There are five founding principles behind Skills Venture.

1. We put your business skills to good use.

Whether you are in finance, marketing, HR, sales or any other business sector, we can find someone who needs your help. We give you an alternative to unskilled voluntary work such as digging wells or building walls, and we guarantee that your business skills will have a greater and more sustainable impact on a community. Doctors, engineers and teachers can use their skills; why not business people?

2. We match you up with multiple entrepreneurs.

We pair you with a range of entrepreneurs. This gives you a broader range of commercial experiences, and avoids the risk of relying on a single mentoring relationship which might not work out for either professional or personal reasons. We match up the skills you have with the support they need, to ensure that your assignment is as effective as possible.

3. We provide on-the-ground support throughout your assignment.

We don't simply link you up with a business and then leave you to it. Our Kenyan business mentoring facilitators are available 24/7 to help make your work as effective as possible by offering advice and filling any local knowledge gaps.

4. We believe that you should live comfortably.

We don't want you to return to the UK exhausted after living in a mud hut. Instead, we put the emphasis on the business mentoring experience and provide comfortable, practical accommodation. We believe that you should spend the weekdays working hard, but should be able to use the evenings and weekends to relax in breathtaking surroundings. We can arrange a wide array of unforgettable experiences during your stay, including short trips around Kenya.

5. We specialize 100% in what we do.

Unlike most volunteering organisations, we specialise in one country and one type of project, so we have an unrivalled depth of knowledge and level of focus. We have 14 years of combined experience in business (Procter & Gamble) and government (UK Civil Service), and 10 years of experience running a charity in Kenya. We know what businesses need and how to deliver this in Kenya. We only provide business mentoring assignments, and we only cater to people with at least five years of business experience. The directors divide their time between the UK and Kenya so that they are permanently involved in every aspect of the company.