What inspired you to work for the Expedition Project?
The idea of connecting organisations and working for the greater good. The Expedition Project is all about transparency and collaboration. The chance to make a meaningful impact is very important to me.
Describe a typical day at work.
Marketing, emails, connecting with on-the-ground project ambassadors, volunteers, projects, and potential funders. As the small organisation, we are always looking for new ways to grow and create more impact.
Roger interviewing locals.
Why do you do what you do?
I do what I do to help grow this project to a level of its highest possible impact. It has tremendous potential. However the competition model which is currently the way the industry works, means that instead of collaboration, we have unnecessary competition. We want to change that.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Watching the impact volunteers and funders can actually have on the projects they are most interested in. We can do so much with what we have and this is often not realised.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I spent 6 years travelling and 3 years working with a similar organisation before joining The Expedition Project. This gave me the perspective and experience to know what I wanted out of my role and my impact.
Roger and Savannah the Serval.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
Funding is always a struggle for small non profit organizations and social enterprises. Finding the balance between income and fundraising is tricky. We need our network to work more for us.
What are some current projects you are working on?
Umkhondo VetX programme is one-of-a-kind and hugely inspirational to me. I have known, worked with, and helped this project for 12 years now, and watching their growth and impact is amazing!
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Take photos of people as well as places, bring back souvenirs of each inspiring place, try all the food, drink all the drinks, speak to anyone, and say yes!
What makes your organization special?
The fact that in one year we met 101 projects, visited 193 towns, and stayed in 230 different accommodation establishments. We are doing things differently.
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
We have set out to be more collaborative, transparent, ethical, and sustainable than anyone else. With us you can find businesses that support our projects and partners that are collaborating for the greater good.
What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?
To expand beyond South Africa. With our model, it is possible to do what we do anywhere. Now THAT is exciting! Would you like to help us achieve this inspiring dream?
Roger and a South African west coast tortoise.
Are there any developments with your organization that you would like to share with us?
Our new DESIGN YOUR ROADTRIP feature is super exciting! With this feature you can choose projects, accommodation, restaurants, and activities and map out your ideal road trip.
What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?
The hard work we have put into getting to the point we’re at makes us so unique. We are not a travel agent, we are not a charity, we are not a project as such, but we have elements of all of these.
What is the Expedition Project’s mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to reach 100 volunteers per year, and to expand our conservation collaboration to a point where all partners are actively and openly sharing and collaborating.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
A new view of South Africa, conservation, and what they can do to help further. We want them to share their story and become ambassadors for as long as possible.
How do you help support participants?
From every aspect from their enquiry to after their trip. It is important to us that participants can continue to help us and our projects long after they leave.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Think about what you want to achieve, what your goals are, and the importance of ethical volunteering and travel. There are so many ways to make sure you are contributing to the short and long term aims of local communities and their projects.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is achieving the goals you set out to achieve and ending up achieving even more than you intended. It’s also contributing to the long term positive impact of the projects and places you visit.
