Volunteer Programs in Rural Areas, South Africa

Volunteer with rescued big cats at a sanctuary in South Africa! These big cats have been rescued from breeding centers that stole them away from their mothers when they were cubs. Due to their captive upbringing, these cats cannot be returned to the wild. Help these cats live a more natural, enjoyable life at the sanctuary. Volunteers will prepare food for the big cats, make enrichment toys and educate visitors on the current threats to these creatures. Volunteers should be passionate about animal conservation and animal rights and be prepared to make a positive impact in the lives of these rescued animals.

Develop your skills and experience necessary to undertake a successful career in veterinary science or animal welfare in this volunteer program in South Africa. Enhance your practical skills and knowledge by working alongside local wildlife experts in different settings. Learn about conservation and animal management as well while assisting with the important issue of animal welfare in South Africa. Intern activities and topics may include: • Health and safety • Animal management • Animal behavior • Animal health and nutrition • Ecosystem support and biodiversity preservation The placement is available for students considering a career in veterinary science, or first-year vet students who are looking for a different experience. Interns are expected to be able to live under a variety of conditions, be flexible, and be hardworking.

Volunteers working in the care centers and creches help the children to learn basic but important life skills, and make sure the children are fed, washed and dressed. Structured work is vital, to help prepare the children for school and create a calm and constructive environment. You'll work alongside your project supervisor to create a work plan that you and the children will follow. In addition to this, sports, art, music and drama are always popular activities on these placements. Start a choir, put on a play or organize a sports day! Local staff are often highly overworked and don't have the time to give the children much one-on-one attention. You could be the one to make the difference by inspiring the children and maybe even the carers too. All of the volunteer care projects in South Africa are eager to have volunteers with fresh ideas and energy to help the permanent staff. We try to take advantage of all of our volunteers' talents and skills that can contribute to the care and rehabilitation of the children, so let us know how you can help.

Veterinary internships abroad are perfect to gain work experience and discover new countries at the same time. Be it wild or domestic animals in Africa, Asia, Europe or Latin America, get ready to shadow experienced veterinarians and receive valuable training. Taking part in a veterinary internship is a great opportunity for pre-vet, college and high school students that have a love for animals and are interested in a veterinary career. Volunteers will benefit greatly from working with exotic wildlife and under completely different circumstances, so what are you waiting for?

Do you love horses? Then, volunteering at a Horse Ranch on the beach at one of South Africa's most beautiful landscapes is your dream placement! Tasks at the ranch include feeding, grooming, and caring for the horses, riding the horses, preparing rides, saddling and removing saddles, welcoming guests, and cleaning the equipment. The stables and paddock are also cleaned, plastic waste is removed from the beach and riding trails, minor repairs are made, and young and new horses are possibly trained. Before coming to the ranch, many of these horses were rescued from being mistreated by their previous owners. Their new owners at the ranch have over 30 years of practical experience in providing riding lessons, natural horse training, and rehabilitation for abused horses. Horseback riding tours with small groups of tourists are done daily, except when bad weather occurs. You can join tours along the beaches, dune forests, and typical fynbos landscapes of the Western Cape. You can learn a lot about the fascinating nature of the Western Cape. If you're lucky, you'll even spot Southern Right Whales while riding on the beach or swimming with the horses on warm days!

The South Africa projects are dotted around several different reserves within the country, each focused on assessing the environmental impact of the game and large mammal species, especially elephants, within the reserves. The projects are two to six weeks in length, with some of them involving an additional week at our marine site in Sodwana Bay, where you can learn to dive. Operation Wallacea is a research and environmental organization working alongside university and college academics to build long-term data sets to put toward various conservation management goals. We recruit volunteers to help out with data collection, training them in the skills and background needed to help effectively. There's also the option to complete dissertations or senior theses at our sites.

These big, gentle giants are loved worldwide for their magnificent stature and playful personalities. This programme allows volunteers to really get to know elephants and contribute to their welfare. Volunteers are critical for this programme, becoming part of a team who dedicate their time to understanding these animals better and to researching and monitoring their well being. As the first elephant research center in the world to focus solely on the welfare of these gentle giants, this truly is an exciting place to volunteer. Each day, you will be out and about in the park monitoring the elephant's behavior, as well as helping with data inputting, growing elephant food, and creating enrichments. Volunteers live right in the heart of the park, in a shared accommodation. There is a lounge area, laundry facilities, and internet access. By the end of your experience, you will have met some like-minded people and work towards a worthwhile goal - the most satisfying type of trip!

Tshega Christian Mission (TCM) is a non-profit organization established in 2004. Under a tree, a commitment was born to transform lives and bring hope and love to a community in crisis. When you choose to volunteer with us, you know that you are guaranteed a legitimate and valuable program, with diversity for every taste as well as a strong support system. We offer something for everyone! One Base with a diversity of programs: * The Lighthouse Academy Primary school * Lamb's Haven Kindergarten * Orphaned and vulnerable children's program * Feeding scheme and an after-school homework club * Basadi skills development program for vulnerable women * TCM ministry program with outreach in the village and on the base * TCM Agri program * Sports/Choir/Drama/Skits * Admin/Social Media/Marketing * Maintenance and construction Your volunteer journey in South Africa begins with an orientation, and then you decide where your passion lies. Together, we can make a difference. We look forward to receiving you with true South African hospitality. Plus, we organize superb weekend excursions, which you simply shouldn't miss out on!

People and Places is part of an innovative and well-respected project that aims to provide children and young adults from rural areas with access to a world-class education through digital technology. In this age, across the developed world, digital technology is fast becoming one of the main tools for learning. But in rural Africa, with its overcrowded classrooms, lack of teachers, and few resources, this is an impossible dream. Our partner learning center aims to address this widening gap between the haves and have-nots by giving children and young adults in South Africa access to the digital world and the knowledge of how to navigate it. Whilst the project has local staff, it needs volunteers to help increase its efficiency and effectiveness in specific areas, and so would welcome expertise in the following areas: • Teaching or classroom support • Developing proficiency and confidence in English through conversation and reading • Digital technology, especially education-based programs, and apps • Hospitality, media, music, or conservation industries • Creative art activities for children • Preparation of imaginative resources • Teacher training