Join Us To Volunteer With Children And Animals

Would you like to get hands-on experience with injured and orphaned wild animals whilst educating local underprivileged children, perhaps giving both of them a brighter future? At Daktari Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage, this is exactly what you can do!

You can join us for an experience of a life time, an internship, a Gap year, or just a holiday!

Daktari is set in a beautiful nature reserve with granite hills and the most stunning views. It hasn't got the Big Five, but leopard and hyena do roam around next to the general plain game like impala, kudu, wildebeest, zebra and giraffe. You will mostly work in and around the camp with the children, but if you want to and where possible, the project leaders will also take you for walks and drives in the reserve. The game tends to be shy, but the scenery in itself is more than worthwhile already. Besides, it's a great opportunity to pick one of the project leaders brain and learn from his vast knowledge on the bush and wildlife!

Find out about our volunteer rates

Teaching basic subjects to children 

Every Monday Daktari welcomes a new group of 8 local under-privileged children for a week. As a volunteer your main tasks will be teaching the children and working with the animals. You will give the children the opportunity to discover, learn and become passionate about wildlife and conservation, their heritage. You will also supplement their school curriculum in very basic English, maths, sciences, geography, life skills, educational games and social issues. The children are in the 8th grade, but they vary in age from 13 to 16 years old. Their English is very poor and most of the time they need a lot of support with maths. Personal attention is something that they are not used to. That is why they really get the chance to blossom at the project. They go home as different children and that is also because of the attention they receive from people like you.

It is a two way street. The children will give you back what you put in. Maybe sometimes you think it doesn't work, but at the end of the week you will see the difference. Our methods are not always conventional but are fun for the children.

The best advice we can give is for you to really enjoy your volunteer experience and make it into a two way learning opportunity. We want you to leave with the feeling that you have achieved something positive for the future of the children, the animals and the environment, but also for yourself.

No specific skills are required. We need your enthusiasm and dynamism.

The orphaned wild animals provide the basis for inspiring care and compassion for the environment. To this end we try to have animals that can be touched and caressed. This is not always possible.

• Cleaning and disinfecting animal camps and cages
• Providing fresh food and water for the animals
• Checking the health and condition of the animals
• Compiling newsletter articles for individual animal sponsors
• Research and record keeping of the animals
• Basic first aid for animals

Many animals require extra care and sometimes this may involve working during the night.

Daktari is continually growing, and often physical work is required. Duties can include:

• Renovating animal camps
• Building new animal camps and cages
• Renovating accommodation
• Painting
• General construction and repairs

Fundraising, marketing and communication (minimum of 3 months)

Volunteers may opt for this department of Daktari. We only take one volunteer in this section at any one time, and you will concentrate on:

• Preparing fundraising proposals
• Compiling funding request
• Seeking additional funding opportunities
• Marketing and advertising
• Forming new contacts (networking)
• Compiling and dissemination of monthly newsletters
• Communication

How does a volunteer day look like at Daktari Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage

How you benefit:

• You participate to a community project, sharing your knowledge for the future of the underprivileged children
• You help animals and learn about Wildlife and conservation
• You go home with a professional experience that might help you to find a job later. It's always good to be able to mention on your CV that you have been a volunteer in Africa, donating your time and your savings!!!
• You stay in a beautiful area where you will meet South African and many other different cultures
• Where possible or when opportunities are available, we will give you time to visit the surrounding area and do some tourism. But as nature is the master and the children and animal the priority, we can’t guaranty it and plan it in advance. Be assured that we will do our best to make your stay as enriching as possible.

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