Staff Spotlight: Sarah Carter

Seeing lions in the wild for the first time while on safari in Mana Pools in Zimbabwe - this ignited my passion for conservation, and made me aware of the need for education and awareness regarding the importance of our wildlife, as well as the desperate plight of many captive lions and other animals.

Living and working with rescued animals, and with our local community has taught me many life lessons. Be grateful for what you have, and for what others do for you. Be innovative and proactive. Stick to your core beliefs and values but learn to work as part of a team, and always keep sight of the bigger picture.

A volunteer who worked as a wedding planner came to volunteer at Twala, partly so she could get some perspective on her stressful and increasingly draining career. While Rebecca was with us, she discovered she had the most wonderful connection with our rescued dogs. They gave her as much joy and comfort as she gave to them. She went home, resigned from her job, moved cities and went to work for an animal shelter. She also took home a Twala rescue dog, who lives happily with her to this day!

The Twala Trust volunteer experience is life-changing. There is a sense of purpose and of belonging created by this small and personal programme volunteer programme, where you can see that the focus is on providing the very best quality of life possible for a wide variety of rescued birds and animals. Doing this kind of work makes for such a positive and happy experience, and at the end of it, there is a real sense of having made a genuine difference to the lives of the animals and to the local community who benefit so greatly from a long-standing and grassroots outreach initiative.

The Twala Trust is all about bringing happiness and second chances to animals and birds that have suffered abuse, injury and disability, and about including our community in our vision for a better environment, and better lives for the animals and the people that surround us. It's about the positives of conservation, the impact of education, the belief that all lives matter and that it is always worth trying to make a positive difference.

I am never prouder of my team than when we are all working together on a rescue, focused on the needs of the animal and our determination to give it a second chance. I love knowing that we are united in our purpose to create a genuine safe haven for any creature in need.

Success comes from a combination of a good work ethic, staying true to your mission despite the challenges that you may face, and taking care of each other. Running a non-profit has also taught me that gratitude is immensely important - people often say to me that I am so lucky that I work with animals, and I always remind them that this involves working with people too - our staff, our volunteers and our donors and supporters.