Program Reviews

I volunteered on the Big 5 Animal Research and Community Program for 4 weeks and had an incredible time. Upon immediate arrival, all staff members were extremely welcoming. There were very clear directions on how we would be spending our time. The schedule was followed to a T. There was an appropriate amount of free time - nights and weekends. The volunteering aspect exceeded expectations - the staff fully explained how our research would benefit the wildlife and made it clear who we were sending research to and how they were helping. I learn how to track footprints, identify animals, track movement patterns, track eating habits, and many more things. The best part of the trip, aside from making tons of new great relationships with other volunteers and staff, was camping out in Klasserie - we would spend one night a week in a tent on a game reserve park - go on night drives, cook burgers, etc.
I also volunteered for 4 weeks on the medical program in Zambia, the Victoria Falls Area. When I got there, I didn't think the next four weeks could compare to the last 4 I had in the Kruger Area. I was wrong. Again, African Impact exceeded my expectations. The entire staff was fully and entirely invested in the mission of the program and hammered home on it the entire time I was there. The medical team got briefed on what weeks would look like, the first day I got there. The staff was very adamant on maintaining health care for the whole community, which I thought was awesome. We also had free time on weekends to explore the area.
I would highly recommend African Impact to anyone who is interested in exploring the area as well as making an impact that will make an overall long term difference.

My two weeks in Tanzania were short but sweet! Getting to volunteer on so many different projects was an unforgettable experience and one that I will treasure forever. Teaching English to adults was one of my favourite parts of the projects. The food at the house was absolutely excellent and the staff was extremely reliable and approachable. Learning about Tanzanian culture was a bonus! I would recommend this project to anyone looking for an unforgettable way to spend a few weeks!

Not only have I had the privileged to experience African Impact Moshi once, but twice. I have volunteered over the last two years, in July-August 2017 and in June-August 2018 as a Skills Development Intern. I have experienced first hand what it was like to teach alongside such committed and enthusiastic project coordinators and teachers, and I was also able to form so many friendships with staff and volunteers alike from across the world. The dedication to the projects, the wellbeing and the enjoyment of the volunteer from the staff is amazing and completely inspires you to mirror such enthusiasm and positive energy. African Impact Moshi is not just a come and go project and organisation, but a place where you are always welcome - even after you leave, there is opportunity to stay connected and involved in the development of the projects across Moshi.

Voluntering in Livingstone is very special, beqeause there is big variety of projects. So the chance is big that you see a lot of scenery and meet a lot of people. I'm on the medical project every morning we sometimes assist in clinics but mostly homebasecare. Thats when we visit different community's with a local caregiver who brings us to the patients that needs medical help and advise. This gives us also the oppertunity to see the peoples way of life and see a lot of different community's . That's why i think the medical project is very special, that the volunteers come so close to the people, they even invite us in there house to visit.
I really enjoy the homebasecare everytime, its like a cultural tour everytime. The caregivers tells us about the people and the community's, answer our questions and even learns us the local language. We follow up the patients every week, so its good to monitor them and see if there is any progress. And when there is a good progress it gives faith and trust in the " Medical relationship" Some patients give us such a very positive feedback and really appriciate what we do on the medical project.So i think on the medical we give a little impact, with the wounddressing, the medical advise and tips how to stay healty etc.
This time i am a academy volunteer, i am preparing lesson plans for readingclub and healthclub. That gives me the oppurtinity to learn and gain more experience with teaching. On readingclub i am teaching the lower group that just started learning english. And on healthclub we do a lot of health promotions and try to make it interactive with the kids.
The people in Livingstone are very nice and super friendly, the food is good and i Always felt safe. And if you have a talent share it with the staff and maybe you can create youre own workshop/lessonplan. I for example was teaching the kids breakdance and hiphop dance.

Tears of happiness when I look back to my adventure in Livingstone, Zambia. I am so thankful for the experience I had the past months. I’ve been there twice: last year 1 month on the Sports project and this year almost 2 months on the Girl impact. Both of them, were totally worth it! I made friends all over the world, I’ve been living with lovely locals, I’ve been helping poor kids and their families, I’ve done such great activities, I’ve seen beautiful world wonders... And all of this together with African Impact. The staff is very friendly and always there to help you with anything. Not only when we were out of projects but also in the weekends. We got to know them and did activities together where we had lots of fun! It felt like a real family and we could share all the fun but also emotional and sad moments together. I liked all projects but especially the Girl Impact was my favorite. We have a girls club, boys club and a womens group. It’s always the same group we were teaching so you really got to know them and it’s nice to see them grow and become more open and comfortable with certain subjects. We taught them about diseases, pregnancy, health, feelings... These are all subjects they don’t really learn about in school and they can’t really talk about with their parents but it’s very important to teach them. For example: to avoid pregnancy. We were always well prepared together with our coordinators and we tried to make every lesson fun with some instructive games. In the end we did some tests and you could really see that they learned a lot. They knew a lot more then in the beginning of the lessons. In every project we did, you could feel the impact we made and we could see the kids being happy. I think that’s the most beautiful feedback you can get.
I can’t even describe how happy and grateful I am. It’s been so heartly overwhelming and I’ve opened my eyes. I learned what real life is and how to enjoy every single moment. I take this life lesson with me and hope to inspire other people. Stepping out of your comfortzone is good. You get to know yourself and you learn how to handle in certain situations. This was my first big trip abroad, but not my last! Livingstone will definitely see me again and I hope to discover more beautiful places. Thank you to everyone who made this trip so wonderful! And very much thanks to African Impact.
See you soon Africa, Zikomo❤️

Mindblowing. Some of the things I got to see and experience are just so hard to put into words. All the animals are stunning and the landscapes breathtaking. Having a leopard run around with an impala's leg just to put it into a tree with a sunset in the background.. while hearing a hyena gnaw on the remainder of the impala, wow! Baby elephants, baby giraffes, two more kills! It was amazing. The staff is just so kind as well, waking up and getting a hug and multiple bright smiles is the perfect start of the day. The photography assistent and teacher were very patient and eager to make sure we learned all that there is to learn. Working for conservation purposes made me feel very useful and really have an impact. I wouldn't have mind to do more hard work besides the cool safari game drives.

It was an amazing experience. They gave me the opportunity to learn so much and really implement all my own ideas and knowledge into the programme. Apart from that we also had these incredible weekend trips and a real community within the lodge.

This project also helped me with my personal growth in a lot of ways. I was/am very shy with standing in front of a group of people. But since all the children were eager to learn and the co-volunteers so kind I learned how not to be afraid. Also, me and children were never really the biggest match. I was always afraid I wouldn't know how to handle or understand them, luckily I learned that children aren't so hard to connect with. These kids were just little angels.

The time spent in Livingstone (Zambia) with African Impact has been incredible.
I don't want to call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience because you can and, most probably, you will do it again during your life. After living an experience like this I can guarantee that the will to volunteer again will be so strong that the chances for you to do it again are really high.
And once you will see that even the little help you could give could mean really a lot for many people you will be even more motivated to get involved in this kind of wonderful experiences.

For years before i volunteered i always had the desire of going abroad to help others, but held back on doing so because felt i wasn't courageous enough to take that step. I have always naturally been shy and not wanted to take myself away from my comfort zone but i came to a point in my life where if i didn't do it now, i wouldn't do it at all. I came across African Impact back in 2016 online and reading the reviews I knew this was for me. I booked to go for a month on the St. Lucia project doing 'Day Care & Community Support'. I absolutely loved every day on project and really opened my eyes to the poverty there is around us, it definitely changed my outlook on life when i returned and i couldn't wait to do it again! I met a girl from Norway called Tove and it was amazing how close we grew as friends throughout the month and beyond. We kept in contact and was even planning a trip from UK to Norway to visit her, but even better we decided to book another African Impact adventure! We both decided Cape town was going to be our next trip and i chose the Early Childhood Development Project as i loved working with the kids from South Africa before on the St Lucia project. We went out for a month again and it was truly the most amazing experience i had ever done and i really felt i had changed from the shy girl who didn't want to step out her comfort zone to a confident girl making so many new friends from all around the world! I made real special relationships with another two girls from Australia and America where we talk everyday still to this day. It's so nice to meet people who are there for the same reason as you are and i know we will be friends forever. When coming back to England i missed it out in South Africa so much that i decided to go work as a part of the African Impact team for 6 months. I felt so lucky to have the opportunity to go back and work for a foundation that i am so passionate about. I absolutely loved it on project and every single moment i treasured. On the weekends i conquered fears such as heights, abseiling off mountains, jumping out of planes and coming into the unknown of not knowing what to expect. I want to thank you all for being so welcoming and accepting. I recommend African Impact to anyone! Words can't express how life changing and incredible it is to be able to help others and make a difference. I am planning on coming back this October and most probably year after year! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to finally find my feet in something I am passionate about and make my heart grow bigger and bigger for others who need it.

The month I spent on the photography project in summer 2017 was truly fantastic. It is a totally different experience volunteering compared with your standard safari style holiday. Not only do you encounter amazing animals, you learn the importance of conserving their environments and the research being done to aid this in addition to how your images can also benefit this. Without a doubt you will be taking better shots with more confidence by the end of your stay. The project had a great variety of activities, challenging your photography skills using a range of repertoires and settings, giving a well rounded experience. I loved the opportunities to do community work and bush clearing in addition to the drives at the reserves.

It was great to meet such a variety of people from all over the world. The lodge and all of the staff were fantastic with all the staff really passionate about the work they are doing which is essential for a project like this.

I came away from this project with a completely different understanding of how I can use photography and enhanced my passion for the subject, so much so it has completely changed my plans for the future. I cannot wait to get back there!