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.

.

COLT are proud partners of African Impact, World Travel Award finalists.

But what does that mean to you?

African Impact are a well-known and highly respected volunteer organization. The best people on the ground in Africa that you could go volunteering with. It’s not just us who say that, a quick search of volunteer forums will bear it out.

And let’s be honest, you could book your African volunteer adventure direct with them. So why book with us at COLT?

First, let’s talk money. I know volunteering in Africa is not all down to the money but the fact is you’ll pay less booking through us than you will going direct. How can that be? Well really it’s a question of overheads – we’re a small family firm so we can offer a truly personal service while still keeping ours low.

But as I said, money is not the only consideration.

African Impact are superb on-the-ground in Africa. That’s their area of expertise. Ours is getting you there. African Impact are great once you arrive but to be effective they have to concentrate on support for those at need. We concentrate on what you need. On arranging things precisely to suit you.

When we say we are partners with African Impact it’s precisely that. A partnership that provides you with the best experience, with personal attention so you have a hassle-free trip – and for the lowest possible price.

Compare us with anyone. Talk to us. Test us. We will do whatever it takes to give you the volunteering experience of a lifetime.

COLT – Touching Lives

.

There are a number of different Africa volunteer organizations, so what makes us at Chance of A Lifetime Travel (COLT) any different?

I could give you a lot of “advertising-speak” to try to convince you, but what it boils down to is the personal touches. We’re a small family firm and we rely on our reputation. We do our very best to make sure your trip is even better than you expect.

It’s a particularly nice feeling when we get letters and emails from people we have helped to volunteer in Africa. Here are a couple of examples:

“Hi Frances & Paul,
I am sending you an email to let you know that our time at the Vic Falls Lion rehabilitation project was absolutely amazing.  It exceeded all our expectations.  We were looked after exceedingly well by the project team. We learnt such a lot during our stay and enjoyed some tremendous new experiences eg, surviving in the African bush, about the decline of lions and the reason that we desparetly need to support this project and about african life.

As volunteers we were treated with the utmost respect and our safety was paramount.  We enjoyed close contact with two pairs of lion cubs who were truly adorable.  We enjoyed free game drives, entry to Vic Falls, elephant rides plus more.  The project is run by a really good team always happy to help.

We would like to thank you again for you help in organising this wonderful trip for us.”
Mr & Mrs P, UK

One of our volunteers had concerns over a medical condition. Fortunately not a serious one, but if you’re volunteering in Africa it’s a long way from home and you need to be sure. Our Frances made sure she had all the facts.

“Dearest Frances,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! Yes, I do feel reassured. Thank you too for being so caring.”
Mrs M, USA

If you have any questions about any of our African volunteer projects, Frances is who you deal with. She knows the projects and the people in great detail so she can always give you informed advice. She’ll also help you every step of the way if you choose to volunteer with us.

Some of the African volunteering placements are offered not just by us, but by several different companies. We like to think we do a better job than our competitors, but you do usually have a choice of who you go with.

We had one email asking why our African volunteer opportunities were cheaper than everyone else. Why did we want less money than other people for the same trip?

The answer is simple. Although we have expenses like any business, we believe that as many people as possible should have to chance to volunteer in Africa. As a result, we always keep our prices as low as we can. In fact we guarantee you won’t find better prices anywhere else.

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.

The result is that volunteer placements for July and August are practically full, and September has only a few places left. If working – and walking – with lions interests you at all, you really need to get int touch with us as soon as possible.

Although we always try to fit you in, if you have set holiday plans then as a general rule it is wise to book lion projects at least six months in advance. If your plans or more flexible, then a waiting list does exist, but it is very rare that people drop out.

There are places left for this year, and bookings are open for 2011, but they fill up fast. If you need more info, just drop us a line.

Volunteering in South Africa, in Cape Town in particular, just got tougher… NOT!

Pictured on the right is our new volunteer accommodation and yes, that is a pool right outside the door.

Our South Africa volunteers will now be based here at Noordhoek. The building is spacious and comfortable and in addition to that superb pool has a lovely big garden (with barbeque), satellite TV and a games room with pool table, darts, table tennis, etc… for when you are unwinding at the end of the day.

Alternatively, if you fancy a stroll, there’s a shopping mall and cinema close by.

Not so tough being a volunteer in South Africa then We would love to welcome you here.

For this post I wanted to take a look at our volunteering in Africa with a focus on the African wildlife photography adventure in St Lucia.

Full details can be found here, but I thought a brief overview might help.

Whether you are an experienced amateur wildlife photographer looking for the ultimate photography experience or a beginner keen to develop their skills, there is probably no photography vacation that will compare with this.

The first three days will be spend with renowned African wildlife photographer Emil von Maltitz. Emil runs several photography courses, contributes to the Oxford Scientific Images photo-library (among others) and has almost twenty years experience photographing in this area. Volunteers are always enthusiastic about the teaching that he gives and how quickly and easily he can pass on expert photography skills.

After this intensive course you will join our African volunteer program where you can use your new skills and work on a variety of volunteer projects. Some of these involve cataloging the work we do. With others you will help teach conservation to local Zulu children. You might also help planting indigenous trees or be working with crocodile conservationists!

All the while your camera will be in constant use and your efforts will help us build an important educational resource. There’s even a chance for your African photography to win a prize.

I’ll stop there because the main page really has much more detail and there’s not a lot of point in covering it twice (don’t forget to check out the extra adventures available at the bottom). I’ll finish with this quote from one of our delighted volunteers:

“I loved every exquisite moment of my St. Lucia experience: beach sunrises, full-day game drives… I loved that the savannah was my workplace and the rhino and zebra my colleagues. I truly loved this program… all I can really remember is being inordinately happy in Africa.” Janet Wu, USA.

More details here.

If you ask most people what their view is of volunteering Africa they will probably mention children. Volunteer orphanage work is often in the headlines and frequently we see celebrity visitors on our TV screens, a young African child in their arms.

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.

What we would like to do is actually take the focus away from volunteer orphanage placements and look at African children in general. Obviously those without parents have their own challenges, and we wouldn’t want to minimize their problems, but there are obstacles faced by all African children that you can help them overcome.

If you are looking specifically for a volunteer orphanage position there are (sadly) plenty to choose from. We say sadly because it is a shame that there are so many orphans in Africa that need your help. Fortunately the volunteer organizations are doing much to give these young people the support they need.

Which is why we would rather focus on the needs of children. The need for education, not just to read and write but also to make them aware of HIV and AIDS, which takes so many of their parents.

If you have medical or teaching qualifications you will be more than welcome, but none are necessary. Volunteer teaching assistants and volunteer nursing assistants just need a willing pair of hands and a willingness to get involved. You can read to children, help them learn through play, through making crafts and through sports activities. If you have a few muscles you can help paint classrooms or put up new buildings!

Whatever your skills you can make a massive personal impact on the lives of these young Africans.

But please don’t get the idea that everyone you meet will be down-trodden and that this is depressing work. While it’s true that these children often live very hard lives, surrounded by tremendous poverty, they nevertheless remain bright, cheerful and receptive. The only problem you might have is face-ache from smiling too much!

So please have a look at volunteering Africa in more detail by reading through our current projects featuring volunteer orphanage work and working with African children:

Sports Coaching and Physical Education, Cape Town, South Africa
Teaching and Community Development, Cape Town, South Africa
Sports Development and Community Project, Livingstone, Zambia
Teaching Assistance and Community Upliftment, Livingstone, Zambia
Rural Pre-School Teaching and HIV/AIDS Awareness, Vilanculos, Mozambique
Pre-School and English Teaching, Vilanculos, Mozambique
Orphan Care and HIV/AIDS Awareness, St Lucia, South Africa
Pre-School Teaching and Community Assistance, Zanzibar

If you have any questions, please do get in touch. We will do our best to make sure you find the best match for your abilities. We’ll also try to ensure you have a really good time!

It’s a very good question. Lots of people are really interested in voluntary work in Africa  – would love to get involved – but they have no particular qualifications so they wonder how they 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?

It really doesn’t matter what your skill set or abilities. If you are willing to give some of your time to help the less fortunate people of Africa then you will always be welcome. There is always a need for a willing pair of hands!

Voluntary work in Africa covers a surprisingly wide range of options. If you love animals there is important work to be done volunteering with African wildlife. Our project at Antelope Park working to re-introduce lions is world famous.

If you would rather work with people then Africa has a need for volunteers to help not just with nursing and teaching but also with infra-structure. You don’t need educational qualifications to read to children and help them learn through play and dance. If you have sporting skills there are volunteer places for you too. Everyone who wants to lend a hand can make a contribution that will change people’s lives. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your job is at home, if you can wield a paint brush, a trowel or a shovel you are equally important!

Volunteer nursing in Africa might get the big headlines but you will be of no less value if you fix up an old building, so it can be used as a classroom, or help plant vegetables to feed people who sometimes struggle to feed themselves.

So if you’re interested in voluntary work in Africa  and you’re wondering what can you do, just have a look at our list of exciting and challenging opportunities. If you’ve got more questions then drop us a line, we offer free one-to-one advice to help you choose.

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.

Lets just separate volunteer nursing from volunteer nurses in Africa. Very similar I’ll admit, but slightly different!

Volunteer nurses in Africa – those with internationally recognized qualifications – are obviously highly regarded and an extremely valuable addition to any of the areas where medical or clinical volunteers are working. If that describes you then you can work alongside resident doctors and nurses in orphanages, hospitals, care centers, community clinics – wherever you feel your skills would be best used.

You can work in Nairobi in Kenya, Cape Town in South Africa, Livingstone in Zambia (right by Victoria Falls) or anywhere else that inspires you. Medical students in Africa are equally welcome and will work under a degree of supervision – as you would expect. This is somewhere you can gain quite remarkable experience and it will make a valuable addition to your resumé.

Volunteer nursing in Africa covers all this – but more – because volunteer nursing can cover all the assistance and support roles which are also absolutely vital to the health and well-being of the local population. The only qualification you need for this is a willing pair of hands!

You will work in the same areas as the qualified staff but in a support role that will be worked out between you and your volunteer organizers. Rest assured you will be providing just as valuable a service.

Let’s not forget Africa herself – because there are amazing times for you here when you are not volunteering. Whether your idea of relaxing is lying on a golden, sun-soaked beach, an elephant safari, bungee jumping at the Falls or white-water rafting down the Zambezi, there’s huge scope for a large slice of personal adventure too!

If volunteer nursing in Africa appeals to you we can always find something to inspire and challenge you. Away from your volunteer nursing placement, Africa will find plenty to excite you!

Check out volunteer nursing in Africa placements here.

.

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!

If you are already considering a career in teaching – maybe you are looking for a gap year placement – then that’s great. Teaching volunteering in Africa is a superb thing to put on your resumé and something not many others will have. If you are a teaching professional taking a career break then we would welcome your help too, of course.

But qualifications are not vital. If you would like to help and one of our teaching assistance positions appeals to you, please don’t let a lack of formal teaching credentials put you off. Much of the time you can be of enormous assistance working with staff who are already in place. Many lessons use dance, play or crafts to teach. Your willingness to join in is as valuable as any certificate or diploma.

Teaching volunteering isn’t just sitting in classrooms either. If you’re the sporty type then we would love to have you along and we have volunteering projects specifically for you. If you are particularly good at one particular sport our volunteer organizers might well want to work with you to run specific lessons that will make the most of your skills.

Nor is it just about orphans or local children – although of course that’s very important. There are also teaching volunteering placements with adults. These encompass English teaching but also health education, a vital area where your work will directly help save lives.

Obviously if you want to volunteer teaching English you will need to be confident in the language, but apart from that we have a teaching volunteering position for you whatever your age or skill set. If it’s something that interests you but you’ve got questions, please ask – that’s what we’re here for!

Our volunteer teaching in Africa. You can choose from:

Pre-school Teaching, Zanzibar

Sports & Community, Livingstone

Pre-school & English, Mozambique

Teaching & HIV Awareness, Mozambique

Teaching, Cape Town

Teaching Assistant, Zambia