An African Volunteers’ Experience
We recently received the following letter from a couple of our African volunteers and thought it would be good to share with you so you could get a different view of what we help people do.
After the ongoing stress of BA air strikes and volcanic ash clouds we left from Heathrow to Joburg without any problems or delays. The flight was brilliant and I fell asleep after our meal, only to awake to my husband telling me we’d arrived.
We collected our cases at Joberg and re-booked them in (we were told to do this because luggage can go astray otherwise). On arrival at Vic Falls, Zimbabwe, we queued for our visas. I would get a multi-entry visa if I go again because if you cross the border to Zambia or Botswana it is 55 US dollars to re-enter and it makes trips very expensive.
We were picked up by 3 chaps from lion encounter who were very friendly and helpful, and taken to out lodge. The accommodation is basic but clean and it suited the type of holiday it was.
Vic Falls was very small but at no time did we ever feel threatened even if we were out walking at night. People do approach you in the street to buy curios but they are harmless and there is no need for concern.
Sundays are days off and usually volunteers group together to do activities (there is something for everyone). My husband and I did a flying fox and a zip wire across Victoria Falls gorge. This was enough for us but there are much more daredevil type things for those who are inclined.
If you do want an afternoon off at any time to go on a sunset cruise down the mighty Zambezi or go for high tea at Victoria Falls hotel the staff on the project will usually be happy to oblige.
The lion encounter itself was truly amazing. We spend hours each day with the lions cubs, walking with them, playing with them, feeding them and going out on client walks (these are ‘Joe Public’ who pay 115 US dollars for a 45 minute walk with the lions). We take photos of them and make sure they don’t do anything silly or put themselves at risk.
You do have lion training, learning how to read their body language, how to approach the lions and all the other do’s and dont’s. We built a platform for one of the lion enclosures. We also learnt a great deal about the African bush including tracking skills, survival skills and medicines from the bush.
As a volunteer the project aims to please and throw in a lot of extras for you at no extra cost. We spent a morning with elephants, mucking out, filling in holes etc but then we had a wonderful elephant ride through the bush back to Masuwe where the lion project is based. These elephants are wonderful and to get up close was just fantastic. We hand fed them and spent some time stroking and fussing them.
We were taken on a night game drive in the bush where we set up a camp fire and had a BBQ. It was very cold by the end of the night and those who took blankets were very wise! The day game drive was also fantastic and all these extras were free! There were other free activities but the problem was fitting them all into a very busy working holiday.
We ate out most evenings although there were 3 meals a day included in the price. The food was plain and I just felt the need to try the local delights. Lots of curios and things to buy but we started off paying a lot more for them and ended up getting them for next to nothing – you must learn to barter!
It was a holiday to be reckoned with and jolly hard to beat. It was excellent value for money. The people were kind, courteous and friendly. I am saving up for our next trip.
Mrs M, UK
If you would like to make the same trip as these satisfied volunteers you can check full details here.
For reasons of privacy we have not published the names of these African volunteers. However, we do have the original letter at our office if anyone wants to check its authenticity.
.


But what does that mean to you?
The African lion conservation projects at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe and Livingstone, Zambia are always popular – and have been made even more so this year by the TV programme covering this important work.
Volunteering in South Africa, in Cape Town in particular, just got tougher… NOT!
Which is all great publicity. The more people who know about the need, the more help and support they will get. Of course the real work happens largely without the gaze of the camera, so we thought it might be useful to feature our own volunteer orphanage opportunities. That way you can get a better flavor for what goes on and how you can help.
Obviously if you are interested in volunteer teaching in Africa, or volunteer nursing, you would expect there to be specific volunteer placements – and that’s true – but what if you’re not a teacher, doctor or nurse?
Volunteer nursing in Africa encompasses a great deal of extraordinarily valuable work – and you don’t necessarily need a wall-full of qualifications and certificates to be a tremendously helpful addition to the teams.
If you have thought about teaching volunteering in Africa but are worried about the qualifications you might need then don’t, because to take part in our volunteer teaching opportunities you only really need one thing – a willingness to help!