Volunteer Reviews
Please see the comments below from recent past volunteers at Destiny Garden School.
Sydney Long, USA
Sydney from the USA worked at Destiny Garden School for four months from March to June 2010.
Sydney said " My experience in Destiny Garden School has been unforgettable and has been one of the best experiences of my life. "
"Staying with Jacob and Brenda in their home was wonderful. They are such open, caring people and I felt like I was part of the family. Living with a local
family also gives you insight into Kenyan culture and what it really means to "be Kenyan" that you wouldn’t find elsewhere."
For Sydney’s full account of her time at Destiny Garden School please see - Sydney’s full report and photos
Val and Nadine, UK 
Val and her daughter Nadine from the UK worked at Destiny Garden School for three weeks over the Easter break, 2010.
Val said " My overall impression of Destiny Garden School is that it is a school of smiles but also a school of hard work. It deserves to do well. Jacob and his family were very friendly and welcomed us into their home like old friends. We felt very safe there. "
" It was a very rewarding experience visiting the school."
"We made many friends in and out of the school environmen and We will miss everyone back in the cold of England but look forward to our return!"
For Val’s ful account of her time at Destiny Garden School please see - Val’s full report and photos
***********************************************************
Guy Tolhurst, UK
Guy, a businessman from London, undertook voluntary work at Destiny Garden School in December/January 2009-2010 and was there over the Christmas and New Year period.
Guy says - "My time at Destiny Garden School can be described as the most rewarding experience of my life. Jacob and Brenda welcomed me into their home in Mombasa with open arms and nothing was too much trouble, from there it was easy to get to the school every day and travel around at weekends.
The kids were just fantastic, they all look out for each other and the sense of community and pride in the face of such adversity is a testament to the passion and support bestowed on the school from Jacob, the teachers and other supporters from around the world.
I miss all their always smiling little faces, can’t wait to go back but overall I am pleased I have found such a worthy cause to support where ALL of the donations help the children directly. A little help goes a very long way. "
To read more about guys visit, see this link - Guy’s full report and more photos
Bailey Cox, Canada
Bailey, from Canada, spent a few days doing voluntary work at Destiny Garden School in January 2010.
She syas - " Staying with Jacob and helping out around the school has been an incredible experience. In my few days at the school I was able to see how the teachers and staff go out of their way to look after the multi-dimensional needs of the kids, learning, but also play and food."
"I was also able to provide the school with books for class 1 through 4. I know that these will go to good use and hopefully help the kids get a solid beginning on their long road to success."
In the photo Bailey in giving treachers Naomi, Treazar and Fatuma some text books for their classes.
Jackie Price, Australia
Destiny Garden School opened in April 2009 and Jackie, who lives in Australia, joined the School project in May for 6 months.
Jackie found it exciting being involved in the project from the beginning and her voluntary work varied from teaching Masikah, the school administrator, some basic bookkeeping, to helping Jacob set up safe and comfortable accommodation for volunteers.
Amongst other things, Jackie has helped the school get desks, chairs and blackboards for the classrooms and school uniforms for the children.
Her Friends in Australia held a fund raising event which raised enough to enable the School to build a new toilet block.
Jackie says - "Working at Destiny Garden School has been a truly rewarding experience and I cannot speak highly enough of what Jacob is doing to help these poor and vulnerable children. I have lived in Jacob’s apartment with his wife, Brenda and their baby daughter Marvel, for the last 6 months. They have made me part of the family and looked after me in a way I never expected. I would have no hesitation in recommending other volunteers to come and work at Destiny Garden School."
.
Kathy James, UK
Kathy, a UK nurse, visited the school in May 2009 on several occasions whilst she was doing voluntary work at the local hospital.
In October 2009, Kathy raised funds for both the hospital and the school by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. After her climb, she returned to Mombasa and to Destiny Garden School to do further voluntary work.
Kathy says - " Even during my short time in Mombasa, the school progressed every time I visited, from desks and chairs bought to school uniforms being issued. The children were all very polite, and really enjoyed my visits. I would recommend visiting Destiny Garden School and I am going to continue to raise funds for them. I will certainly be visiting them again."
Judy Roper, UK
Judy, from the UK, spent 3 weeks in September 2009 at Destiny Garden School to help buy sports equipment from funds raised by her friends in the UK and to also help set up their website and get a sponsorship programme in place.
Judy photographed all the children individually and, with the help of the School Administrator, Masikah who is pictured here, wrote up their profiles.
Judy says - "It’s all been a marvelous experience, very uplifting when you see the joy it brings to these very poor childrens’ lives. I fully support Jacob’s vision of getting these children out of the poverty trap through education."
Alexander Tacke-Koester, Germany
Alex from Germany is reading African Studies at University and, during his summer 2009 holidays, did voluntary work at Destiny Garden School to learn more about the African culture and to practice his Swahili.
Alex says - "I was lucky to find Destiny Garden School which answered my needs, namely being a small organisation with a vision and with the will to do something and with their focus on children in a very poor region of Mombasa.
Do to staff shortages, on my third day I had to take a class and unfortunately was rather unprepared but in the end the children made it very easy for me because they appreciate everything one does so much. It has been a really truly great experience for me."
Jessica, Canada
Jessica from Canada is studying to be a community development worker. She came to Destiny Gardens in July and August 2009 to get some experience working with a grass roots organization. Jessica is pictured here with a group of Destiny Garden School Children that she took on an outing to the Nature Haller Park
Jessica says – “I can’t speak highly enough about my time in Africa . The kids were amazing. They are so eager to get to know you. If you are willing to spend the time reading a book, you will quickly find yourself surrounded by a bunch of wonderful kids, super excited to listen, it’s adorable. I was so surprised by how quickly I bonded with them.
As a community development student, I really admire Jacob’s focus on the future of the school. He is always looking for new and inventive ways to make the school self-sustainable. For example he started a garden on the school grounds. The crops from the garden are fed to the children and sold to raise money for the school.
This program is also a great way to experience Africa . The volunteer house Jacob is in central Mombasa and provides good access to all sorts of great tourist attractions, like safaris and beaches. You really get the best of both worlds."
Shannon Matteson, USA
Shannon, from the U.S.A, is a recent college graduate with a degree in elementary education. She did voluntary work at Destiny Gardens School during the summer of 2009.
Shannon says - "I had an incredible experience in Kenya this summer. For two months, I taught class 1 at Destiny Gardens School. It was challenging due to the lack of supplies and the fact that English is the children’s second language. However, being able to spend time with the kids every day and getting to know them made it all worth it.
The children are so energetic, playful, lovable and eager to learn. We started each morning by greeting one another, and answering the question of the day. Then we would play a quick game or dance before starting on academics each day. I can’t describe how much I miss them and how much I can’t wait to get back to Mtongwe to see them again.
During my stay I lived with Jacob, his wife and other volunteers in Mombasa. Our apartment was really nice and was located close to restaurants and internet cafes. On weekends, we traveled around exploring Kenya. We went on safari together, to beaches, Nairobi, a Maasai village and many other places. Overall, it was an amazing adventure and would recommend anyone to go and experience it for themselves. "