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Feedback from South Africa VolunteersHere are some of the emails we have received from volunteers about their experiences in South AfricaI arrived in South Africa at Jo�burg Airport on the 7th December 2003. The only thought running through my head was, what the hell I was doing? I must be mad leaving my family and friends over Christmas to spend three months in a strange country, where I knew no one, to work as a conservation volunteer. This was the beginning of the best five months of my life! My first placement in South Africa was at Klipkop. Work at Klipkop involved helping out in many different ways. Jobs ranged from cutting down the dreaded invader plants (with machetes!), fence mending and inspections, to veld assessments and game counts. Half a day per week was spent at the Menlyn Park shopping centre to stock up on supplies and relax. (This is the biggest shopping centre I have ever seen, and I�m not joking!) Klipkop also provided a great base for visiting the many attractions in the area from Pretoria itself to the Pilanesberg National Park, the Lion Park, local markets, Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park. Most of these places we volunteers either drove to ourselves in cars hired to us by Tony or on an organised tour with Lords, the most popular tour guides with all volunteers! My time spent at Klipkop involved hard work, lots of it! But also great fun and friendship and amazing animals - including Tony and Mary�s loyal family of dogs and cats! (keep your room door closed at all times)! Klipkop is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. To walk for miles meeting the occasional ostrich, blesbok, wildebeest or zebra, listening to the nightime chorus of frogs and insects, is truly breathtaking. I spent five great weeks at Klipkop and both the place itself and the people I met there will always be very special to me. Jillian Kee I volunteered at Klipkop South Africa in May 2004. Almost a year later I still realize how much I learned through my experience there. I think of Klipkop daily wondering how the conservancy is doing, and if the animals I was privileged to view grazing there are still doing well. It was a gift to be able to volunteer at Klipkop. As a keen birder, I added many new birds to my growing life list. I walked the reserve daily and spent a lot of time helping out in whatever capacity I was needed. I felt my contribution was appreciated. I also had the opportunity when not working to travel around the area. Oh yes, the people at Klipkop are the best. I enjoyed the company of Tony, Mary, Julie and Donal, their friendship, support and knowledge. They are wonderful and will never be forgotten. I would highly recommend this adventure in volunteering to others. Beth Carson I volunteered at Klipkop back in December 2003. Does the fact that I am still here in June 2005 tell you something? After volunteering at two other conservation initiatives, I returned to Klipkop in March 2004 and have been helping out ever since. Klipkop is obviously very special to me. Initially, what captured my imagination was the fact that it was just a bunch of everyday people trying to make a difference. There was no government funding, no corporate sponsors, just Tony, Mary and their business. It was very evident that over the years Tony and Mary had invested so much � not just financially, but personally too. It was great to be able to volunteer for a wildlife and environmental cause so deserving. I guess what �signed and sealed� this place in my heart was its beauty and tranquility so relatively close to both Johannesburg and Pretoria. To be able to walk around a reserve, alone, surrounded by African wildlife, is just magical. You can see these magnificent creatures in the flesh, not through a window or a camera lens. To know that you are assisting in maintaining their habitats � enabling their survival � is just the greatest feeling. Also, you can instantly see the results of the hard work you put in. You get pretty dirty, work up a tremendous sweat and a hearty appetite, and sleep like a log at the end of it. Do come and join in the hard work and fun at Klipkop. It is a great way to feel a part of Africa. Julie Blair |
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Feature Fundraiser: Mt KilimanjaroIn January 2006 we're climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as our major fundraiser for the Ugandan Education Fund. Participants will have the opportunity to hike to the top of one of the most beautiful and prestigious mountains in the world, and funds raised will go towards building a school for AIDS orphans in Uganda. more >> |
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