Volunteer Programs in Windhoek, Namibia

The Natural Horsemanship Working Holiday stables is the most amazing place in the world. I went for roughly 2 months when I was 18 on my gap year and had the most wonderful time. The minute you arrive you are surrounded by such lovely and welcoming people. The place itself is so incredibly beautiful and the food is amazing, I felt so at home immediately. Annika and Leon have created a place to learn and be with horses in an environment which doesn’t even seem real; they both care so much about the people, the animals and you. Annika has created an environment to work with horses where it’s okay to make mistakes which is something that I had never experienced when being around horses before. I was able to form the most beautiful connections with the horses and learn so so much. This experience is one of a kind and is a must do for anyone even if you have no experience with horses at all. I looked at lots of different programs to do whilst on my gap year but this one stood out to me and it was honestly the best experience of my life. You will learn so much about horses and yourself if you do this program there is nothing like it!!!

I had the most amazing time on the Natural Horsemanship Working Holiday in Namibia and hope to be able to visit again. I learned so much about horses and liberty work and it helped me greatly when working with my own horse. Annika cares so much about every single one of her animals and it was wonderful to be able to work with horses in a force free and empathetic way. Anika, Leon and all the employees are welcoming and make you feel at home. The farm itself is so beautiful and I'll never forget the warm evenings, watching the wonderful sunsets at the chapel, surrounded by delicious food, playful dogs and amazing people.

What a time it was to be abroad.I was 13 years old when if first went.I visited 3 continents in my school holiday.It was a very fun and learning experience by indulging in the different cultures.For me personally before I traveled I wasn't really interested to go live or study abroad, but the moment I stepped foot in a international country I was amazed and that side of the world really changed my perspective of life.

I was a volunteer at the Lifeline Clinic in Namibia and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I am really grateful for everything I learned and lived there. It was indescribable to be able to get to know incredible and welcoming people who were trying so hard to help the community and to ensure a decent and humane health care. I am also really grateful for everyone from GoodHope volunteers that helped me throughout everything. A special thanks to Vanessa and Bridget from Cape Town who were prepared to handle anything. It was such a great experience that I believe changed me for better! Thank you!

To begin, Naankuse is a unique and incredible place. The people are super passionate and really love every individual animal. The atmosphere is super relaxed and the other volunteers are amazing. The uniqueness of this experience is mostly based on the fact that you are so close to the animals, for example: you walk with baboons, who grasp your hand and allow you to carry them around in your arms. When horse riding you come so close to the giraffe’s that you can almost touch them. The tent, where you sleep in, is quite comfortable and gives enough comfort. Despite all of this, I cannot leave this unsaid: you will not make a significant impact as an individual. There are a lot of volunteers and your group contain can 2-5 volunteers. Some tasks/activities are just for recreation, such as the horse riding. The total group of volunteers can even rise to 50 volunteers, which is too much in my opinion. In conclusion, as an individual you will not make a big impact, but as a collective you definitely do. Keep that in mind if you go there. If you want to learn more about the animals and conservation in general while having a really great time, than you’ve found the right place. But if you want to make a big impact as an individual, than I wouldn’t recommend naankuse.

Being at Na'ankuse working for animals and with great people feels like we have done something in our life and it s so good. The foundation is amazing and when you are there you feel connected to the wild, to the roots, to only important things.

Our first experience as volunteers at Naankuse in Namibia was incredible. The staff, the organisation, the involvement of people were amazing. As volunteer you participate to the longevity of the sanctuary. You have the chance to be so closed to the wildlife you could ever imagine and not as simple tourist but as actor. Everything you do there, is for the well-being of the animals and not just to satisfy your own curiosity. I really encourage people to go there: you will live something unique that you will never forget !

This experience was quite unique, as we had to face some challenges that probably no other volunteers will ever have too, but I also had the opportunity to discover a project with an amazing potential. The Na'ankuse Lifeline Clinic is a wonderful clinic, where doctors and volunteers do the best to help the San community. It isn't always easy with the staff or the infrastructures, but I still had a great time helping as I could on the medical and cleaning sides of the clinic. I think the clinic needs some more help from the association in order for the experience to be better and to allow the doctor and the volunteers to do more outreach and be more responsible for the community, as it is to help it that they came. However, I still learned a lot and felt that I helped, on the short time that I was there, and I met wonderful people. I will never forget these two weeks, and the people with whom I faced all these adventures.

My experience was very amazing and the meeting animals like cheetah and to help baboons and children at school gave me a lovely feels. Thank you for you program and your attention about safety during.

To be in the middle of no where make you feel very small and make you realise that we need to do something to help our planet. The farm is a beautiful place where I did feel like home . The coordinator have a lot a knowledge. They were very helpfull and they were doing as much as they could to make us believe in their passion.They were a great team all of them in different ways. I really learned a lot about nature and wildlife. The only thing I didn't really enjoy, too many volunteers, I wasn't expecting that... even if I understand that all the money is coming in help the farm to get on. My time in Namibia will stay in my heart for ever.

I had a great time working with the kids from Katatura! It was an experience I will definitely never forget! We had always so much fun, thinking about the next exercise we could give the kids and then watching them managing it...They were so happy to see you each single time, that’s what made it so great!

Hi! I´m Kamila Malinowski from Mexico City. In January of this year I had the opportunity to participate as a volunteer at Naankuse Wildlife Conservation as a solo traveler and it was the best decision of my life! Definitely being able to work with wild animals so close has been the best experience! I had the chance to meet incredible people from all over the world. It's amazing how all the workers and volunteers welcome you as a family. Working with this beautiful and docile animals is an experience I will never forget!