What inspired you to work for NATUCATE?
Being a team member of NATUCATE gives me the opportunity to work with people who are interested in traveling and in sustainability. I love travelling and it is wonderful to share this passion and support others in fulfilling their dreams and ideas in a meaningful way! NATUCATE only supports sustainable and meaningful projects abroad and really cares about each partner and volunteer; this makes NATUCATE very special and why I am very happy to be part of the team!
South Africa
What is your favorite part of your job?
It makes me proud when a volunteer after his or her return tells us: “I want to catch the next flight back to the project!” To us, this means that we did a good job preparing and supporting our volunteers! It is also very rewarding when we notice that volunteers become more aware of the environment and spread the word about what they have learned while they were abroad.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Having traveled a lot helps me to understand our volunteers better when preparing them for their time abroad. I know what it is like to start a journey to a new country, new culture, a language you may not understand, about the excitement and also the fears. With the experience I have made while travelling and visiting our project partners, I can support our volunteers and answer their questions before their departure, so that they can start their adventure without any worries!
Office Dog Paco
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Do not start your trip with too many expectations; your adventure will be different than you imagined it and with too many expectations you hinder yourself from enjoying your travels. Be open for new experiences and the new culture.
Why should someone choose NATUCATE over competitors?
We care for each and every one of our clients and build up a relationship towards them. Understanding our volunteers’ expectations and checking if the project meets their expectations is important to us. We keep in touch with them throughout their entire stay in the project, since we would like to make sure that the volunteers feel comfortable abroad. We also choose our project partners very carefully and keep a close contact to them. Like this we can support them in the right way and make sure we only choose projects which are sustainable.
What is NATUCATE’s mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
NATUCATE is based on the principle of sustainable development which in turn constitutes the foundation of our business strategy. We assume that dealing with our resources in a sustainable manner requires a public awareness which is sensitised for the need to preserve natural habitats. It is this awareness which we aim to convey and embed through our services. Our own experiences have taught us that going overseas to stay in unique and ecologically valuable surroundings, and the international exchange of knowledge this involves, are a particularly effective means for achieving this goal.
Botswana
If you could participate on one of NATUCATE’s programs, where would you go and what would you do?
This is definitely a hard choice and I could not choose a favorite project. However, our internship in Argentina is part of my to-do list. I have never been to Patagonia before and my colleague who has visited the project shared many great stories about it. As I have always been in love with horses and have been horseback riding all my life it sounds like a great opportunity to get to know such a unique country from horseback. Our volunteer project in Canada is also on my list—again a project with horses!
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
When we receive inquiries from people older than 40 or 50 who are interested in volunteering, they are often afraid that they are too old to volunteer. This is very simple to answer as it is not true. As long as our volunteers are physically fit, open for new experiences, can work is a team, and care about the environment, there is no age limit!
Botswana
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
If you are thinking about it you should do it! When the idea is there you should start to make a plan. We are there to help you, and whatever obstacle is in your way we can support you to overcome it and start your adventure.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Traveling and being open towards the new culture, respecting the locals and their traditions, acting mindful towards the environment, and supporting local operators instead of international companies which do not invest in the destination.
What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial & educational relationships between providers/programs and the communities in which they are located within?
Unfortunately, the prospect of making a quick and easy profit has tempted several “black sheep” into the voluntary work sector. "Petting farms" are one example: African lion cub rearing projects are in high demand and tempt volunteers to Africa with the promise of helping to rear lion cubs. These projects tell volunteers that the lions will be released back into the wild at a later time. This has been proven to be impossible if the animals have close contact with people for a long period.
What these projects are really doing is providing animals for canned hunting. Once they’re full-grown, the animals are released into fenced off areas for rich hunters to shoot in their spare time. NATUCATE wishes that all agencies would ban these programs from their list, but as of now they are still being offered....We hope through education these farms will not exist anymore in the near future!
