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Your “presence” can be much more impactful than your “presents”! Those living in extreme poverty often struggle with feelings of insignificance, which can lead to hopelessness. Children are especially vulnerable to these feelings. Your personal sacrifice to meet the family you partner with in person reinforces the values of self-worth being taught in their communities by Africa Hope’s staff and has the potential to be a life-changing event for their family and for you as well. 

Absolutely! Please be aware that the same rules and guidelines set forth by New International and their affiliates apply to your family member or friend traveling to Kenya. We will contact the family you partner with to communicate that your friend or family member will visit them on your behalf.

New International and Africa Hope will coordinate all visits to coincide with pre-determined travel dates to Kenya based on New International staff, interns, short-term project teams, or church groups. You can find a current list of tentative travel dates here. We will consider requests for dates apart from those posted on a case-by-case basis.

New International staff will communicate and plan with you before your visit to establish your unique budget and funding needs. Costs incurred for your visit can vary widely, depending on your length of stay in the country, seasonal constraints, and your planned itinerary.  

Costs may include airfare, in-country accommodations, ground transportation, meals, safe drinking water, and planned tourism activities. Additionally, there can be costs associated with updating passports and immunizations. All costs are solely your responsibility and are payable before your departure date from the US. Neither New International nor Africa Hope are able to subsidize any of these costs.

According to IRS rules, payments made to New International toward your visit are NOT tax-deductible contributions. Since payments are spent directly to cover the expenses of your travel, the IRS does not consider this a charitable activity. Please consult your personal tax adviser for any further details or questions.

New International has policies in place to protect children in our program from possible exploitation or abuse by instituting reasonable guidelines and procedures. We directly supervise the interactions of partners and other visitors with children and their families. A Background Check is mandatory for all adult visitors (18 and older) who are meeting any beneficiary of the Family Partners program. 

Each adult visitor will pay the $60 nonrefundable, non-tax-deductible fee, as well as submitting the information to our third-party vendor. We will provide instructions for the background check upon application for a visit, and completion is required before final approval of your visit.

Because of the complexity of international travel to Kenya and the extensive logistics required to facilitate your particular visit to the rural area where Maasai families live, we require New International to facilitate all international travel arrangements.

A valid passport is required for all travelers coming to Kenya. Your passport expiration date should be at least 6 months beyond your planned departure date. If you have questions about your passport requirements, you can check with the State Department website or communicate with New International’s Mobilization staff for help.
 
All visitors are required to get a Kenya Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before departing their home country. The Mobilization staff at New International will assist you in obtaining your eTA prior to your scheduled visit.

New International follows CDC and destination country immunization recommendations. These recommendations can change, so if you would like a more specific answer you can email us at familypartners@newinternational.org and visit the CDC website.

We ordinarily limit visits to weekdays during the mid-day hours. The Maasai village where your partnered family lives is in an extremely remote area of Kenya, with very little infrastructure. This makes travel to and from the villages challenging, not only due to rough road conditions but also because of the time required to reach them–typically 2 to 3 hours each way from your lodging in the town of Narok. While we try to arrange home visits with the family you partner with, the exact location of the family’s home may dictate a meeting arranged at the local school or other location. If you are visiting more than one family, it is possible that we will need multiple days, depending on their location.

Most flights to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) from the US arrive in the late evening hours, so it’s typical for a guest to stay overnight in a pre-screened, secure hotel in Nairobi. Ground transportation from Nairobi to Narok, Kenya is usually the following morning. After a 3-hour journey (or longer, depending on local traffic conditions), you’ll arrive at Africa Hope’s campus, where your accommodations will be on the 2nd floor of one of their 40-room guesthouses. (Stairs only, no wheelchair accessibility). Each room has a bed and wardrobe closet, along with a private bathroom with a toilet, running water (not for drinking) and a shower. There is 24-hour security on the Africa Hope campus.

Overnight trips to the Masai Mara National Reserve that are arranged in advance typically include staying in one of the Masai Mara lodges. Seasonal constraints will dictate the exact location.

Depending on the length of your stay, seasonal constraints and your personal preferences, other activities may include:

• Day or overnight trip to Masai Mara National Reserve, one of the world’s top destinations for African wildlife safaris. 

• Attending morning devotions with the Africa Hope staff.

• Informational meeting to learn more about Africa Hope’s other ministries to the rural Maasai communities.

• Shopping for souvenirs in Narok.

• Personal rest, relaxation and reflection time in a tranquil, natural atmosphere on Africa Hope’s 15-acre secure campus.

• Other field visits, depending on Africa Hope staff’s planned outreaches during your time in Kenya. 

If it becomes necessary to cancel your visit, you will be responsible to reimburse any administrative fees and non-refundable expenses that have already been paid to coordinate your visit.