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Volunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placementsVolunteer Namibia Desert Elephant volunteer project in Africa Gap Year, Career Break, mature volunteer placements

 

DESERT ELEPHANT PROJECT
NORTHWESTERN REGIONS OF THE NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA

This vitally important project takes volunteers out to the last true wilderness on earth to help protect the incredible desert elephant population. Volunteers help to address the conflict between rural communities and the desert elephant with solutions that allow them to coexist peacefully. The long term welfare of these fantastic animals are addressed through safeguarding farmers water supplies, building new water points for the elephants, educating the local community and valuable elephant herd research. Volunteers will spend their time getting closer to nature in stunning surroundings camping out under the stars. A truly worthwhile wilderness adventure!

     
  Location: NORTHWESTERN REGIONS OF THE NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA Dates: Regular start dates throughout the year  
  Fees:
£640 - 2 weeks
£1,130 - 4 weeks
£1,600 - 6 weeks
£2,115 - 8 weeks

Payment: £180 deposit at time of booking – balance payment of project fee due 12 weeks before departure  
  Reference: AV039  

General Information

Namibia is a rare example of a country with a growing elephant population. Concerted efforts by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and a variety of Non-Government Organisations have seen the population of desert dwelling elephants in the region increase from a low point of 52 around 20 years ago to a current population of over 600 individuals. This rise in population has not been entirely without problems, the elephant has expanded its range to the South and East into areas that have not had resident elephants for a long time. There now exists competition between the indigenous population and the elephant for water. This has led to conflict between farmers and the elephant. Increasing farming activity has led to a fall in the natural water table, intensifying this competition. The result has been damage to windmills, dams, reservoirs, hand-pumps and wells by the elephants in their search for water. The indigenous farmers tend to live near their water supply and there have been incidences of secondary damage to their homesteads. The Desert Elephant project was launched in 2001 in response to this increasing conflict.

It is the aim of the project to find ways to permit the peaceful co-habitation of the elephant and local population through research, education and development. Our emphasis is on the construction of protective structures around communal water points and machinery, creation of accessible water points for the elephants, assisting the farmers, teaching them to benefit from the tourism that comes with the increasing elephant population, researching elephant movements and activities and compiling identikits for individuals and herds.

Damaraland, the Northwestern region of the Namib Desert, is a harsh tribal wilderness area. It is sparsely populated communal trust land that runs parallel to the Skeleton Coast National Park. Due to the harsh nature of the environment it is not suitable for commercial farming, farming activity is therefore limited to subsistence tribal farmers. It has therefore become a larger unfenced refuge for a variety of wildlife of which the desert elephant is only one example. Other indigenous animals include lion, leopard, and cheetah, a variety of hyena, black backed jackal, black rhino, oryx, giraffe, springbuck, kudu, steenbock and baboon. This area is regarded as one of the last true wildernesses on earth.

Volunteer Programme

The most important quality volunteers on this project need is a desire to make a difference. Volunteers will need a reasonable level of fitness as the work is often heavy in the hot African sun. This is not volunteering for the light hearted; it is at the sharp end of the volunteer projects available throughout this majestic and awe inspiring continent.

The project welcomes volunteers for blocks of 2 weeks; you can spend any amount of time with us from 2 weeks to 3 months. In the first week of your stay your work will be based around the needs of the farming community. You will rise early and help construct protective walls around structures vital to the welfare of the communities that inhabit the region. Other possible activities included teaching members of the community to make paper from elephant dung, working on the base camp, helping the continued development of the local school or helping with the construction of a tourist camp. After lunch and a well deserved siesta the afternoon will be spent with activities such as compiling or updating data collection forms, kitchen or camp duty. Evening is spent around the camp fire enjoying the evening meal and discussing the events of the day. The weekend is spent relaxing at the Desert Elephant Project base camp by the Ugab River. The second week will be spent out on patrol. The 4x4 vehicles are loaded with basic camping gear and we set off in search of our majestic but illusive desert elephants. This is your chance to get closer to nature in these stunning surroundings than you ever have been before. You will explore areas of this desert wilderness that it is just not possible to see, even on the most adventurous of overland tours. Accommodation is either under canvas or the stars. After we find the elephants we will follow them on foot, often for hours before the elephants find some shade to laze in and we while away our time observing their behavior and collecting invaluable data.

During your time with us you can expect to be taught and to master the following skills:

  • Camp craft
  • Bush craft – includes tracking skills, how to approach dangerous animals on foot, animal behavior, navigation, GPS, map reading and much more.
  • Compiling identification kits on elephants.
  • Traditional building skills.

Volunteer Activities

Building and Maintenance

The building work can be heavy labor; we build walls from local materials and cement brought in by the project. Building work is carried out early in the day to avoid the worst of the heat and in the afternoon we concentrate on other activities.

Community Education

Volunteers will help with the education of the local community. This covers a range of activities from showing them how to make paper from the elephant dung to making the most of the tourism opportunities that follow the elephants.

Camp and Bush Craft

As part of the project you will be taught the necessary skills to make and break camp. You will learn how to find your way around the environment in comfort and in a safe manner. A variety of navigational aids will be shown to you and subsequently mastered.

Elephant Tracking and Identification Kits

You will learn how to find and follow elephant sign, for such large creatures they are often surprisingly illusive. As part of the projects aim to better understand the elephant, you will make and use identification kits in order to collect and collate data.

Swakopmund

For those volunteering for longer than two weeks, there is the opportunity to head back to Swakopmund during change over for some R&R. This is of course space permitting on the transport. Swakopmund is Namibia's premier beach resort. It was founded in 1892 as a main harbor for German trade in and out of Africa; as such it is one of the best preserved examples of German colonial architecture that can be found. Transfer back to Swakopmund is on the final Friday of your project and transfer to the project is on the Monday morning. For stays longer than 2 weeks it is therefore possible to spend the weekend in town.

Support

Support and advice is available from your Project Managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.
Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

A comprehensive information pack will be sent to all our volunteers upon booking their volunteer placement and further advice and information will be provided via telephone and email before departure. A full orientation will be provided when you meet up with your coordinator and team members on the Sunday evening in Swakopmund. This is a chance to discuss the upcoming project and to meet the team you will be working with.

Accommodation and Meals

Mobile base camps are set up at each project site, with every effort made to make these as comfortable as possible. You will be accommodated in two man tents or you can choose to sleep under the stars. Washing facilities are limited but a ‘bushman' shower will be made available. Toilet facilities will be in the form of long drops (enclosed and private). Facilities are basic; we take with us only the minimum of equipment and supplies for the week. All cooking is done over the fire, everybody sharing camp duties. Meals are prepared by you on a rotational basis, over the open fire, and eaten around the campfire together. We supply you with basic, but balanced food with adequate vegetarian options. Whilst on patrol, we camp wild, and sleep under the stars on our bedrolls with mosquito nets. No showers or toilets out there, so roughing it is part of the experience.

Getting There

The easiest way to reach the project is to fly into Walvis Bay in Namibia, South African Airways have a direct connection from Johannesburg or Cape Town. Walvis Bay is just 20 minutes from Swakopmund and if you arrive on the Friday afternoon, Saturday, Sunday or Monday of the project start date you can be picked up from the airport. It is also possible to fly into Windhoek, Namibia's capital. We can help you with booking transport to Swakopmund and accommodation if required. If you do fly into Windhoek you must allow sufficient time to get to Swakopmund for the Monday morning start. It is therefore advisable that you arrive in Windhoek on the Sunday before 12 midday so you can catch one of the shuttle services through to Swakopmund.

(There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)
Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

Fees

What is included

  • Transport from Swakopmund onwards or Airport transfer from Walvis Bay
  • Orientation and introduction to the project. "On-the-job" educational activities and 24 hour support from volunteer coordinator and local staff
  • Food and accommodation during the project
  • A contribution to the project itself including: building materials, fuel, vehicle costs etc

What is excluded

  • Travel Insurance (to include repatriation)
  • Personal items eg clothes, travel goods
  • Return flights to Nearest International Airport
  • Transfer from Windhoek to Swakopmund if needed.  Weekend accommodation in Swakopmund if needed.  Soft drinks and alcohol
  • Visas and any trips/activities undertaken other than in the planned expedition

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