|
Project Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum 40 years.
The Volunteer Project
Namibia has an unemployment rate of 40% and a very low-income rate for most for the population and so survival of humans will always come first. When farmers have to protect a small group of livestock against predators in the hope of making a living, their choices become very limited. Conservation therefore suffers severely. Noah’s Ark is a family-run farm which has dedicated the last 30 years to establishing a secure home to injured or orphaned animals; including lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, baboons, meerkats, mongooses and many domesticated animals.
Noah’s Ark works to educate local farmers, provide positive solutions to the continuous problems between farmers and wild animals and give sanctuary to threatened wildlife. This project offers a real hands-on experience to work and help with many different species of Namibia’s amazing wildlife. Additionally, Noah’s Ark has established a strong, trusting relationship with the local Bushmen in the surrounding areas (including the ability to speak their native language) and uses this unique understanding of their ways and needs to help promote conservation goals.
Noah’s Ark believes in life and takes its role in conservation and the protection of the Namibian wildlife, land and people very seriously. It should be remembered that this project would not be necessary if people had left the wild animals alone in their natural habitat. From hunting, poaching and the buying and selling of wild animals, it is becoming increasingly hard to prevent or improve on the given situation and without the help of places like Noah’s Ark, the eventual extinction of wild animals in Africa will be difficult to prevent.
Volunteer Role
Noah’s Ark is always busy. Every day of the year the needs of the animals must be attended to before anything else and often there are not enough hours in the day to achieve all the other things we would like to. This is why the skills of working guests can be used so effectively on the project.
During your project, you will be involved in some, if not all of the following activities:
- Feeding the wild and domestic animals: Feeding is carried out twice a day
- Caring for, hand-rearing and cleaning any baby animals that may be present at the time
- Night duty: Caring for baby animals, especially baboons.
- Cleaning Enclosures: Raking, cleaning waterholes, collecting bones from enclosures etc
- Assisting with building work and the repair of fences, waterholes and enclosures: This will involve some physical labour
- Assisting in the veterinary clinic with injured animals and routine care: Qualified veterinary experience is required
- Assisting field guides with daily guest tours of Noah’s Ark
- Preparation of meat - including handling and preparing fresh meat
- Handling small stock, i.e. sheep and goatsThroughout your stay, you may also partake in some other activities. These may include:
- School visits: Visiting a Roman Catholic school for the day. There is an extra charge payable to the project (approx £15)
- Possibly assisting at the local bushman clinic
- Helping with the cheeky cheetah school project. Up to now this has been more of a pre-school, in which the children learn basic skills. This is the local San children’s main opportunity of education – since their nearest alternative is over 35km away.
Some of the volunteer activities are physical in nature and can include:
- Erecting fences, digging new waterholes and building new enclosures
- Bush survival walks
- Sleep outs in the bush under the stars
- Learning about tracking
- Team building challenges, such as the “Fear factor”
- Walks with animals such as cheetahs, lions and baboons
- Patrols of enclosures and game areas
Animals at Noah’s Ark
Noah’s Ark houses a vast number of animals, of many different species. These include the big cats such as cheetahs, lions and leopards, caracals, monkeys and baboons, brown hyenas, bat eared foxes, jackals, wild dogs, zebra, vultures and ostriches, crocodiles, warthogs, meerkats and mongooses... just to name a few. There are many antelope species at the farm together with domestic animals such as dogs, cats, sheep, goats, tortoises and mice: The farm will never turn an animal away and all of these species need your help!
The animals that have found their way to Noah’s Ark can be divided into five categories:
- Problem animals
- Injured animals
- Pets
- Orphaned baby animals
- Animals born on Noah’s Ark
The Bushman Medical Outreach Project
Not only has Noah’s Ark established a trusting, strong relationship with the local Bushmen in the surrounding areas, but also has the ability to speak their native language to thus allow a unique understanding of their ways and needs. 50 Bushmen are responsibly employed by the project and another 1500 live in rural settlements around Noah’s Ark. A clinic has now been purchased on behalf of Noah’s Ark and will serve as the base for all the work. This unique clinic offers funding sources, provide an HIV/AIDS testing and screening, offer HIV/AIDS treatment and an HIV/AIDS education and prevention programme.
The African Wild Dog Project
Depending on the time of year and demand, there is a possibility that you may also be able to assist with Wild Dog Research. The project recognizes the fact that the African Wild Dog is one of Namibia’s most valuable assets and we intend to release some of the current captive held dogs into a proposed 10,000 hectare reserve.
Project Support
Throughout your stay in Namibia you will have the support and guidance of the family who own the farm and their competent project leaders and team. They will provide you with competent field support, assistance and help you with any support you may need during your stay. They will be there for you to contact each day if you have any questions. In addition, you will also have access to a 24 hour emergency number so you are always able to contact a member of our UK team should you need to.
Project Orientation
Upon arrival at the project the project manager will greet you. You will then be shown to your allocated accommodation. Later on that day, or the following day, depending upon your arrival time to camp, you will receive an orientation of the camp, this will include:
- Guide to the camp, showing you where everything is
- Introduction to the important people at the project
- Two guest tours introducing you to the animals on the project and what your duties will be with regards to them
- Briefing on the rules and regulations of the project
- Briefing on the practical aspects of your duties, such as food preparation and cleaning
Accommodation and Meals
The Wendy house-style rondavels are wooden framed, with two sides left open and laid out in mosquito netting, to keep the rooms cool during the day. Inside, the rooms are fitted with individual storage areas for your belongings and single beds with towels and linen provided. You will also have access to hot showers and toilet facilities and a shared kitchen and dining area for your meals each day, overlooking the waterhole.
Throughout your stay, you will receive 3 meals a day. As a working guest, you will prepare your own breakfast (cereal, toast, tea, coffee, fruit, and yoghurt), but all other meals will be prepared for you by a cook on site.
|
