Alumni Interview with Jess Cooper

What inspired you to go abroad? 

I've always wanted to visit Africa and I've always had an interest in wildlife so I figured I might as well make my time over there mean something. I found Antelope Park by browsing through African Impacts website and fell in love with the idea.

Why did you choose African Impact?

There were several projects that I'd have loved to have participated in, and still plan to, but the Hands On Lion Project at Antelope Park just stood out at me. How many people can say they've walked alongside lions? It seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.

What was your favorite part about Zimbabwe?

The people. I have never smiled so much in my life. Every single person I met in Zimbabwe was warm and friendly and welcoming.

What made your experience abroad unique?

Everything. Walking with lions. Interacting with elephants. Jackie, the donkey that thinks she's a dog. The night encounter, watching the lions hunt. Sleeping under the stars. Trekking through Matotbo Park and standing meters away from rhino. The friends that I'm still in contact with. Waking up each morning to the sound of lions roaring in the distance. The children that are always so excited to see you when you're in the community. Seeing so many stars at night. Every day there was something new to do, someone new to meet, another story to email home about.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

Everyone was fantastic, from the laundry ladies to the elephant keepers, every single question I had was answered; every idea was listened to. They were patient and accommodating and, honestly, I forgot they were staff after the first couple of days because I regarded them as friends.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?

Spent longer there. I went for three weeks and it simply wasn't enough. I was excited before the trip but now I feel homesick for Antelope Park and I'm counting every penny so that I can go back for longer.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.

I was on the Hands On Lion Conservation Project. I'd wake up around 6:00 a.m. to the sound of the lions roaring in the distance, get dressed, face the cold morning air to brush my teeth and refill my water bottle. Then I'd meet everyone in the volunteer room for the first shift, either a lion walk or herding the elephants.

If it was lions, a handler would walk you across the river to the lion enclosure where we'd usually greet the lions—Tonga, Tamuka and Ruva, while I was there—through the fence until a second guide arrived. Then they'd open the enclosure and the lions would burst out of it: Tamuka would instantly run off ahead whilst Tonga acted like an oversized housecoat and would greet the handlers and a few chosen volunteers by brushing against our legs.

If you were with the elephants, you'd walk up to their overnight pens with the handlers and let them out. Some were relatively indifferent to the volunteers but some—Chebe in particular—likes to greet and make a fuss of us. You walk with the elephants down to where they get their breakfast, which generally takes about forty minutes, give or take. They'll be free to roam Antelope Park for the rest of the day, their handlers simply following them around until evening.

There were four shifts a day—the second and third could be any number of activities: meat preparation, snare sweeps, enclosure cleaning, refilling water, feeding the lions, building levels and shelters for the enclosures, bushfire prevention, painting enclosures or other enclosure maintenance, making enriching and stimulating toys for the lions out of natural materials (often including elephant dung), and/or spending time with the cubs.

The last shift was usually another lion or elephant walk. At this point in the day it was quite hot so you'd clearly see the difference in the lions behavior. In the morning, when it's cool, they'd be full of energy and often Tamuka would be hunting something but in the late afternoon they'd frequently be slumping in the shade and you wouldn't cover nearly as much ground.

These four shifts are interrupted by meals: all the volunteers would meet back at the kitchen for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is a help-yourself deal with cereal, porridge, and toast and a variety of cooked breakfasts, depending on the day. Tea, coffee, water and juice is also available.

The chefs at Antelope Park are truly talented, especially when you consider the quantity of food they're producing. I was there for three weeks and I don't think I had the same meal twice. From spaghetti bolognese to BBQ to pizza to carbonara, the range of food was amazing. That said, the only part of my trip that I was disappointed with was that I was expecting more opportunities to try traditional food.

After your last shift, at 6:00 p.m., there's a meeting every day. The volunteers get together in the volunteer hall and the coordinator runs through the events of the day (if there was anything worth noting, i.e, if they'd fund a snare if an enclosure had been improved, etc) and thanks you for the work you've done.

Then they run through the following day’s schedule, before asking if anyone has any questions, giving you a change to access anything you have put in the safe, and releasing you for dinner. After dinner, your time is your own. Pretty much every night, a group of friends and I would hang out at the bar, playing cards or drinking games, or simply chatting and swapping stories.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

The coordinators at Antelope Park were excellent at providing us with trips and excursions to fill our free time—from trekking through the bush to view rhino, to visiting Victoria Falls, arranging for a local artist to teach a class, quizzes, pizza and movie nights, going on a night encounter to see the lions hunt, going on an overnight horseback safari, and sleeping under the stars to visiting a local orphanage.

We spent a lot of time socializing at the bar, or around the fire pits which were lit every Friday and would burn until the early hours of the morning, or at the pool where we spent many hours sunbathing and sipping milkshakes. You can go and help out at the stables, take up extra shifts to help out around AP, visit the snake-house, and hold a snake. There's always something going on.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

I was in a room with three others. If I'm honest, I spent very little time in my room—it was simply a place to crash as the end of the day, but the accommodation was lovely. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were cleaned every day while we were out. I felt that it was very secure and didn't once worry about leaving my belongings there throughout the day.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?

Your trip will be life-changing. However long you've booked for, it won't be long enough. It sounds cheesy, and I never believed it when I heard it before, but you will leave a part of yourself at Antelope Park. You'll get home and desperately want to share your experience with your friends and family but you won't be able to explain it.

I was there a year ago and I still feel homesick for it. Also, you're going to make friends there. Get their phone numbers, add them on Facebook. I'm still in contact with the people I met at Antelope Park, and a couple of them have visited me from Norway recently. The friends you make there will be friends for life.

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?

I've become much better at managing my money, mostly because I'm saving to go back for a few months.

Would you recommend African Impact to others? Why?

Without a doubt. You'll go expecting to be impressed and do crazy things like walking with lions. You might hope to make a difference in the community but you won't be prepared for how surreal it is and, at times, heartbreaking. 

I was lucky enough to join the Community volunteers for a few days, and while it was immensely educational and eye-opening, I can't say I enjoyed it. In the clinic I took the weight of a man twice my height but half my weight. I held a woman’s hand while she gave birth with only paracetamol to ease the pain. I learned that the school I was teaching at provided meals for the children, who would walk miles and miles to attend because it was the only food they had all day—after learning that, a child split the contents of their plate in half and offered it to me.

I didn’t enjoy those experiences in the slightest, but I’m immensely grateful for them because they highlighted to me the importance of the projects provided by African Impact. People in the community rely on the funds and volunteers. It’s hard work but I promise, it’s the most enriching, rewarding thing you could do. You won’t regret a second of it.