● A unique opportunity to travel to the Baringo region of Kenya to learn more about Five Talents’ work.
● Attend Savings Groups, meet members, and learn about their businesses.
● Learn more about Kenya pastoralist communities with a local guide
● A perfect trip for busy people; fewer nights away but an experience that will last a lifetime.
PLANNED ITINERARY:
Wednesday, February 25
Depart USA
Thursday, February 26
Arrive and stay overnight in Nairobi.
Friday, February 27
Drive to Lake Baringo (approx. 6 hours) with stunning views over the Rift Valley. Meet Eva, Five Talents’ Baringo Program Coordinator and host, and visit one savings group in the afternoon. Overnight at Sandai Resort.
Saturday, February 28
Visit Literacy and Savings Groups within Baringo - witness how the groups function, hear members’ stories, and visit their small businesses. Overnight at Sandai Resort.
Sunday, March 1
Attend a community church service in Baringo before driving back to Nairobi. Option for overnight departure from Nairobi airport.
Monday, March 2
Return flight to USA
FLIGHTS:
Each traveler should book their own flights to and from Nairobi, Kenya. We recommend booking your flights as soon as possible as flight prices tend to increase as the date approaches.Of course, you may wish to stay longer or arrive before our itinerary begins; in that case, please feel free to book any flights to suit your schedule.
BUDGET:
We suggest participants allow a budget of around $1,000 (excluding flights and a few other things — see below) and ask that you allow some flexibility as details are confirmed.
This budget includes accommodation, transportation to, from, and around Baringo, food and drink plus any other small costs along the way. Five Talents will cover all these costs during travel and ask you to cover your share after the trip has concluded.
For transparency, we split the cost of Five Talents staff amongst participants. This is included in the suggested budget.
In addition to the $1,000 detailed above, you will also need to budget for: flights, travel insurance, vaccinations, and a visa (ETA), all of which you arrange and pay for yourself.We will provide the details you need to apply for the ETA.
WHO IS TRAVELING?
We anticipate a group of eight to ten people for this trip, including one or two Five Talents staff.Usually, travel groups include a mix of long-term Five Talents supporters and those new to our work, some who have visited before, and some embarking on their first ever visit to Africa, all united by the desire to experience firsthand the impact of community savings groups. We invariably find that strangers become good friends!
This particular trip is specifically designed for busy people who can’t spare as many days away from their work and home commitments. However, you are of course welcome to extend your trip with a safari or other travel before or after the Five Talents visit.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF:
Program visits are transformative experiences, and we always receive very positive feedback. Meeting the program team, visiting Groups, and meeting members are all inspiring and humbling. However, it’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into before you commit to come along. Here are some key things to keep in mind:
● A trip for busy people - many of our supporters are keen to visit a program but have limited time for travel. This trip is designed to provide a full but concise experience - you will spend time with our program partner, visit groups, meet members, and experience a community church service.However, we’ll be spending just two half days and one full day in Baringo, minimizing time away / in transit.
● Lots of travel - this quick trip means there will be a lot of travel in a short time. Five Talents works in rural communities and trips involve lots of travel by road. The main road fromNairobi to Baringo is good (although busy with traffic), but once we are in rural Baringo, we may be on bumpy tracks made from compressed soil. The days can be long (e.g., from breakfast together between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., to dinner together between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.). It will not be a relaxing trip - but it will be very interesting!
● Accommodation - The accommodation will be clean and safe, and there should be electricity, Wi-Fi, and hot running water –but these may not always be reliable.
● Asking questions and learning - the objective of the trip is to learn more about Five Talents programs by visiting Groups and seeing them in action. During Group visits, we may get to see the usual Group activities of saving and lending. We also typically get to introduce ourselves and ask questions. Occasionally we too will be asked questions. A Group visit is often accompanied by visits to member businesses. This all takes time, and plans can change (sometimes at the last minute) - a willingness to jump in feet first and be very flexible are essential.
ABOUT THE BARINGO PROGRAM:
Our work in Baringo began in 2019 when the diocese was established. The program currently supports 64 community savings groups with almost 1,400 members, 76% of whom are women.
● The program in Baringo serves financially poor and more remote communities; 40% of the population of Baringo County (where the program is operating) live in extreme poverty (defined as monthly consumption of less than 3,252KES / approximately $25).
● The region is arid and semi-arid, and many of the program members belong to traditional, pastoralist communities that rely on livestock keeping and seasonal migration to find pasture.
● In many communities, there is very little infrastructure, including schools, health clinics, or banks. This contributes to high illiteracy, poor health, and financial exclusion, especially for women and their children. Things have become worse recently; climate impacts are felt acutely in this fragile region and food and fuel costs have increased, worsening food insecurity, pasture availability, and the risk of inter-communal violence.
● The program empowers members to solve these challenges themselves. It aims to strengthen community cohesion (through regular fellowship and saving together), build members’ skills (through training) and resilience (through savings and skills), and provide access to loans for business expansion or diversification (again, through saving and skills).
● Through a combination of small loans and business skills training, members successfully invest in business growth and start-ups, generating profit. Loans are also used to spread the cost of school fees (due three times a year in large chunks), and to cover other essentials, like health care when sickness strikes.
Below is one example of a program member — you will come home with your own, equally inspiring, stories.
MEET SANAA FROM KENYA
Sanaa is a member of a savings group in Baringo. After her husband died, she was left to raise her four children alone.
Sanaa was one of the first members to join the savings group being set up through her local church. After saving for a while, she was able to take a loan from her group, and she used it to start a small clothes shop.
Her business took off, and she used the profits to pay off her loan as well as invest into her family.Sanaa took out another loan of 50,000 Kenyan Shillings ($390) to expand her business, and today, her business and her family are thriving.
Through her efforts she has been able to pay for all of her children’s school fees. Two of her children have already graduated from school and have gone on to secure good jobs. One of her children is about to start college, and the other is starting the fourth form (the final year of secondary school).
“I thank Five Talents for introducing the savings groups into our Church, now I can comfortably send my children to school.”
NEXT STEPS:
If you have any questions, please contact Liz Ha at liz.ha@fivetalents.org.
If you would like to join the trip, please confirm by email and arrange with us to pay your $300 non-refundable deposit (per person). Deposits must be received by January 31, 2026.
As spaces are limited for this trip, we recommend you reserve your spot ASAP. We hope you will decide to join us!
