Volunteer in Namibia: Desert Elephant Conser­va­tion

I spent two weeks in this program and it was really challenging and satisfying. We had to build a wall to protect the water from elephant, and after to find them in the desert. Living in group with strangers who became friends, with the minimal comfort but safety, and learning so much about the country, the community and the nature was absolutely nice. I recommend this great expérience !

After my graduation from High School in 2016, I participated in a volunteer project in Nambia for one month in August. Till now my time in the project has been the best time I have ever had and I recommend it to everyone! The project is divided into two blocks, which are organized the same way every time, but still you will get a different experience each time. First you meet up in Swakopmund and get to know the rest of the volunteers. When I was there for my first block, our group had 15 volunteers and for the second block we were 12 participants. 12 to 15 people in one group is the largest it gets. The groups are mixed regarding age and also very international, which means it ranges from 15 to 60 years, but as a team of like-minded people the group members connect pretty quickly. On the following day the volunteers leave for a night at the basecamp which is a well-built camp next to a riverbed. If you are lucky you will see elephants which come around for a visit. Even though the camp is very basic, you feel comfortable straight away. After settling in the group starts straight away, by taking a 4x4 vehicle to Damaraland wherever our help is needed. In my case we started working close to a school by constructing walls around a water tank for the local farmers, which were not able to use this tank, because the pipe was destroyed regularly by elephants passing by. The work was tough but with a motivated group and a goal in mind the four working days go by very fast. We started working at 7 o'clock in the morning and stopped at 5 o'clock in the evening, with two breaks in between during the hot day times at noon. In the evening, the group spends time together. At the self-constructed camp, everyone sleeps next to each other on a canvas cover. Every day two people of the group are responsible for all tasks during the day, including cooking over the fire. This way, everyone gets his/her turn within the two weeks, which means that the rest of the time you get a fresh hot beverage every morning – with a Namibian sunrise, it simply does not get any better! For the weekend, the group heads back to the basecamp and next to some daily routines at the camp you have free time. I can promise you It will never get boring with so many nice people and such wonderful nature around you! The second week is the reward for the hard work of the week before: Tracking elephant herds to collect data for research! This means you and the group are driving around the different landscapes Namibia has to offer, whilst spotting giraffes, zebras, lion and hyena tracks and – of course – elephants. Observing these amazing animals in the wild is just incredible, this moment will take your breath away every time! To set up camp at a different location every day and to sleep on the ground gives you the most unique and authentic experience and impression of Namibia you can get, that’s what I think at least. After the last night the group returns to Swakopmund. First, I thought that repeating the whole procedure would be boring, but I proved to be wrong! With a new group and unpredictable nature it will never get boring and you will always experience new things. Our guide Chris and Old Matthias have an incredible knowledge about Namibia and elephants, so that you will learn a lot about and feel safe. For many people, this is probably the biggest challenge, as you are sleeping outdoors in Namibia, where there are snakes, scorpions, spiders and predators - and elephants, whose strength is beyond imagination. Where I am from, we are not used to these circumstances, but in Namibia you will learn and understand quickly how to live in harmony with nature. During my time at the project I did not meet one person who did not feel safe or to whom anything had happened. I want to thank NATUCATE for recommending this project to me. It was the start to my gap year and I had no experience regarding going abroad and did do a lot of research on projects which are only making profit, without thinking of conservation. In my opinion, you can be certain that with NATUCATE you will support a good cause and a sustainable project. Not to forget the support they gave me, which was unbelievable. During several phone calls they explained the project to me very clearly and I received answers to all my questions regarding flights, packing, vaccination and the whole preparation for my trip. Even while I was already in Namibia Daniel did check on me from time to time to see if everything was okay. It also made me feel comfortable to be able to get in touch with him quickly if I had a question and to receive a detailed response from him straight away. Overall, I can only recommend this project to everyone. I will never forget my time in Namibia and I hope that I will be able to come back. (Tobias, 18 years, 4 weeks)