de Wildt Project - ISV South Africa

I participated in the four week program: two weeks volunteering at the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre followed by two weeks of "adventure travel." It has completely changed my life. I highly recommend doing the whole four weeks if it is at all possible for you.
My time at the Cheetah Centre and the Cheetah Lodge was insanely rewarding. Some of the tasks seemed like they didn't really make much difference, but Rika and the staff at de Wildt did a good job explaining how everything we do helps the Cheetah Centre. Putting a couple dozen volunteers on clearing branches and painting fences and preparing food makes it easier for the center to devote their more experienced man-power to more delicate and more involved tasks. However, the staff ensure that the volunteers do get close interaction with the cheetahs. Feeding rounds, clearing enclosures with cheetahs just on the other side of the fence, and ambassador interactions all make the "menial" tasks worth it. I hardly remember the hard work because it was evenly spaced with very fun and very educational experiences. The staff, the other volunteers staying at the Cheetah Lodge, and Rika are super fun and make every second enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, it's HARD WORK volunteering here. I got tired every day and I was falling asleep before 10 every night, often before 9, and was taking naps in a lot of my free time. Yet it was so rewarding and so worth it.
The second two weeks, Adventure Tour, was so beyond fun. I have had a lot of people ask me what my favorite activity was, and I honestly cannot decide because they were all so so so fun. There were some fun outdoorsy activities like kloofing and caving, and also some chill educational ones like a visit to Lesedi cultural village and Moholoholo Conservation Center. It was perfectly balanced between education and adventure. Most of my stories came from these two weeks, but the true impact on my world and the world around me came from the first two weeks.
It seems expensive, but when you take into account everything that you're doing those four weeks, pretty much all included, it's about $1,000 a week, and it's worth every penny. The memories and experiences and friendships will last a lifetime and are more than worth the money.