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DAKTARI Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage

9.57 Rating
49 reviews
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Community Photos

Planting trees with our group
Funny faces with our students
Me and the Kids on our nature walk
Me with a Dassie
Pretty with a Balou the squirrel

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About

The mission of DAKTARI is to educate and inspire local children to value their environment and stimulate community development

Every Monday, eight new students come to DAKTARI’s camp to spend the week building their knowledge of the environment and wildlife. They attend lessons, do activities, and interact with the animals in the wildlife orphanage. DAKTARI also works at the secondary schools to further this education and undertake community development projects.

Our goal is to enable today’s local underprivileged children to eventually be able to secure good employment in nature reserves, thereby improving their future quality of life.

** 100% OF YOUR PAYMENT GOES TO THIS CHARITY **

20% discount between March 14th and April 11th!

We are offering a 20% discount to anyone booking for the period of 14th March 2020 to 11th April 2020!
Learn More
Website
www.daktaribushschool.org
Founded
2002
Headquarters

Bona Ingwe Farm, Harmony 81
Hoedspruit
1380
South Africa

Reviews

Default avatar
Adriano
Age:
33
8/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Mar 20, 2020

This program was excellent for a first time volunteering abroad. Daktari has everything someone need to have an excellent staying, while the staff was also amazing. The program is very organised and all the material has been pre defined and selected for everything to run smoothly.
The interaction with the kids is amazing and they are all so kind that make us feel really nice during our week with them. The animals at Daktari also enhances the programs value.

Considering everything this program has, I would definitely like to come back someday.

What would you improve about this program?
I think the program could have a more long term strategy towards the kids, as they spend only one week with the volunteers. Maybe there could be a mentoring program where volunteers kept track of the development of the student, maybe through quarterly meetings with Daktaris team. Although the program is excellent, maybe the impact on the kids lives/future is very limited as the duration of the program is only one week.
Default avatar
Stephanie
Age:
33
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Feb 28, 2020

I'm very happy and so rich after this week immersion with children and animals. Thanks to all the team and founders for this fantastic place wich contribute to educate futures generations. I loved the education part and the time spent with the children, thanks a lot <3

I appreciate the animals, the dancing fire, the walk bush and all the funny moments with the children

What was your funniest moment?
dancing with children around the fire, hugs with the donkey
Default avatar
Ava
Age:
19
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Feb 14, 2020

I would highly recommend this volunteer experience, i had so much fun here and had such a rewarding time. This was because I could clearly see the positive impact i was having on the children and their education as a whole. To see the kids having fun and learning so much during their time here made the hard work worth it. I loved getting involved in the animal care and watching all the animals being happy and growing. If you are nervous or worried about coming all the way to South Africa by yourself don't be you won't regret it and you will have a great time.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I saw a leopard at Kruger National Park on an excursion at the weekend. It was a magical moment especially because i got to experience it with all my new friends.
Default avatar
Rafaela
Age:
21
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Feb 7, 2020

I came here to learn how to take care of animals and how to interact more with kids, and I'm leaving with my goal achieved! It was amazing to see how much impact we can make in someone's life with just a little of attention. I went to Eco Club at Oaks High School and it was so different than what I was expecting. It was a experience that I'm going to take for life!
I loved it and I would definitely love to come back. Thank you to all the incredible staff and to all the amazing people that I got to know in Daktari.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would try to be less shy at the beginning and be more prepare for the classes.
Default avatar
Jo
Age:
52
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Jan 24, 2020

As an older volunteer, I was a little apprehensive about being at DAKTARI. Never having done a 'gap' year or travelled alone, however, my experience was something I certainly will never forget. My fellow volunteers were all in their late teens or 20s but we bonded so well. The shared experiences of stabling and teaching, not to mention the excursions and chats around the dinner table gave me so many incredible memories that I will treasure forever. Initially, I was skeptical about the impact we would have with the children after only one week, but when we heard their presentations and promises at the end, it demonstrated how successful the programme is. The long term volunteers and the staff at DAKTARI made me feel so welcome and their passion and commitment was clear to see. I expected to have an interesting time, but not to make the connections with so many individuals.
Highly recommend this organisation if you want to connect with nature, children and find out about yourself.

What would you improve about this program?
The teaching day is quite long and I think some of the lessons could be restructured to be more fun.
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DAKTARI Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
South Africa
9.57 •49 reviews

This exceptional experience provides volunteers with the unique...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Bente Schalkx

Program
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

Bente is a student living in Utrecht, The Netherlands. She graduated from high school in 2018 and has taken a gap year to do travelling. After working two jobs simultaneously for half a year to save up money, she chose to go volunteer in South Africa.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it offered me the amazing opportunity to combine teaching and volunteering with animals. The programs social media and online reviews gave a realistic idea of what to expect. In addition, unlike a lot of other programs, they stated clearly what my money contribution would be used for. It just felt like the right program for me.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I applied through Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage’s online site myself without the assistance of any travel agency. This meant I had to organise my own flights. To apply to the program, I had to provide Daktari with my international travel or medical insurance details. In addition to that, I got vaccinated to prevent diseases.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

First of all... JUST DO IT! You have nothing to lose. It will be one of the best adventures of your life with memories that will stick with you forever.

Secondly, don’t go for just one week. By staying longer, you will be able to improve your teaching skills and you will have time in the weekend to do awesome excursions.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Monday through Friday you will be teaching a group of eight kids, aged 12-16, about their own environment and important life skills. These lessons include helping the children with chores that need to be done to keep the animals at Daktari happy and healthy. Volunteers also have the opportunity to get involved with the local community by teaching at Eco-Club. A voluntary after school club at two schools in the neighbourhood.

In the weekends, you have time off to go to Hoedspruit or go on an excursion.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was not feeling at home and not being able to connect with other volunteers. I overcame these fears quickly. During my layover at Johannesburg airport, a man approached. Awkwardly, he asked me “Are you going to Daktari?”. Friendships are so easily made. With so many different people there’s never a dull moment.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Camilla Brotons

Program
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Job Title
Outreach Assistant
Camilla, the current Outreach Assistant at DAKTARI Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage for the next 9 months. She is French and has grown up in Morocco; she is now out to explore new territories!
Camilla Brotons

What is your favorite travel memory?

I have grown up traveling so I have numerous great memories! However, one of my favorites was the first time I set foot in Sub-Saharan Africa.

I was 15 years old when we decided with my parents to plan a trip between Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. My father told me that it was my responsibility to plan the itinerary of the trip as I was the one who chose the destination! It was a wonderful trip full of amazing discoveries and quality time with my family and I will always cherish it!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have grown a lot since I first came to DAKTARI 5 months ago. I have learned so much about South Africa and its culture but also about myself! Indeed, being in charge of the outreach program has taught me a lot about the daily life of the kids in the Limpopo region and also gives me a whole new perspective on the issues that the country is currently facing.

I came here with a will to help educate children about their environment but they are definitely the ones teaching me. The more time I spend with my students the more they teach me about respect and being happy with what you have, I learn from them every day!

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

At DAKTARI, we have plenty of amazing success stories about the work we do here. For me, one of the most amazing stories was how much my Eco Club students wanted to get back to our DAKTARI camp to see all of our animals!

The Eco Club is taught weekly; every Tuesday and Thursday and all of our kids decide to take part in it, which makes it a very special place! After the 6 weeks cycle where we are supposed to move on to a new group, all of the students insisted on coming to see us at our camp! It did happen in the end and it was amazing, a day to remember! The kids were so thrilled to be at camp, they helped out with all the chores and I even got to see how they remembered what they were taught in the lessons!

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would stay in the outreach program! It is so impactful and full of surprises. You get to interact with local kids and teach them about the environment, it is really amazing!

I am in constant contact with the local communities and we try to find efficient ways to solve issues that they are facing. Furthermore, you get to go out and spend time in the village, which is also a great highlight!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

DAKTARI is unique that's for sure! It is a place where people are united by the same purpose of doing good for others and the planet.

I am highly inspired by the people that work here but mainly by Michele, the co-founder. She is doing an incredible job of keeping the organisation going and still has a passion for what she does. You feel part of the family here and this is something that is so special with this place, this is what I am particularly proud of.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe that passion and enthusiasm are what make a company successful.

Passionate people make great work as they will want to push the company as far as possible! And here at DAKTARI, we have a lot of passionate people that want to do good! We are all working towards the same united goal, which is I think key to our success!