Volunteer Trips
Combine overland travel and volunteer trips on an overland tour with a difference. Get your hands dirty at the same time giving something back to local communities and environmental projects whilst traveling on your dream Africa Overland Tour.
Volunteer Work in Africa
Not everyone has the time to participate in traditional volunteer work programs (which might need you to stay for months at a time), but still want to make the difference they can in the time they have. With Volunteer Overland Tours - you can make a difference! Use your skills and learn some new ones as you interact in depth with real African people, places and wildlife.
Volunteer Trip Skills
You don't have to have a PhD to contribute to Volunteer overland trips in Africa. The biggest gift you can give in many instances is your time and your hard work. You could be allocated to a specific part of the project based on skills you have - like builders would work on building things and teachers on teaching kids. Once those areas are allocated the rest of the group will be allocated other important jobs such as planting trees, babysitting, clearing walking trails, painting rooms, animal tracking, gathering statistics to name a few.
Who benefits?
The following are among some of the beneficiaries of the money, energy and work generated by Volunteer Overland Tours in Africa:
Breadline Africa: Break the cycle of poverty by supporting poverty alleviation projects in Southern Africa. 10 years experience with over 150 projects in 8 countries in southern Africa.
House of Judah Community: 15 years of hard work to uplift the lives of those in the local community including encouraging tourism, establishing nature trails and implementing a local community creche.
Ngwavuma Mpontshini School & HIV/AIDS Orphan Care: A garden established by a local lady (Hlengiwe Mthembu) helps to cater to the needs of over 400 students and 20 adopted orphans. Provides much needed nutrition and is often the only meals the kids will see today.
The African Wildlife Foundation: African led and African based conservation organisation focused solely on Africa.
Gwexintaba Community: The community aims to reduce erosion, inhibit soil damage and improve agricultural practises to alleviate pressure on the environment from an ever expanding local population.
Sodwana Recycling Project: Addresses the problem of irresponsible waste management created by locals and tourists alike encouraging the Sodwana region to remain pristine and beautiful.
Jane Goodall Institute - Chimp Eden: Home to chimps misplaced from their natural environment. JGI rescue chimps from hunters, poachers, illegal pet traders, zoo's, the circus etc and provide a sanctuary at their 1000 hectare reserve.
Machabeng Conservation and Development Project: Aims to create a sustainable reserve for predator species (leopard, hyena, caracal) to survive away from poachers.
The Green Revolution - Aerial Surveys: Aerial surveys to determine species identification and population using aircraft that are inexpensive to run and environmentally low impact. Motorised gliders are successfully used.
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
- Minette - OverlandingAfrica.com13 Feb 2012
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Hi Mishalness; I have emailed you more information. We will be able to assist you with an overland tour for before or after your volunteering stint. Cheers!
- mishalness09 Feb 2012
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I see this project and best thinging about to environmental projects whilst traveling on your dream Africa Overland Tour.he community aims to reduce erosion; inhibit soil damage and improve agricultural practises to alleviate pressure on the environment from an ever expanding local population.i want to doing help with this project
How much time do I need?
Volunteer Overland Trips range from 10 to 23 days. At least half to 3/4 of the time is spent 'overlanding'. These trips are predominantly overland tours where you will see and interact with South Africans and African wildlife while on your holiday. A smaller portion of your total tour length is spent at volunteer projects.
The highlight of my trip had to be Gweru in Zimbabwe, it was my idea of paradise. So much to do there with the animals and the location of it was just beautiful!
— Anne B (27) from Ireland
The trip was great! A very relaxed ride in a mokoro, followed by camping in the Okavango Delta and watching the animals on the islands was awesome!
— Michael & Silke from Germany
I loved every millisecond of the entire trip... Guess what I did in Swakopmund? I skydived out of a plane - woohoo was that AWESOME :-)
— JoJo E (61) from Switzerland
Finally home and had a great time…. I loved the shark diving, Sossusvlei and Himba people. Saw Lions, a Leopard, Elephants, Giraffes, everything really! Thanks for…
— John E from Canada
I did not believe in god till i visited Chobe National Park.
— Juca from Uruguay

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