Zimbabwe – Teaching and Lion Rehabilitation in Antelope Park

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, nestled between Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. This project takes place at Antelope Park, a private game farm located 10km from the Gweru town center, in the heart of the Zimbabwe Midlands. Antelope Park is set in over 3000 acres of open savannah grassland.

Volunteer work on this project is greatly needed and much appreciated. During the week you will be involved in the community project.

Some of your tasks may include:

• Enrich the lives of underprivileged youth in care homes by teaching life skills
• Facilitate sports days, arts and crafts, storytelling, singing and other extracurricular activities at a local school
• Serve as a role model for disadvantaged children by offering much needed attention and support
• Immerse yourself in local Zimbabwean culture through direct engagement with the community
• Teach about the importance of wildlife conservation
• Assist in a preschool and/or Book Club

As a volunteer on this project you will serve as a mentor and a friend to youth. The need is so great which allows the opportunity for volunteers to get involved in a variety of ways depending on your experience and passion. Volunteer activities can range from working as a teaching assistant, cooking and serving food to street children, hosting workshops or study programs, sports development, gardening, facilitating youth camps focusing on life skills training, and efforts at uplifting the community through maintenance, refurbishment and painting as needed. This is a chance to make a difference in someone’s life as well as the chance to realize the reality of living in a third-world country with different cultural norms.

Over the weekend you will be taking part in the lion conservation activities.

Some of your tasks may include:

• Joining a globally recognized lion conservation project
• Making toys from natural materials for the lions as part of behavioral enrichment to stimulate their predatory and sensory behaviors
• Getting to know the African bush – explore the savannah grasslands

Internet: You will be able to send emails using our satellite broadband internet café at US$2.00 per 30 minutes. There is also activated WI – Fi should you wish to bring your laptop. The camps can experience power cuts, satellite malfunctions and server outages, so please be patient, and be aware that broadband in Africa is not nearly as fast as the connection you might be used to.

Laundry: A weekly laundry service is available at an additional fee of $5

Accommodations: Volunteer accommodations are a mixture of comfortable twin or quad thatched rooms at the main reserve camp with clean shower and toilet facilities located adjacent to the sleeping area. Your room will be cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff.

Food: Volunteers are provided with three meals a day, breakfast and dinner is served at the main camp of the reserve, and you will be given a packed lunch for your working day.

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

• Minimum age of 17
• Police clearance form
• Good level of English
• Flexibility and open mindedness
• Desire to and passion for working with children
• Immunizations (please consult family doctor)

During your stay at Antelope Park you will have the opportunity to enjoy an excursion to some of the other spectacular spots that Zimbabwe has to offer. Day trips are offered to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins as well as Matopos and once a month a trip to the Victoria Falls is organized for those volunteers who are interested. These trips are also a great time for volunteers to interact and get to know each other better.

Project Orientation (Included):
On arrival at the Antelope Park project, you will receive a comprehensive orientation, including:

• Volunteers will receive their volunteer’s manual which includes information that will help with their integration into the project, as well as give them further tips for their stay.
• Introduction to all the project’s senior staff
• Familiarization of your duties and the work areas
• Briefing on how to complete data capture forms
• Further information on the lion breeding program and our ultimate objective of releasing lions into the wild.

4-Day Victoria Falls Excursion Trip (Not Included):

During the low season, for an additional fee, volunteers may have the opportunity to participate in a 4-day/ 3-night trip to Victoria Falls. This trip to one of the Seven Wonders of the World offers the chance to bungee jump, go white water-rafting, ziplining, sunset cruising and more!