Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
1of6
Community
The fee paid by the volunteers is put directly back into the community projects in which it supports. This will include educational materials for the schools, plants and trees for regeneration programmes and tools for conservation work. Project fees are also used in the development and expansion of the project.
On this project our aim is to employ as many local people from the KZN community as possible. We currently employ a local Zulu translator and coordinator to assist the volunteers on their project work and to accompany and guide them on game drives and bush walks. These salaries contribute directly to the local economy and ensures that people in the surrounding area have a source of sustainable income.
To help with the language barrier there is a weekly Zulu language lesson for the volunteers, provided by our local coordinators. We also provide an optional excursion to the Zulu coordinators home village to see a traditional Zulu village and its cultures and customs, this culminates in a visit to the Sangoma – a traditional healer.
Environment
Our volunteers have provided hundreds of fantastic images to The Green Vision Foundation to raise awareness. These images have been used to create a photographic database of the species and unique eco-systems in the area to help with conservation education. This is part of a greater project working alongside the National Heritage Council of South Africa (NHC) to 'Preserve, Protect and Promote South Africa's heritage'. The images will be available to other conservation or community organisations for free but also to purchase to raise money towards local conservation programmes.
In order to preserve indigenous plant life and wildlife it is essential to get local communities involved. We identified that there was a lack of an educational syllabi and detailed photographic database of the wildlife in the area. We aim to create a database which will be used for educational purposes. These images have been used to help educate school children and children at day care crèches about local nature. We have seen a huge improvement in the children’s awareness of animals on field trips. The project has arranged visits to the reserve for the children, a first for many despite living at such close proximity.
Through the Conservation in Action Programme:
- Volunteers have removed hundreds of alien plants and litter, clearing the way for the stream which now provides the habitat for returning dragonflies and amphibians.
- 20 indigenous trees have been introduced back to the pan (natural pond) area in a local village.
- Through cleaning the pan and introducing perches in the water, the number and species of birds returning to the area has increased, including a rare kingfisher and cormorants.
- Information boards have been erected in both Zulu and English to inform local residents of our efforts and reasons for keeping it clear.
We have also partnered with a local school to run an after school conservation club. 30 children have been learning about wildlife, the environment, agreed their local conservation issues and help with the regeneration of the pan in their village. Volunteers have also taken club students out on field trips to see local conservation efforts to help the students appreciate the precious environment in which they live and to help preserve these areas for future generations.
The volunteer house is as eco-friendly as possible. Volunteers are encouraged to minimise water and electricity wastage during their orientation, the use of plastic bags have been minimised.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
