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Volunteering
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Project profile
Voluntourism
Back to basics
Lilongwe Wildlife Centre
Thinking about signing up to become a voluntourist? Kathy Gill, Director of Biosphere Expeditions, explains what to consider first
Louise Bleach from Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi lets us know what volunteers can expect when they arrive
oliday volunteering: the act of paying (usually) to work while on holiday, giving your time and money in exchange for a memorable experience. Sounds good, right? The world of holiday volunteering has developed over the past 10 years or so into an overflowing travel bazaar. It offers everything from the holiday equivalent of a beautifully woven rug to a trashy plastic toy that falls apart at a touch. This fast growing sector of the travel industry has even developed its own name, ‘voluntourism’. Some of the biggest organisations in travel have bought into the sector, but the smaller communitybased organisations are still there, too, in increasing numbers as they are able to promote themselves on the world stage through a plethora of brokering websites. Type ‘wildlife holiday volunteering’ into Google to glimpse the dazzling array of experiences on offer – literally thousands of different projects, offered by hundreds of different organisations. With an estimated £18 million being spent annually by tourists from the UK on wildlife volunteering, there is a world of wildlife supported in this way. Choosing one worthwhile project from another may seem like a near impossible task, but try this two-step approach:
Tell us about Lilongwe? The centre began in 2007 and is an accredited sanctuary for orphaned or injured animals, providing them with medical care and a safe haven. We always aim to release as many as we can into the wild, but those not able to survive on their own become our permanent residents. Bela, our one-eyed lion, has been with us for a couple of years now, as well as some boisterous but lovable baboons. What volunteering do you offer? If you are an animal lover and don’t mind getting stuck in, then animal care and assisting vets would be for you – animal health checks, helping with emergency vaccinations, orphan feeding and general sanctuary maintenance. If you’re a people-person you can also spend time in the community helping to monitor our sustainable livelihoods projects. What’s a typical day? This very much depends on what current projects are running, if there are any emergency veterinary problems, what orphans we have and if releases or arrivals are planned. We usually start at 8am and finish at 5pm. Then you can go for a sunset drink at one of the expat bars before joining the evening meal. What do volunteers take away? I hope they take a small part of Africa with them, and a profounder love and understanding of its wildlife. I want them to have the feeling they’ve left their mark – saving a baboon or teaching children the importance of planting a tree. What are your highlights? We always celebrate successful releases back into the wild and miracle recoveries from near-death. I suppose if I had to choose one real highlight for me, it would be seeing the centre expanding and knowing that we are making a tangible difference to Malawi’s wildlife and people. Prices at Lilongwe start at £932 for two weeks and you can stay up to three months! www.lilongwewildlife.org
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Step 1: The experience This can be broken into three key aspects: Type of work: Do you want to work out in the field or in the more controlled environment of a sanctuary? Within these environments the work can be surveys or
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animal observations, and/or manual labour such as building hides or creating waterholes. Habitat and species: Projects will take place in a habitat, so try to consider if it’s one you will enjoy working in. Many people choose a species that inspires them or they feel a connection towards. Don’t be surprised if looking after or studying a predator also involves working with and studying their prey – the whole ecosystem of the study species may be involved. Duration: Placements usually vary from one to two weeks, up to several months. The duration of your stay may also influence the profile of other volunteers on the project – often teens and early 20s can be found on the longer projects, with the shorter projects tending to attract 40- to 80-year-olds. Step 2: The organisation Before parting with your valuable time and money you need to know who you’re going to working for and how credible they are. Things to consider include their ethos, the awards they have won, if their results are published and where your money goes. Don’t shortcut this research. Getting this right will mean the difference between a mediocre or bad trip and going on a great one. For more advice before committing to a project, go to www.wildlifeextra.com/go/ world/volunteering-tips
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