Wildlife Sanctuary and Community Education: Full Itinerary

Costs -

	Pound sterling (£)	US Dollar ($)	Euros (€)
4 weeks	990	1980	1287
8 weeks	1890	3780	2457
12 weeks	2790	5579	3627

Please note that when completing the online booking form, you should select the applicable start date and specifiy your desired trip duration in the 'Other Details and Information' section.

South Africa

Background - So why is this project needed?

The majority of South African children live in rural villages that have limited facilities and infrastructures, and are situated a long distance from the nearest town. There are very few schools and clinics in these areas, putting huge pressure on such resources. The children walk long distances for water and have had no access to electricity in the past. Although there have been significant improvements in roads, schools and clinics in South Africa over recent years, the progress is slow. It will still take many years for the areas to reach any kind of reasonable standard, as one of South Africa’s biggest problems is finding the funding for many much needed improvements.

Today, most villages have electricity, clinics and schools, but the majority still have little or no running water or sanitation in their homes. The population is rapidly growing and an average family has eight children, creating an increase in the necessity for such amenities. The condition at the schools that the South African children attend is very poor, where it is not uncommon for a class to constitute up to 100 pupils. As a consequence of these overcrowded classes, the standard of education that the children receive is diminished. Too few resources are spread over too many pupils and, unfortunately, numerous children have not grasped the very basics of education when they leave. This harms their employment prospects for the future.

Through community education about nature conservation and animal welfare at the wildlife sanctuary, we’ll give the children a chance to make a difference when we volunteer in South Africa. Our lessons will include teaching about life skills, social behaviour and communication, to promote individual self-confidence and awareness of the opportunities available in life.

Due to the situation in South Africa today, many children have never been given the opportunity to see the wildlife that shares their home. This means they are denied from experiencing their own natural heritage. It is important for future generations to understand the importance of looking after nature. Using the environment as a tool for education, it is easier to learn something when they see, touch, smell and taste it. Educating the children in the bush allows for the interaction between the children and the environment, which is mutually beneficial. By looking after the orphaned animals at the wildlife sanctuary, the children learn about compassion and the responsibility for life in general. The interaction with the animals is often much more meaningful to the children than the lessons in the classroom.

The Volunteering - Arrive in South Africa, meet our new teammates, adjust to our stunning new South African surroundings and settle into our new roles.

Our ethical tourism volunteering project begins on the Saturday, when our plane touches down in Hoedspruit, South Africa – a town situated at the foot of the Klein Dragonsberg (‘Dragon Mountains’), within close proximity to Kruger National Park. Here a Yomps representative will transfer us and our fellow volunteers to the base in the Wildlife Sanctuary, where we’ll be shown to our room and given time to settle in.

Once we‘ve had a chance to meet our team for the next few weeks, we’ll be given a tour of the camp and shown all the facilities, to become familiar with our new surroundings. We will then be able to relax and get to know our new team for the remainder of the evening, as we recuperate from our journey.

Sunday mornings always start with a late breakfast, followed by a general briefing that will help ease us into our new surroundings and roles. We will be briefed about the coming days and what they will entail, in order to build our confidence and prepare us for our volunteering.

The tasks and activities that we’ll be involved in can be split up into three main sections:

1. The Children
2. The Animals
3. The Wildlife Sanctuary Camp.

The Children - Meet new children every week, help teach them new skills, play, educate and have fun.

Every Monday morning, we’ll collect a group of six underprivileged children from their school to come and stay at the Wildlife Sanctuary. A different group are collected each week so that the work is spread throughout the students and in different local communities. They are all between the ages of 13 and 15 and are usually in a class of between 60 and 100 pupils at their usual schools. Many of them haven’t learnt their times tables yet, have very limited levels of English and it’s very rare for them to benefit from one to one attention in the classroom. Examples of the learning activities that we will be involved in include teaching:

• The importance of the environment (the cycle of life, etc.)
• Wild animals (predators, mammals, etc.)
• Etiquette and good manners (through role plays)
• Life skills
• Construction projects and activities
• Team building
• ‘Thinking games’ (e.g. card games, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, Bingo, etc.)
• Mathematics (through bead work)
• Self-expression
• Social issues awareness (HIV, alcoholism, drug, etc.).

We will be encouraged to try and adjust our teaching to suit each and every child, so we are able to suit their differing learning levels and abilities. No teaching experience or qualifications are necessary and the methods used are not always conventional, but they’re always fun for everyone involved. We will also have the opportunity to incorporate our skills and interests into lessons, activities, etc.

The Animals - Help alongside the local children to care for orphaned and injured animals in the Wildlife Sanctuary.

It’s not only the children of the area that have suffered in recent years, the wildlife also has. Many animals in the surrounding areas have suffered for generations from continual hunting. Traditionally, men hunt for food and therefore the children are raised to think that any wild animal should be killed. Unfortunately, far more animals in South Africa are killed for superstitious beliefs and traditional medicines.

The Wildlife Sanctuary not only provides a refuge for orphaned and injured animals; it also offers the opportunity for the local children to look after the animals, therefore teaching them about respecting the environment. We try wherever possible to allow children to receive a ‘hands-on’ experience, although this is not always possible.

Our roles as volunteers vary, but amongst other things we’ll be expected to be involved in the following:

• Caring for the animals
• Maintaining and cleaning the animal cages and camps
• Replenishing the food and water supplies
• Monitoring the condition and health of the animals
• Creating literature/ newsletters for the animal sponsors
• Collecting data and keeping records of the animals
• Basic first aid for the animals.

Some animals require extra nocturnal care and therefore sometimes tasks will be needed to be carried out during the early hours.

Please note that the numbers of orphaned animals at the Wildlife Sanctuary changes from time to time, as new ones arrive and others become rehabilitated. Current residents at the Wildlife Sanctuary include:

• Duiker (due to be rehabilitated soon) - Lizzy
• Duiker (previously orphaned but are still roaming in and out of the camp) - Punzy & Zincou
• Serval - Jessica
• Impala - Ima
• Donkeys - Freddy and Caline
• Tortoises - T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 & T6
• Squirrels - Lucky and Theo
• Brown Snake Eagles - Junior and Snakey
• Tawny Eagle - Tawny
• Spotted Eagle Owls - Gerri, Sam and Alex
• Barn Owl - Hedwig
• Scops Owl - Scopsy
• Four Adult Ostrich - The Strauss Family
• Four Young Ostrich - The Rolling Stones
• Leguaan - Lazarus
• Young Nyala - Rusty
• Goats - Nanny and Kid
• A herd of horses from the nearby ‘Wait A Little’ Horse Safari Lodge.

The Wildlife Camps - Help maintain the Wildlife camps

Due to the varied nature of the centre and its growing and progressive nature often, manual work needs to be carried out in order to help maintain the centre. Some of the possible tasks that we may find ourselves involved in include:

• Maintaining the camps for the animals
• Creating new cages and camps for the animals
• Painting
• Helping with general repairs, maintenance and construction.

Repetitive abuse towards the environment is usually caused by people who do not understand how important it is for their own survival. In the areas surrounding the Wildlife Sanctuary, the majority of the children that live there have never had the opportunity to see many of the animals that live in the areas around them, and are therefore excluded from their natural heritage.

Human actions have significantly reduced the amount of suitable habitat for wild animals. Often, baby animals are hand-raised by caring people. However, when these animals reach maturity they are sometimes put in awkward situations. If animals lose their natural fear of humans, they can become vulnerable to humans with bad intent. Refuges where animals can live out their days in peace are few and far between. The Wildlife Sanctuary provides refuge and security for the animals, and the animals are used to educate the local children about their natural heritage and environment.

By volunteering at the Wildlife Sanctuary, we can expect to gain from at least the following:

• Interacting with the locals and sharing our knowledge with the underprivileged children
• Assisting the animals
• Learning about wildlife conservation through hands-on experience
• Living in a beautiful South African Lowveld area, where we’ll experience a variety of cultures.

Wherever possible, we will have time to explore and get a taste of the surrounding area. Yet whilst the team promise to make our time volunteering as enriching and enjoyable as possible, the animals and children are always our main priority.

A Typical Day -

Please note: this is only a rough guide to give us a better idea of what to expect during our stay.

0645 – Wake Up
0700 – Meet for tea/coffee/juice
0715 – The children help us with the stables, which involve cleaning the animal camps, feeding the animals and helping with general camp maintenance
0900 – Breakfast
0930 – Start the teaching programme for the day. (Some of the teaching programme involves a bush walk, where we learn about the animal tracks, trees, wildlife, etc.)
1230 – Lunch
1300 – Break
1400 – Resume the teaching programme
1700 – Finish teaching. Feeding the animals takes place once again
1730 – Time designated for discussions with the children about social issues
1830 – Dinner is served, followed by time to play educational games
2015 – Bedtime for the children

After the children go to bed at around 20h00/20h30, we will have time to relax outside and admire the South African stars, whilst listening to the symphony of the wild animals. Our bedtime is at our own discretion.

Internship - Fundraising, Communications and Marketing (Three Month Minimum)

For those of us that are interested in the field of Charitable Fundraising or Charity Organisation get the opportunity to complete an internship at the Wildlife Sanctuary. It provides an invaluable opportunity to obtain firsthand experience and knowledge about the inner workings of a charitable organisation. Amongst other things, the positions main roles include:

• Communications
• Preparing fundraising requests
• Compiling fundraising proposals
• Marketing and advertising
• Searching for additional sources of funds and sponsors
• Building new business relationships and new contacts
• Creation and distribution of monthly newsletters
• Logistics (organisation of food stocks)
• Looking after visitors to the camp.

The role is office-based and most of the work is conducted using a computer, so I.T. skills are essential. The intern can also be involved in the care of animals and guests as well as the education of the children, but please note that the main role is as described above.

Skills Required -

No previous teaching experience is required to join this volunteering project. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and speak English. Additionally, everyone must be able to work as part of a team and have a strong interest in wildlife, the environment and conservation. Participants must also be enthusiastic, have a good sense of humour and be respectful of the host country’s environment, cultures and animals.

- Malaria Awareness

Travelling to long-haul destinations can be a wonderful and exciting experience. Before you go, make sure you take the right travel advice about visiting Malaria risk countries. At Yomps we are committed to stopping traveller deaths from malaria which is why we support the campaign being run by Malariahotspots.com. Also, we have an article written by a travel nurse about how to avoid mosquito bites and other insect bites (opens in a new window).

Our Partners On This Trip -

We work in partnership with established projects, courses and expeditions. The information on our website comes from our local partners and we work with them to ensure the information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the trips themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can vary.