Costs of having pets spayed or neutered are simply unaffordable, and therefore overpopulation and sickness are rife. No previous experience or knowledge is necessary to join the Amakhala program. The vision behind the volunteer program is to provide people with the opportunity to give something back to the environment and have a life changing experience, while providing the reserve with invaluable conservation assistance. There isn't a maximum age limit, though a reasonable fitness level is necessary.
Families are welcome! You will be accommodated in an eight-bedroom house in the nearby town of Paterson 10 minutes from the reserve. The house is a beautiful converted railway station, overlooking a large garden and within "crawling" distance of the local drinking hole.
Some of the rooms are single rooms, however please be prepared to share if necessary. A communal dining room and living room with TV are situated centrally within the house, leading off to a kitchen.
Internet is available in the sunroom. The house also has an outside braai BBQ area which has seen many festive nights! The program only accepts 8 volunteers, therefore ensuring a unified, highly personalized experience.
The house also accommodates several of the Amakhala rangers and administrative staff, further contributing to a great family-orientated atmosphere. Volunteers participate in the creation of menus and the preparation of meals on a rotational basis. The working week at Amakhala is Monday to Friday. Working hours are dependent on the season and the heat - there are often earlier mornings and longer mid-day breaks in the hot, summer months.
Evenings and weekends are at your own leisure. Volunteers generally relax in the evenings at the local pub or around the open fire at the volunteer house. Weekends can be used by volunteers to explore some of the surrounding areas. Volunteers are welcome to hang around the volunteer house on the weekends, but many people choose to head off in groups - favorite outings include Jeffrey's Bay for great beaches and surfing, Grahamstown for shopping and festivals, and Port Elizabeth for amazing nightlife!
Volunteers are treated to a one night 4-star guest experience at the Safari Lodge at the Amakhala Game Reserve R value. The Safari Lodge is tucked away in a valley of indigenous bush, its location is ideal for the best wildlife viewing.
The intimate thatched lodge with unique safari huts offers an undisturbed retreat where you can regenerate your soul and tune into the sounds of nature. Four course dinners of traditional dishes are cooked safari style over the coals. After a luxurious bubble bath, a good night sleep awaits you before another active Amakhala day in the African bush. Enkosini uses USD rates as standard due to currency fluctuations. GBP rates are indications of approx recent values. Currency convertor at www.
The volunteer contribution covers accommodation, meals, activities and donation to the project. Please bear in mind that the sooner you apply, the better your chances of securing your placement! Volunteers just need to inform Enkosini Eco Experience of the date they are planning to arrive. Volunteers are required to sign an indemnity form acknowledging and accepting the consequences of working in close contact with wild animals.
Arrangements will be made for the Amakhala staff or JC Shuttle Services to collect incoming volunteers from either the Port Elizabeth airport or bus station R South African rands each way paid directly to staff. Amakhala is approximately 70 kms 45 minutes from Port Elizabeth. Flights and buses can be booked online at www. Amakhala is based in a malaria-free area and there are no formal vaccination requirements for entering South Africa, however it is incumbent upon each person to get their own medical advice on vaccinations and on whether or not to follow a malaria prophylactic program especially if you are planning onward travels into malarial zones.
See FAQs for complete packing list. A week was too short a time but I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the program even a stay at the fancy lodge! I have been a volunteer at Amakhala for four weeks now and it has exceeded my expectations. Being an ecologist, I was looking forward to getting up close and personal with South Africa's wildlife and I have not been disappointed.
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Steppes Travel. As we drove along the dusty road, heading out of our camp, there was a sense of nervousness and excitement in…. Rob Gardiner. They will provide you with a short briefing of the house rules, general programme and show you around the house and the facilities.
You will then be shown your room and allowed to settle in and meet the other volunteers who you will be sharing the accommodation with. A small booklet will also be provided to you with more useful information regarding your stay. The fun begins! The working week at Amakhala will usually comprise of a 5-day week working 8 hours a day Monday-Friday. Time to start and finish work will depend on the activities of the day and time of year. You are more than welcome to stay at the volunteer accommodation, relaxing in front of the open fire, cooling down in the small pool or enjoying the atmosphere in the local pub.
A wide variety of activities can be booked from the volunteer house and our local team are there to assist.
A full list will be made available to you when you first arrive. You can take a leisurely stroll around Port Elizabeth, relax on the golden sand beaches or even visit the local penguin sanctuary! If you are feeling really adventurous you can take a cheap flight to nearby Cape Town or Johannesburg. The following week s will follow a similar pattern to the above. You will be volunteering Monday to Friday and the weekends will be free for you to do as you please. Time will fly by, so be sure to make the most of your time in South Africa.
Monday will sadly be the last day during your final week. Depnding on what transfer option you have selected will dictate your travel times. Patterson is situated at the foothills of the Zuurberg Mountains and is in the centre of game reserve country. The six massive grain silos are a significant mark in the skyline that is otherwise dominated by bushveld.
By , the rail functions had been transferred to the city of Port Elizabeth and Paterson became semi-dormant. The weather in South Africa is extremely seasonal and is well known for having all four seasons in one day! A subtropical climate, moderated by the ocean on two sides and with the altitude of the interior plateau accounts for the warm temperature so typical of South Africa.
Famous for its sunshine, this relatively dry country has an average rainfall of half of the worlds average! Please bear in mind that the seasons are the reverse of the UK.
These months are generally warm and dry; however, at times it can get quite windy. June brings cold weather as South Africa enters the winter period, which lasts up until September.
The weather over this period can be unpredictable so we suggest bringing clothes for all seasons. All volunteers are required to dress appropriately whilst working at the project.
Although there is no formal dress code at the project, volunteers should have their shoulders, knees and any chest area covered. Please refrain from wearing clothes that are to tight or revealing. Africa is dirty and dusty! Dust is an ever-present feature of the bush, particularly during the dry winter months and during the summer it can be muddy from short rain showers.
The dust will get into everything and your clothes will get grubby even if you haven't been doing particularly dirty work. Bring clothes that you wouldn't mind never seeing again or throwing away, as there's a good chance that's all they'll be good for when you've finished your programme!
When packing, consider the daily temperature range and in winter consider bringing lightweight layers to peel off during the day rather than one very heavy jacket. Due to the nature of the programme, public and school holidays do not generally affect the project, apart from some of the community-based activities.
There may be occasions when a local festivity or an organised event at the game reserve means there are no planned activities for one day — although this is rare. Alternatively, we work closely with several partners in the aviation industry to provide competitively priced flights. Not only this, but our specialist team know each and every one of our programmes so we can ensure you get the most suitable flight with regards to arrival and departure times into South Africa.
If you would like any assistance with booking your flight, then please email us and we will be happy to provide a quote. After your place has been confirmed, we recommend booking your flights as early as possible. Not only will this help ensure you can secure the correct dates, but this is generally when you will get the lowest price.
Please note that we cannot accept standby flights. All flight details provided to us must be fully confirmed. Whether you are travelling for 1 week or 6 months, having adequate travel insurance that covers your entire duration abroad is an essential and compulsory part of your adventure. Although The Mighty Roar does everything in their power to ensure each and every trip is safe, inevitably things can and do go wrong.
Therefore, having a travel insurance policy in place will help you with any problems you may encounter during your time away. We have teamed up with Endsleigh to create an affordable and comprehensive travel insurance policy specifically for The Mighty Roar volunteers. You can be safe in the knowledge that you have full protection if needed and that our polices cover all of your volunteering activities. If you would like to purchase your travel insurance through TMR then you can easily add this on when applying under the optional extras page.
Alternatively, you can contact us today to add this onto your existing application. Please do not contact Endsleigh directly, as they will be unable to assist. We recommend that you organise your travel insurance as soon as you confirm your place.
This will ensure that your pre-departure cancellation starts from the day you are accepted and will cover you should you have to cancel your trip for an insured reason such as illness. You should ensure that your travel insurance covers you for the total duration of your trip i.
It is important to note that our travel insurance is inclusive of your start and end date. For example, if you are volunteering for one week, from Saturday to Saturday, this is in actual fact 8 days and you will need to take out 2 weeks insurance to be fully covered.
For further information about our travel insurance, please click here. In order for you to participate in any of our volunteering programmes, you will need to present to us a clean criminal background check also known as a DBS or Police Check. This must be submitted and approved no less than 21 days prior to your programme start date. A criminal background check is a mandatory requirement for all volunteers aged 16 and over. We are unable to provide any exceptions to this, which is why it is important that you apply for one as soon as possible — at least 6 weeks prior to your start date.
If you already have a criminal background check that has been issued within 18 months of your programme start date, then you are more than welcome to provide this. If you don't have a valid DBS check then you will need to apply for one. UK volunteers need to apply for a "Basic Disclosure" through the government website here.
All volunteers will receive a comprehensive volunteer handbook that provides all of the information you need to prepare for your upcoming trip. This includes details on what to pack, how to obtain a visa, what to expect and so much more.
With this in mind, it is really important that you read through the volunteer handbook carefully. You will receive your volunteer handbook once you have confirmed your place by paying the registration fee. We will send an email entitled 'Welcome to TMR', which will include a link to your online account where you can access the handbook and other important details.
Please note, all material is sent via email and hard copies cannot be sent. Hannah's story. Sara's story. Lynette's story. Stephanie's story.
Head into the African bush with the big five at Amakhala Assist behind the scenes on ongoing conservation projects. Apply now. South Africa Amakhala big five conservation.
Apply now Application process. Background to the programme This area was once densely populated with wildlife. Where will I be volunteering? What is my role? What will a typical day look like? Where will I be staying? Other things to consider Weekends and free time - You will have every weekend off from volunteering and this is the perfect time to explore everything this beautiful country has to offer.
Amakhala Big Five. Read More. It's an experience I will never forget and I am already planning my next trip to Africa. South Africa Amakhala. Amazing time at Amakhala. I arrived home today after two weeks at Amakhala. What an incredible experience. It was everything I hoped for and so much more. Volunteering at Amakhala.
Amakhala Game Reserve. Take me back to Amakhala. Amakhala Big 5. Safari volunteering in South Africa. Programme videos More details. Programme videos. Volunteer fees More details. Volunteer fees. Duration Duration. Duration 1 week. Duration 2 weeks. Duration 3 weeks. Duration 4 weeks. Duration 5 weeks. Duration 6 weeks. Duration 7 weeks. Duration 8 weeks. Duration 9 weeks. Duration 10 weeks. Duration 11 weeks. Duration 12 weeks.
What's included More details. What's included. The programme fee goes directly to our local team in South Africa and is used towards the following: - Accommodation - All meals - Transport to projects - In-country orientation - hour in-country support The registration fee that you pay to confirm your place on the volunteer programme is retained by our team in the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions More details. Frequently asked questions. What are the requirements to be a volunteer in South Africa? Are there any age restrictions to volunteer in South Africa? When is the best time of year to volunteer in South Africa? I am really interested in volunteering in South Africa, when should I apply? What duration would you recommend volunteering for?
What date should I arrive and leave South Africa for my volunteer programme? Why are TMR's volunteering fees so much more affordable than other organisations? Can I talk to previous volunteers and others who will be volunteering in South Africa at the same time as me? Will I be able to travel whilst volunteering in South Africa? Is it safe to travel to South Africa? What support will I receive?
When do I pay for my volunteer programme? Can I pay in instalments? Can I use the programme as part of my university or college placement?
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