Armed with an arsenal of sport-related equipment and activities, a young Cochrane woman will be making her way to Kenya for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Bailey Serhyenko had been looking at travel destinations and volunteer opportunities when she stumbled upon International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), an organization that aims to provide assistance to developing countries, as well as increase education and awareness through their volunteer programs.
The group’s Sports Education project caught the eye of the 18-year-old, as well as that of her traveling companion and boyfriend, Austin Lang, also of Cochrane.
The duo began planning the trip in early 2013.
They leave for Nairobi July 29 and return Aug. 22.
“We had been looking into affordable volunteer opportunities and we really liked the sports aspect of the IVHQ program,” said Serhyenko, who is studying psychology at Mount Royal University. “It is important to me that I help other people. It was a big part of choosing a destination.”
While in Nairobi, Serhyenko said she and her boyfriend would be living with a local family, to ensure they each get the “full experience.”
An athlete herself, Serhyenko will be spending her three-week long adventure teaching sports and games to school children in Grades 1-5. Although a portion of the program is spent in the classroom, she said she’s excited to get outside with the students, teaching them about “foreign” sports like rugby, basketball and American football, along with key concepts of fitness and healthy living.
“I’m not really sure what to expect,” she said, adding that she has no experience in a formal teaching environment.
However, the sports portion of the program should come easily to Serhyenko. A graduate of Cochrane High School, she has spent time on the soccer field, the rugby pitch and basketball court. Recently, she’s logged time on the coaching side of things, helping out the junior varsity girl’s basketball team at Bow Valley High School.
She’s no slouch on the volunteer front either, having spent time working at the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, The Mustard Seed and, most recently, aiding in flood relief efforts in Morley.
But all busy-ness aside, Serhyenko said she’s looking forward to starting this new adventure.
“It seems so surreal that we’re going to be there so soon,” she said. “I’ve been looking at pictures of the area, but I don’t know if it’s going to match up. I’m excited to see the reality.”
In 2012, IVHQ sent more than 600 volunteers to Kenya for a variety of programs that include teaching in rural and urban areas, orphanage work, HIV/AIDS work, medical placements and placements with a women’s education project.
The New Zealand-based organization formed in 2007 and provides opportunities for 3,000 to 6,000 volunteers each year — in countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.
To learn more about the organization, check out volunteerhq.org.
