GoEco - Volunteer Abroad

This program is a real conservation and community program. Both targets equally reached. You help identifying the cats, tracking them, counting the other animals... you're fully involved in all steps and you come very close to the cats. So many exciting moments! You share your experience and culture with the Masai students and spend some time with the women's goup. You are fully immersed in the mara and its bush life. You are reminded of how valuable water is. You get back to your roots, living in complete harmony with nature. An experience I will keep in my heart forever.. and I hope to be able to come back very soon.

This project is amazing. I loved how it was diverse, with conservation work, teaching young children and also students around my age, and the opportunity to see outreach work. There was still a good balance and we were not stretched too thin across these different activities. I have learned so much about wildlife and the struggles that accompany conservation in the Maasai Mara ecosystem, and so much about Maasai culture and their way of life. Especially important is the interest Ive developed for these topics. And, of course, the friendships made are extremely rewarding and valuable to me.

I had a wonderful time at this program. I most liked there the variety of activities that we had. Every day we had a different activity with the lions and even sometimes with other wild animals in Zimbabwe (like game drive and elephants). The people at the program are very kind and caring to the volunteers. I sincerely recommend this experience and I will come back with out a doubt to volunteer there again.

I feel I have achieved a lot on a personal level. This is mainly because I had never travelled to this part of the world or lived in this kind of environment before. I have learnt a lot about photography, a new culture and country. They have also allowed me to challenge myself and I shall leave feeling a little more self-confident and happy I achieved many new happenings in such a short space of time; safe in the knowledge that I can have an incredible time and hopefully give something back to a situation, despite initially feeling very nervous and apprehensive about what lies before me.

I volunteered for two months in the South African lion park just outside Port Elizabeth in March, 2011. The park specializes in the rehabilitation and breeding of different endangered wildlife species. The park focuses most of its efforts on expanding the White Lion population. White lions are currently extinct from nature and only exist in wildlife centers such as this. The park has 46 lions that, someday, will be reintroduce to nature. During my volunteer program, I was in charge of nine lions of varying ages. I took care of cubs just a few weeks old as well as older cubs, up to eleven months of age. Most of my days were spent with the lions. My daily routine involved cleaning the cages, changing their water, preparing their food, monitoring their behavior, and walking the lions around the park recreation area twice a day. At first, my relationship with the lions was not as affectionate as displayed in the video. The cubs were suspicious of me; furthermore, I was nervous in their company. The lions were not familiar with me. They could sense my fear and responded by jumping and biting me. However, as time passed, we got to know each other and a truly miraculous friendship evolved. Everyday we felt closer and closer to one another. After a mere two weeks, I realized that they had accepted me as one of their own. Every morning they'd eagerly greet me and compete for my attention. I found myself allowing the lions to come very close to me as opposed to pushing them away as I might have done before. We grew to trust one another and I no longer felt nervous in their company; They would even rest their heads in my lap as they dozed off for a nap in the sun. Likewise, there were a few days when I used to come to the pen and just fall asleep, cuddling with cubs for an afternoon nap. I never imagined I would sleep on a lion's chest! After a few weeks, I went for a ten day trip to Capetown. I couldnt believe attached to the lions I had become! What you see in the video is the welcome I received from the lions when I returned from Capetown. Enjoy

I can honestly say that I loved being a part of this fabulous project which is why i have returned 4 times since for 3 months at a time. I have become part of the family and made a really good friend, Ellanie. What did you do? At the school I did a number of things depending on my confidence and what needed doing at the time. Ellanie (the program manager) usually likes to know what you like doing and whether you have any particular skills. As I work with small children I helped out with the pre school children. I conducted singing lessons with them, read them stories and generally just played. In the other classrooms I helped mark the children's books, assist the teachers with what they are doing. The children love having new people at the school and are very affectionate with you. The teachers too are great,they are so grateful of all the help they get .A Monday morning assembly is the best. All the school (children 2 - 12) come together in the hall and sing. Its fantastic because they get so carried away and dance as well. How was the lodging? The farm in which you stay is about 40 minutes drive away from the school and you drive in the morning with Ellanie herself at about 7am and return about 3pm. You stay in an apartment where there is a TV and DVD player. Ellanie has just recently got married and is in the process of renovating a big house for the volunteers which is opposite the house they are going to live in on a new farm. I have been there on lots of occasions and its really big. There are showers as well as baths so its very musch like a home away from home. All the food is provided by Ellanie. You help yourself to breakfast and lunch at the school. This can be anything from cereal, toast, fruit, sandwiches, soup or noodles. Then the evening meal is prepared at home and bought over to the house. On Sundays you prepare your own food at home or eat out if you are on an excursion. What about free time? At the weekends and sometimes during the week you can go various excursions. These include the Kruger National Park where you can camp or stay in a chalet. Whilst there you can go on night drives etc. Tskudu is a private game reserve where you can stroke cheetahs and maybe walk with a lion cub. This is my favourite place because you can get so close to the animals. The 3 cheetahs completely fend for themselves but go back to camp for some company at times. The panorama tour is where you drive to the most amazing views, Blyde river canyon, potholes and many more.I like this tour because the views are in the tourist books you buy when visiting South Africa. The Eiland is a holiday resort about 15 minutes from the farm. It has outdoor swimming pools,entertainment,shop and restaurant. A lovely way of relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. The project has become a very big part of my life and i try my best to raise funds for the children over here. Ellanie is a great person with an amazing passion. She loves what she does so much and takes great care of all the people who visit. She welcomes them into her home and treats them like family.Nothing is ever too difficult for her.