Zimbabwe - African Wildlife Orphanage

I loved my time in Zimbabwe! I made amazing friends and loved the volunteer experience. I hope to one day become a vet so the experience in animal care was very helpful. The volunteer work was hard but rewarding. I worked on cleaning and building enclosures, and preparing food for animals. The staff is hilarious and incredible. Animal time was my favorite part of everyday, where we got an hour to visit with whatever animals we want. I loved it! After volunteering we had a chance to relax with our fellow volunteers. I got to meet people from all over the world which was so fun. My one complaint would be the rats that came into our cabin every night. I also loved the experience to go on the Matopos trip. We got to see rhinos, cave paintings, and a local tribe. It was amazing! Overall I had an amazing time! Would definitely do it again.

This was definitely one trip that I will never forget. I decided to go on this trip because I was home from college and did not really have anything to do. This trip fit perfectly in. I got to work hands on with animals while at the same time learning about conservation and what I could do to help. I think this trip is a great opportunity when you want to learn about independence and at the same time, what it would be like to have a job working with animals. I made some great friendships with friends from all over and we still talk almost ever day since we've left. I enjoyed getting to see the collar put on the hyena, the leopard get surgery and releasing the monkeys.

My personal experience with this project was incredible. I felt really welcomed when I first arrived and settled in pretty much immediately. It wasn't my first long stay away from home which made it a bit easier, but from what I saw the volunteers who were travelling alone for the first time received a lot of support from the owners and the staff. When I went in February there was a very group of us volunteers, which I really enjoyed because it meant that we got a lot more involved in all aspects of the work at the orphanage and we got to know each other a lot better. Being surrounded by animals all day was obviously a great part of the experience and it was a pleasure getting to see and be involved with the amazing work they're doing there. Another great part of coming to this project was the opportunity to go see the rest of the country. The project actually helped us organise our trips and understood that most of the volunteers want the opportunity to get out to see Zimbabwe and visit Victoria Falls for example, so organising a short trip there became much easier and manageable with their help. Overall I can't recommend this project enough. If you enjoy or want experience working with animals then it's a perfect opportunity for you as there are so many animals there and so much work to get involved with, and you'll do it in a really friendly atmosphere with people who are ready and willing to help and support you, and who actively show appreciation for their volunteers. What I enjoyed most about the project was the fact that every day you were doing something different. The volunteers had their main duties which needed doing every day, but because of the size of the project and the range of animals they had there, there were always new tasks and a variety of jobs that needed doing which meant more fun work. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere of the project- everyone who works there is so friendly and the owners are incredibly welcoming and great fun. Actually there wasn't much, if anything, that I didn't enjoy about the project!