Field report from the wildlife project in Namibia

Travel preparation with Rainbow Garden Village

I have always been interested in Namibia, the country, the people and the animals. That was the reason why I went looking for a project after my A-levels in which these aspects could be combined and I found RGV with the wildlife project. I was amazed by the staff who helped me through the preparations for the trip and who were there to help me with any questions or ambiguities. So the time passed quickly and before I knew it it was time; it could start!

Transfer to Volunteer Village

A member of my project team picked me and 9 other volunteers from our accommodation in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and brought us to the project site in minibuses. There we were welcomed by the Village Mum and taken to our respective accommodations.

Accommodation in cozy wooden huts

We sleep in wooden huts, each consisting of one room with four beds. The sliding doors on the two sides of the hut serve as air conditioning, which ensures a pleasant draft, especially in the evening after a long hot day (don't worry, mosquitoes stay outside due to the fixed nets). The food is generally varied and good, but there were always problems with the amount, since the number of volunteers varies weekly and the amount has to be adjusted again and again.

Team & volunteers on site - one big family

The newcomers are welcomed every Friday after dinner with singing and an introduction of all volunteers and coordinators. It then takes a few days to get to know the others better, but if you are open and interested, you will soon be part of a big family. After the work is done, it is very nice to have people with whom you can sit around the campfire in the evening and tell each other about the experiences of the day.

I never thought how close you get after only 4 weeks and I'm glad that many of the volunteers have become new friends. Every Wednesday there are Lapa Nights, where good food and lots of music bid farewell to those who are leaving the next day.

The highlight - the animals in the project!

But of course the work and being together with the people is not the only highlight, because the animals are too. Taking care of the baby baboons, vervets, chitaahs, caracals, or feeding the adult lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs, everyone who gets involved will get their money's worth. But beware! Handling meat is part of everyday life as these wild animals are mostly carnivores. I was amazed at how much care is taken of the animals and how important it is to make their lives as comfortable as possible. Of course, the whole thing involves physical work, since you have to clean the enclosures every day and farm work is also part of the program when it is very hot.

Conclusion about my volunteer work in Namibia

All in all, it is important to engage in the project and to face challenges, because then the whole thing becomes a unique experience that you will never forget.

Field report from the wildlife project in Namibia by Volunteer, April 2016