Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary

I have spent a total of 5 weeks at Twala over 2 visits, each over the December holidays and new years. Twala is a wonderful and magical place especially if you are a true empathetic animal lover.

I am a cat lady and at first was unprepared for the amount of dogs Twala cares for but over time all the senior dogs and pups in their care won me over as well. Don’t get me wrong I would still prefer to spend the majority of my day in the cattery socializing kitties but you will now find me racing Lucy the dog up and down the driveway as well. I amassed quite a breakfast crew while there (of course because I shared my yogurt) but I was always joined by at least 3-4 cats, and a couple of birds, and each night I was gifted with at least 4 cats on my bed to sleep with.

The work you do here is truly meaningful. From breakfast prep for all the animals in the morning, to socializing kitties and puppies, working in the clinic, at Doggy Tuesday where you get to see the amazing impact Twala is having on the local villages, to building new habitats for rescued genets and going along on rescue rides for orphaned serval kittens.

This is a true hands on experience with lovely people who keep Twala running and all the animals happy. I’ve gone as a solo each time and have never felt alone (how could you when you’re surrounded by love?). I highly recommend Twala if you are looking to make a difference in animals lives

I have just returned home after a month volunteering at Twala Animal Sanctuary in Zimbabwe—and what an incredible experience it’s been! 🇿🇼🐾
From getting up close and personal with the animals (yes, I’ve been bitten, scratched, pee’d on, cuddled, and everything in between!), to visiting rural communities, meeting villagers, and helping with their beloved dogs—this trip was everything I'd hoped it would be, and so much more ☺️
I had a little tour of Harare, visited a wildlife park, and learned the history and culture of Zimbabwean life. It’s the kind of experience that changes you—heart, soul, and perspective.
If you’re looking for a safe, genuine African experience where you meet amazing people and fall in love with every animal you meet—Twala is the place! ❤

From start to finish, the experience I had at Twala was fantastic. Sarah’s communication with me before arrival was organised and friendly. The sanctuary is amazing with every type of animal and the volunteer house had everything you need and we were so well fed! Everybody we met from staff to volunteers were friendly and passionate about animal care. Our days were busy and varied with taking care of the animals, helping community projects, collecting and releasing injured animals. Etc.
Overall this is an amazing experience in Zimbabwe and I can’t wait to go back!

I've been volunteering twice at Twala and it feels just like home ❤️
It is a very ethical place where you will learn a lot about animals, rehabilitation process but also veterinarian procedures and community outreach.
You will definitely enjoy your time here because you will feel useful to the project, especially on Doggy Tuesday where you get to help taking care of so many dogs and interact with the community.
I love every aspect of this volunteering. These animals healed me in a way and I missed them the minute I left Twala.
Sarah also makes sure that you get to experience the culture of Zimbabwe and discover other places. Also, you are taken care of from the moment you book your volunteering to the moment you leave, I didn't feel unsafe at any time.
Go for it ! I'm already planning my third visit ❤️

If you are hoping to spend time working within a truly ethical project that lives up to it's principles then Twala is the perfect place.
At Twala you are just one of a small number of volunteers, which means that when there is a rescue mission, (which is frequently) or a release or a new admission to the sanctuary you will be always be in the thick of it.
There are such a range of animals at the sanctuary that you will arrive believing you will never get to know them all and leave feeling as though you have made a wealth of new friends.
The accommodation is great and the garden simply beautiful and you are incredibly well looked after. Everyone I met at Twala was lovely, warm and friendly and we spent a lot of time laughing.
There is lots of work to do, some of it, like chopping fruit and veg, quite routine. The working days start early but are very rewarding, filled with good company, both animal and human, and with decent breaks. There are also plenty of opportunities to head into the surrounding villages or into Harare on one mission or another, getting a real sense of Zimbabwe, its people and their way of life.
Zimbabwe is utterly beautiful and the people so welcoming. I fell in love with it and very much miss those dusty, bumpy journeys into Harare enjoying the sights and sounds as we went, and the return trips surrounded by boxes of veg and recovering dogs from the veterinary hospital!
There was also nothing more relaxing than rounding the day off by swimming in the lovely pool, surrounded by dogs, cats, duikers and wild bush babies. I'll gloss over the crazy puppy launching herself in to swim with me!
I spent a month at Twala and it is impossible to encapsulate the sheer amazingness of it all. The Twala animal sanctuary isn't just about the animals it rescues and cares for, it is about community and partnership and delivering a wealth of programmes that have been carefully designed to support the wider community when it comes to caring for the animals which are so integral to their lives. Twala's ongoing commitment to feed, treat and care for a huge number of domestic animals across a wide area has a profound impact on the lives of both these animals and their owners.
Doggy Tuesday, the weekly clinic where literally hundreds of dogs are seen each week, blew me away. It was a chaotic, joyous, at times sad, amazing opportunity to spend the day meeting hordes of dogs and lots of members of the local community, many of whom were children - shy, cheeky, fun and completely smile inducing. The impact of this and a number of similar initiatives is far reaching and provides long term benefit within the community.
So, if you love spending time with loads of animals in a rather beautiful place and are interested in being part of something that really is making a difference then this is the volunteer experience for you. *must like dogs!*