How exciting was your last vacation?
Imagine the challenges and excitement you will feel as a volunteer, HELP will surely give you an extraordinary experience in the wilderness of Namibia.
You’ll see the stars overhead at night more clearly than you ever imagined possible while living in a city. You will feel the wild and warm wind blowing through the desert during the day. You will hear the growl of a lioness as she communicates with her cubs.
Have you ever dreamed of making a difference in the world by volunteering your time? Do you think that preserving wildlife is crucial for our planet?
There is a great need for people willing to volunteer in Africa to help preserve the magnificent desert lions and elephants.
The HELP conservation program is a real opportunity to get involved with another way of life and make a big difference. Working with AFRICAT North, near Etosha National Park, volunteers work side by side with experienced rangers and conservationists, monitoring the lions. There’s a good chance you’ll be present when a lion is darted and fitted with a collar to track its movements. There can be no greater thrill than experiencing such glorious animals up close and truly understanding the habitat they live in.
In the Kuene and Northern Erongo regions, desert elephants are also threatened, there are less than 1,000 in existence. Volunteers here will help monitor animal migrations and gain an in-depth understanding of how elephants live and why they may be seen as such a big problem for local communities.
Faan Oosthuizen recently established the Human, Elephant and Lion Project (HELP) in Namibia using his many years of experience in the wilderness, farming, hiking and working with animals. He is, in my opinion, one of those rare men totally at ease in his environment, doing the best job a conservationist can do. Faan’s team is made up of experts, from drivers and rangers to doctors. When you volunteer at HELP, not only will you experience Africa for real (the silence, the stars, the incredible space, the animals and yes, even the rain), you will have the unique opportunity to network with the local people, working to improve practically Africa. your environment and also to share the knowledge you will gain from the animals.
Namibia is a vast country, full of contrasts. Whatever your expectations, they will be exceeded. Start each morning with a gray sunrise, watch the sunrise and enjoy a cooked breakfast in an authentic African setting. There is nothing better than the smell of wood smoke, while you are lying in a tent wondering what the day will bring: a lion, groups of school children or helping to erect vital protective fences. The two weeks will fly by and I hope that you, like me, are determined to return as soon as you can.
For more information, please visit http://volunteeringafrica.org/ or contact Faan directly [email protected]. It will truly be the trip of a lifetime.