeal mush), githeri and sukuma wiki (vegetable dish similar to turnip greens).
Enjoy mangoes, papayas, green oranges, pineapples, passion fruit and bananas.

Helpful Tips

Kenyans will welcome you with jambo (hello), habari gani (how are you?) and leave you with kwaheri (goodbye). Other phrases are asante sana (thank you very much) and hakuna matata (no problem).

Politely ask before snapping anyone’s picture, and even livestock or homes. They may come at a price, as the Masai expect payment.