Volunteer work in the elephant project and in kindergarten

Lea N. (19) has participated in two projects in Namibia:

At the elephant project in Damaraland and in a kindergarten project in Windhoek.

A dream becomes true

It all started with the desire to go abroad for a few months as a volunteer. Last but not least, Lea's longing for the big wide world was stimulated and deepened by a television documentary about Namibia. It seemed like a dream to her that a few years later she would actually embark on a journey to the land of endless deserts, fascinating landscapes and wild animals.

Through a friend who had already signed up for a project, she came to Rainbow Garden Village. In a personal conversation with the coordinators everything was clarified: 

Visa requirements, necessary vaccinations and what else is there to do. 

Then the adventure started:

She spent the first four weeks in the elephant project near Swakopmund. Far away from home, Lea learned a lot about the coexistence between humans and elephants during this exciting time. During the day work was done to secure water holes for elephants. Protecting farm water supply systems is one of the main concerns in this project. At night they slept outdoors. Other tasks were research and transmission of data on elephants and their behavior. 

What Lea was important

It should be a fair project. The animals should live in good conditions, be able to move freely and not be too restricted or influenced by humans. 

After four weeks, Lea switched to the kindergarten project. She cooked with the children and helped with the care. The most important things here are initiative and self-confidence. In larger groups, a supervisor is supported, but it can also be the case that you are on your own. The length of stay is also important: 4 weeks to 12 months are possible - the longer, the better. If possible, the children do not need to change caregivers too often.

This wonderful time out in Africa was very valuable for Lea and she is glad not to have organized everything on her own. Taking care of everything yourself would have been a bit overwhelming. 

The positive experiences in kindergarten led to the decision to study social work. Even managing own projects and working in a volunteer organization, Lea can imagine. 

Finally, let's say, a great start to the studies / professional life!

Many thanks also to the organization www.abi.de for publishing the article:

http://bit.ly/Erfahrungsbericht-Namibia-auf-abi-de