Travel Tips: Volunteering with Acacia Africa
Volunteering with Acacia Africa
Travel Tips: Volunteering with Acacia Africa
As I’ve traveled the world during these last two years, I’ve come to appreciate the wonders of our physical world – stunning landscapes, encounters with exotic animals and brilliant architecture. But what I’ve come to value the most is the opportunity to engage with indigenous cultures and local communities. One of the easiest ways to learn about unfamiliar cultures and make new friends is by volunteering with local nonprofit organizations in foreign countries.
I look upon two volunteering experiences with particular fondness. Both were during travels to Africa with Acacia Africa. The first was a 5-day tour to visit the mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park in Uganda. This was my second trip to Uganda and I was determined to see these peaceful creatures up close. The day of our tour we walked for over four hours in the jungle before we sighted the gorillas. We were lucky enough to sit with them and then trail behind them for nearly an hour. Our mountain gorilla encounter wasn’t the only highlight of this trip. I also tremendously enjoyed the school I visited on the banks of Uganda’s Lake Bunyonyi: The Little Angels Needy Children & Orphans Project. A visit to the school was offered as part of our tour package, so one early morning a fellow traveler and I set out by canoe across the lake. We planned on helping during class and meal times and had brought some school supplies for the children. Our thank you was the joyful singing and dancing of the school’s children.
Volunteering with Acacia Africa
My second volunteer opportunity came during my 19-day Desert-Tracker Safari overland expedition traversing southern Africa. During this more formal volunteer arrangement, seven other volunteers and I were treated to walking two lion cubs, Mawara and Mafara, in the morning, taking part in a “snare sweep” for illegal traps in the adjacent national park, and then participating in a research project and monitoring lion behavior in the late afternoon. I learned a ton that day about African wildlife in general, and the plight of African lions in particular. I also got to talk with the resident researchers in depth and learn from the local park rangers on how poaching affects their local Livingstone community.
Increasingly I’m meeting travelers who are willing to spend a day or two of their vacations volunteering with local organizations. Those who give overseas volunteering a try, don’t hesitate to incorporate a volunteer stint into all holidays abroad. Because when all is said and done, it’s not only the breathtaking sunset over the African savannah that I remember, but also the children’s delightful smiles and the chance to observe and play with lion cubs. Now that’s what I call a true African adventure!
If You Go:
For more information on Acacia Africa (Members of AITO. ATOL 6499 and ABTA W4093 PROTECTED) please contact 020 7706 4700; [email protected]; www.acacia-africa.com.
Bio:
Erin Michelson is on a two-year “living & giving” adventure, where she is traveling to all 7 continents and more than 60 countries and volunteering along the way. You can follower her Adventure Philanthropist lifestyle at www.GoErinGo.com.
