Teaching Volunteer at Namibia Wildlife Sanctuaryfrom £895 (2 weeks)

Duration & Fees

• £895 - 2 weeks
• £1,245 - 3 weeks
• £1,595 - 4 weeks
• £1,995 - 5 weeks
• £2,295 - 6 weeks

Start Dates

Volunteers can join throughout the year, we ask you to arrive on a Monday or Tuesday if possible.

Payment

£180 deposit at time of booking – balance payment of project fee due 12 weeks before departure

What's Included

• A contribution to the project itself including funding for items such as building materials, food, medications
• Transfers to and from the Windhoek International Airport or Windhoek City
• Full orientation and support from the project managers for the duration of your project
• Accommodation and meals as indicated above

What's not included

• Return flights to Windhoek International Airport
• Travel insurance to include cover for repatriation
• Visas (if required) 
• Use of internet and telephone
• Soft drinks, wines and spirits

This project provides a wonderful opportunity to combine working with children at the Bushman school, with helping out in the Wildlife Sanctuary, caring for the animals. Volunteers are able to experience the African wilderness with the knowledge that they are contributing to the conservation of both the people and the animals in the area.

Volunteers can decide themselves on arrival, how they spend their time between the two projects depending on preference, as the school is located at the Sanctuary. For example, you could spend your mornings at the school and your afternoons with the wildlife volunteers, alternatively, one week could be spent with the children and one week with the wildlife.

While volunteers are working at the school they will be assisting the teacher at the Clever Cubs school which opened in the grounds of the Wildlife Sanctuary in November 2009.  The school provides free education to the San Bushman children whose parents work at the Sanctuary and who would not otherwise have access to education.  There are approximately 25 children attending the school, with ages ranging from 1 - 7 years old.

Time spent working with the wildlife conservation volunteers will include looking after the animals in the Sanctuary including cheetahs, wild dogs, baboons, lions, meerkats and leopards.  Volunteers are an important resource in caring for and feeding the animals on a daily basis, and sometimes acting as surrogate parents to baby baboons, bottle feeding them and sleeping overnight with them.

Assisting at the Bushman School

Volunteers will spend their time assisting the teacher in the San Bushman school in the grounds of the Sanctuary.  The mornings are spent assisting with teaching two groups in the pre-primary class (3 - 6 years).  There is also a nursery class for the under threes run by the nursery assistant.  Subjects taught include English, numeracy, arts and crafts and care of the environment as well as games and physical activities.  The afternoons are spent helping the older children, who return from their schools in Windhoek, in improving their English and with any homework they may have. The main language spoken by the children is Bushman 'click' dialect, but some speak Afrikaans and their English is developing.  Volunteers will have the opportunity to use their initiative and any creative talents they have to improve the education provided and help the development of the school.  Fun activities can be planned for the weekends 

Animal Care Work

Feeding and Caring for the Animals

Volunteers will be responsible for preparing the food, feeding the animals and maintaining the animal enclosures:

• Preparing and feeding vegetables, fruit and mieliepap to the baboons and farm animals including our lambs, donkey, kudu, duiker, pigs, sheep and chickens. 
• Cutting meat for the big cats, throwing meat to the lions, leopards, semi-tame and wild cheetahs, African wild dogs and hand feeding the meerkats. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to join the guest big cat feeding tour where you will assist the guides with feeding the animals.
• Clearing out the animal enclosures, cleaning waterholes and fixing any holes or damage to the enclosures.

Animal Socialising

Volunteers will spend part of the day playing with and looking after some of the animals:

• Spending time with the semi-tame meerkats, the cheetahs and baby baboons.
• Enjoying taking the tame cheetah, caracals and even perhaps the young leopard cubs for a walk or spending time with them in their enclosures. 
• Caring for the orphaned baboons (approximately 20 aged from six months to four years), rotating responsibility for bottle feeding and sleeping overnight with those who are too small to live in the camp with the young baboons.
• Baby, senior and big baboon walks take place a number of times each week to give them regular exercise.

Please remember that the animals are rescued, taken in, cared for and if possible, released into natural habitat again, therefore the variety and number of animals at the sanctuary can change daily. Please be flexible as activities can change due to the needs of the animals and project.

Big Cat Conservation Work 

Volunteers spend time with the big cat research and San Bushman tracking team:

• This may include learning and taking part in various monitoring and tracking techniques such as searching for cheetah marking trees, locating collared leopard and cheetah through telemetry and GPS tracking, identifying, counting and tracking spoors (paw prints) and checking box traps
• Undertaking game counts and building or clearing out temporary enclosures for new residents.
• Contributing to the conservation research project to help conserve the cheetah and leopard and help prevent human-wildlife conflict.

 

Project Work 

Volunteers will also undertake project work which varies depending on what is currently needed at the Sanctuary. Current long-term projects include the following

• De-bushing: Black thorn is an invader bush and takes up a lot of nutrients which means that better vegetation finds it very hard to survive. Volunteers will help to remove most of the very dense patches of black thorn from areas in order to allow other vegetation to grow and for game to become more visible.
• Fence Break down: this is an important project to reach our goal of creating a large fenceless reserve in central Namibia allowing game and wildlife to roam freely for the benefit of conservation. Volunteers will play an important part in removing the lengths of fencing on our land and that joining our neighbours.
• As new animals arrive new enclosures may have to be built; you may need to assist the San Bushman workers with the preparation of materials, digging foundations and waterholes and the erecting of the enclosures. 

Security and Maintenance

Security at the sanctuary is essential. Volunteers will take part in border fence patrol and big cat enclosure patrol with a trained member of staff. This may involve filling in holes created by wild animals and repairing fences.  There may be overnight security watch duties which means sleeping in our watch tower at the sanctuary with one of your fellow volunteers.

Itinerary

Volunteers are split into working groups to ensure variety when carrying out duties which rotate daily.

Clever Cubs Timetable:

7am	Breakfast
8am	Meeting with volunteer co-ordinator to plan the day's activities
9am	Assisting with teaching the pre-primary school children
10am	Assisting the children with break time play
10.30am	Activities such as singing, dancing, story telling
11 am	Helping to give the children their lunch
11.30am	Assisting with break time play
12 pm	Pre-primary school finishes - help with planning lessons for tomorrow or join Wildlife volunteers
1.00 pm	Lunch and free time for Volunteers
2.30 pm	Help the older children with homework and learning English
5.30 pm	Dinner and free time
7.00 pm	Possible baboon babysitting duties

Wildlife Conservation Timetable:

7am	Breakfast
8am	Morning meeting with volunteer co-ordinator to plan the day's activities
8am	Morning activity 1 - varies daily
10am	Tea break - depending on activity
10.45am	Morning activity 2 - varies daily
1pm	Lunch and free time
2.30pm	Afternoon activities - varies daily
5.00pm	Educational Talk
5.30pm	Dinner and free time
7pm	Baboon babysitting duties

Volunteers should be prepared for the daily schedule to change at short notice to meet the needs of the children, the animals and the project and be ready to take on any tasks that may be required of them.

Free Time

During the project, you will have the evenings to relax from approximately 5.30pm, Saturday afternoons from around 4pm and Sundays all day. However, the animals still need to be fed on Sundays!

During your time on this project, you may have the opportunity to enjoy a number of activities such as: a nature walk across the sanctuary, climbing Neudamm mountain or an eco challenge competing in groups against your fellow volunteers, followed by a braai (barbeque) and an overnight sleep out in the field, star gazing and waking up to a fantastic sunrise!

There is a small swimming pool available for your use, conveniently located by the volunteer accommodation and a lawn area for you to relax on in the sun Occasionally the volunteers play football against the San Bushman workers. There will be the opportunity for a small group of volunteers to head into Windhoek on Sundays to pick up some supplies, though this cannot be guaranteed.

Optional Excursions

Paintballing and abseiling may take place during your time at the sanctuary (approx £25)

Sunday transfer to Windhoek – where you can visit the mall and have a leisurely lunch at the famous Jo’s Beerhouse. Please note that volunteers may be needed to look after animals on a Sunday from time to time.  (approx £16)

Staying at our guest lodge – why not treat yourself to a bit of luxury during your time on the project. You can book a 1 or 2 nights stay at the Lodge at a special volunteer rate, Here you can relax with a drink, take a swim in the pool and enjoy the tranquil and stunning surroundings. You can organise your stay once you reach the project (approx £50pppn)

Volunteer evening at the lodge where you can socialise, enjoy a drink at the bar and take in the stunning views across the African veld – occasionally this is offered as a volunteer a buffet dinner and transfer (approx £13).

Sunday lunch at the lodge and spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool with a cool drink (approx £15).

A little bit of luxury?

Have you thought about treating yourself to a night or two of luxury at the end of your project? We can provide a perfect haven to unwind and indulge yourself before heading home. Take a look at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary Luxury Lodge to see if you're tempted.

Support and Orientation

Support and advice is available from Amanzi Travel office staff and project/trip leaders. Upon booking, you will receive a comprehensive pre-departure pack that provides all the details you will need to prepare for your trip to Africa.  This document includes information on accommodation, staff, visas, optional activities, packing checklist and medical advice and if you have any questions that are not answered in the pack we are always on hand to help and advise. We will do all we can to ensure that you are well prepared and looking forward to your trip to Africa. You will also receive an in country orientation on arrival.

A 24 hours a day, 7 days a week emergency contact number is provided for everyone who travels with us.

Amanzi Travel holds an ATOL licence (9401) and is able to arrange your flights on request giving you financial protection for your flight and trip costs. We also offer advice on personal travel insurance for your trip.

Accommodation is in one of two volunteer houses, with rooms shared by three (same sex) volunteers.  Single beds are comfortable with duvets and pillows provided. 

Electricity and hot water (showers only) is freely available but sometimes water levels are restricted and electricity can go off during storms!  Power sockets are available in only one of the volunteer houses but can be used by all volunteers.

There are also a number of twin tents available also.  We can allocate these to friends and couples if there is one available.  Please speak to one of the Amanzi Travel team.

Three basic meals a day are provided and include meat, vegetables, pasta and rice.  A vegetarian option is available.  Breakfast is self service and includes toast and cereals.  Lunch may be sandwiches, wraps and burgers.  Dinner is a hot meal and sometimes a barbecue.

Namibia

Why visit Namibia?

Namibia is one of those dreamlike places that makes one question whether something so visually fabulous could actually exist. It is characterised by vast open spaces, with breathtaking scenery and great contrasts – ocean, dunes, mountains and deserts. A predominantly arid country, Namibia can be divided into four main regions. The Namib Desert and vast plains of the Skeleton Coast in the west; the eastward-sloping Central Plateau; the Kalahari desert along the borders with South Africa and Botswana; and the densely wooded bushveld of the Kavango and Caprivi regions – a magical undeveloped oasis of waterways and wildlife, providing abundant game and birdlife viewing opportunities.  Despite its harsh climate, Namibia has some of the world’s grandest national parks, ranging from the wildlife-rich Etosha National Park, to the dune fields and desert plains of the Namib-Naukluft Park. The Namib-Naukluft Park is superb for hiking, with a number of spectacular trails. It is also home to the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei - said to be the highest in the world - and the fascinating Sesriem Canyon. Windhoek is the country’s geographical heart and commercial nerve centre, with an ethnic mix of people, while surfers, anglers and beach-lovers won’t want to miss Swakopmund, with its lively entertainment and sporting activities.

Highlights

• Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s finest parks, both in size and diversity of wildlife.
• The Namib-Naukluft Park is the largest conservation area in Namibia and one of the largest in the world.
• Two spectacular deserts - the Kalahari and Namib - each with distinctive wildlife and scenery.
• The Namib, at 80 million years, is the world's oldest desert. Namib means “open space”.
• The Namib and Damaraland offer remarkably clear skies for astronomers and keen star gazers.
• Stunning Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon – it is 161km long, up to 27km wide and 550m deep.
• Sossusvlei are said to be the highest sand-dunes in the world.
• Superb birding and good fishing is available from the banks of the Kavango and Kunene Rivers on the northern border.
• Popular self-drive destination with excellent infrastructure.
• Largely malaria-free.
• More than 300 days of sunshine per year.

Climate

Seasons	Max	Min
Summer/wet (October - April)	40 °C	20 °C
Winter/dry (May - September)	25 °C	0 °C
Rainfall: October – December “little rains”, January to April more stormy period

The winter months (May - September) range from 25 to 30°C during the day but night temperatures may drop to below freezing. June to August is the dry season with very little rain. This can be a good time for game viewing as wildlife converge at the waterholes.

The summer months (October - April) can reach highs of over 40°C and nights in the 20°C range (in the arid central Namib Desert temperatures can fall to below freezing during the night). This is a summer rainfall area, but overcast and rainy days are few and far between. Welcome thundershowers may occur in the late afternoon, bringing relief to flora and fauna. In October and November, large herds of blue wildebeest, zebra, springbok and oryx migrate from the Namutoni area to Okaukuejo, where they remain until May.

Rainfall is heaviest in the northeast, which enjoys a sub-tropical climate, and reaches over 600mm annually along the Okavango River. The northern and interior regions experience ‘little rains’ between October and December, while the main stormy period occurs from January to April.

Key Facts

Population – 2.1 million
Capital - Windhoek
Currency - Namibian dollar
Language – official language English; most widely spoken is Afrikaans; half of all Namibians speak Oshiwambo as their first language. German is also widely spoken, plus some Portuguese.
Namib – means “open space”
Etosha – means “great white place”
Time difference – GMT +2 hours
Telephone – country code 264, international access code 00

---

---