About Kenya Youth Hostels

Brief History

World Hostelling
The idea of the youth hostel movement was born in Germany way back in 1909 when a German school teacher, the late Richard Schirrmann, concerned that his pupils knew so little about the surrounding countryside. He started the idea of providing simple overnight accommodation for his classes during their explorations of the country. He arranged hikes for his pupils and more permanent accommodation began to be provided in hostels. As these came to be known, the idea spread to other countries in Europe and later to other continents.

An elephant and her babies silhouetted

The first youth hostels, established in Central Europe from 1909 onwards, were intended to help young people and specially school children to escape from industrial cities to the clear air and refreshing peace of the countryside and to restore their lost contact with nature. With this went an encouragement for walking as a healthy and inexpensive recreation for school children. Such trips in the country could have an important educational purpose. The whole class, with its teacher, could study plant life, animal life, geology, agriculture and many other subjects, bringing to life the book learning of the city to the countryside. For young adults, exploring the country on their own or with one or two friends, seeking an economical bed each night at a youth hostel, there was a valuable development of character and initiative, routes to be planned, maps to be studied, equipment and food to be prepared, then, in the hostel, a share in the domestic duties, from potato peeling to sweeping of floors.

It became apparent that an equally valuable function of the youth hostel was to bring together young people of different backgrounds, occupation, religious or political beliefs. In a hostel, the university student or the rich man's son enjoy no advantage over the apprentice or young labourer. It is not money, education or dress with win respect, but friendly camaraderie. The International Youth Hostel Federation, which is the federation of independent national associations, was formed in 1932.

Over the years, the movement has actually spread to all parts of the world in over 60 countries and has a network of about 4500 hostels worldwide.

A view of the Rift Valley

Kenya
The initiative for ;the launching of the youth hostel movement was taken way back to early 1957, when a past president of the International Youth hostel Federation, the late Mr. E. St. John catchpoll visited Kenya and induced certain socially active personalities to start it in Kenya. Most of those people are no longer with us. Among them were people like Sir Godfrey Rhodes, Dr.L.S.B. Leakey, Mr. Edmund Crosher, Mr. Musa Amalemba, Hon. Jeremiah Nyaga, Mr. G.S, Amar, Sir D.Q. Erskine and Mr. Acharya. They took up the challenge and asked the then Kenya Federation of Social Services to convene a meeting to make suggestions on the possibility of starting a Youth Hostel Association here.

The first party was convened by this Federation on Monday 29th April 1957 (our foundation day) and met in Armstrong house, Delamere Avenue (now Kenyatta Avenue). Nairobi was under Mr. D.Q. Erskine's chairmanship.

This, in effect was the founding of the Kenya Youth Hostel Association (KYHA). These early efforts received a tremendous boost when through the good offices of Mr. St. John CatchPool, $1500 was donated to KYHA ad-hoc committee in 1959-60 by the Dulverton Trust. This donation assisted the committee in efforts to develop a good network in Kenya in those early days as it was not enough to purchase any significant building.

The committee dedicated more time in calling meetings, opening hostels in Nairobi, Rift Valley, Coast, Western and Central parts of Kenya. They appealed to social workers and other volunteers to come forward and lend a helping hand. Newsletters were published and photographic competitions were held to generate interest in hostelling.

In 1966, the then Minister for Health, Hon. John C.N. Osogo, who at the time was the chairman of KYHA convinced the International Youth Hostel federation that KYHA was not only alive and kicking but that it was able to fulfil the minimum conditions required to affiliate with the parent body. Then, Kenya, on the same year became part of the International Youth Hostel Federation.

In 1976, KYHA bought an old house on Ralf Bunche road through funds that were generated from membership fees and overnight collections as well as from the kind support of the International Youth Hostel Federation, The German Youth Hostels, YHA of England, Wales and the Kenya Government.

The hostel, which still stands, became the secretariat and has been redeveloped to match the International Standards.

Our Objectives

The Association aims at developing a chain of hostels for the use of its members, creating networks and affiliation with other hostel owners, collaborating with external hotels, investing in creating youth facilities such as campsites, recruiting more members and enabling its members to be part of the global village so as to enjoy tourist attractions, intercultural experiential living, sharing information and expanding personal horizons in life. the Association therefore promotes personal growth and welfare and domestic as well as international youth tourism, education and wellbeing.