Over the past 30 years poverty has been on the rise in Kenya. More than half of the people who live in the country are poor, with over 7 million living in extreme poverty. The average person in Kenya earns only about $360 a year. Droughts and erratic rains, reduced agricultural output, low wages, high unemployment, high population growth, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting has led the country to formidable economic problems.

For the summer of 2008, Empowering Nations will send a team of volunteers to work in a number of areas. Volunteers may be chosen to work with Yehu Microfinance, Coast Coconut Farms, or in the local schools or orphanages, depending on skills and experience. Volunteers will be sent to work with partner organization Yehu Microfinance in the rural coastal region of Kenya. Yehu combats poverty by empowering the very poor of rural Kenya to help themselves through the use of micro-loans, which can be used to start or expand a small business. Yehu is currently serving 7,000 people in 100 villages. The organization operates in conjunction with Choice Humanitarian and was created based on the principles and procedures of the world-renowned Grameen Bank. To learn more about Yehu Bank, please visit www.yehu.org.

We are currently looking for individuals to serve throughout the months of May to August. Volunteers will work in the area of microfinance and require a solid background in business. These positions are highly competitive, so we encourage you to apply early. For more information on the specific positions available and the requirements of the positions, please contact Sarah Parson at empoweringnations@gmail.com.

Volunteers will also be sent to work with Coast Coconut Farms. Coast Coconut Farms is a social enterprise whose mission is to provide sustainable employment in the rural areas of coastal Kenya as a means to alleviate poverty. It provides direct local employment in rural areas through nut collection and oil production, with the hope that the process can be replicated to hundreds of local Coast Coconut Farm microfranchises to create significant employment and ownership opportunities for the rural poor. For more information about Coast Coconut Farms, please visit www.coastcoconutfarms.com.

We are currently looking for individuals to serve throughout the months of May to August. Volunteers require a solid background in business. Positions are limited therefore we encourage you to apply early if you are interested. For more information on the specific positions available and the requirements of the positions, please contact Sarah Parson at empoweringnations@gmail.com.

Positions are also available for volunteers to work in the local elementary schools and orphanages throughout the months of May to August. Volunteers will be teaching English and other subjects in one of three local schools, and helping with the daily operations and programs at a local orphanage. Positions are limited, so please respond to this email if you would like more information about these positions in Kenya.

If you are available to serve during the time period listed above and want to know more about the specific details, costs, and application process for our Kenya program, please contact Sarah Parson at empoweringnations@gmail.com.