Program Reviews

Melanie's volunteering with elephants in Thailand.
I spent 5 weeks at the elephant conservation project in Thailand from mid-October 2018 to mid-November 2018. The wildlife project houses a total of 25 elephants, including one male, which are cared for by several dozen people daily. This includes preparing food/cutting fruit, preparing enrichments, cleaning enclosures, but also showering and going for walks with the elephants.

The working day in the elephant project:
The working day goes from 6.30-17 o'clock, including a breakfast and lunch break.
I was there at the end of the rainy season, so there was sporadic heavy rain, but overall it was very sunny and warm.

My tips for the wildlife project:
I personally didn't use any sunscreen and didn't get sunburned, but you should still be careful because you are exposed to direct sun especially during compost and harvest.
But what I can recommend is to use enough mosquito spray (also impregnate clothes), because the mosquitos in Thailand are much more persistent than in Germany.
Life there is kept very simple, but this is not a problem, because you spend very little time in your room.
Especially with a longer stay, you acquire a few words of Thai and thus also get to know the Thai staff better, which in my opinion is one of the things I miss the most.

My conclusion:
In summary, the experience of working with elephants is priceless. Anyone considering doing a project with animals, especially with these impressive animals , should definitely give it a try.
I can only recommend this work to everyone and it also spreads the word that you should be more responsible with your vacation ventures

Everyday life in the volunteer project
During the first two weeks we were taught about climate change and its drastic consequences for Iceland. Our contact person on site, Sebastian, and other volunteers also organized other workshops, which helped us to have lively discussions. We also reflected on how each individual, as well as society, can help to mitigate climate change and its consequences.
A related task was to collect birch seeds that would be planted next year but would not survive the winter.
We also gathered regularly for joint beach cleanups at various beaches. This allowed us not only to put the collected knowledge into practice, but also to clean the beach from trash and plastic and do something good for the environment.

Free time and excursions
In our free time we often visited outdoor swimming pools, or looked at the impressive waterfalls and canyons. For all excursions, however, we had to calculate quite a bit of driving time, due to the many fjords.
Because of the cold weather, the road conditions were always dangerous and it quickly came to unpredictable weather changes. That's why I spent part of my island adventure on the south coast of Iceland.
My work there focused mostly on working with plants in a greenhouse. So picking mint or tomatoes was part of my daily routine, which I really enjoyed. Not only was I able to improve my knowledge of botany, but I was also able to put it into practice.

Personal conclusion
In summary, I can only say that Iceland is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen.
Apart from the high prices and the cold weather, in hindsight I can only rave about this beautiful island. From the fjords, to the waterfalls or the breathtaking canyons - Iceland has so much to offer and a unique nature and environment that I will miss very much.

I was in two projects in Costa Rica. On the one hand I worked in the Jaguar Rescue Center, on the other hand in Reserva Playa Tortuga.
The two projects were very different. The first two months I was in the Jaguar Rescue Center.
My duties consisted of cleaning the cages of the sloths and birds, bringing food to the animals, also taking care of the rats and mice (on a volunteer basis), raking, sweeping, doing laundry, watching the birds, watching the baby sloths, and my personal highlight: playing with the baby monkeys.
The longer you are there, the more responsibility you get and your wishes are taken care of. You get to make things happen. You can turn cages into a jungle with banana leaves and hibiscus, feed baby monkeys with bananas, and catch all kinds of animals trying to escape (get creative).

Reserva Playa Tortuga, on the other hand, was a reserve. There were no cages and one did not have so much direct contact with the animals. The animals were observed and everything was recorded in writings. People would often go on hikes and count the different species of birds or walk along the beach looking for parrots. The reserve also had a butterfly garden and sometimes they went to the jungle looking for bats.
There are boat tours to look for crocodiles and night tours to catch caimans and snakes to measure and weigh them.
The main activity is working with the turtles, if it is turtle season. At night, the beach is patrolled to locate egg-laying sea turtles. The eggs are then buried in a large nest which must be checked several times a day so that the baby turtles can be released into the sea after having hatched.

At the beginning of both projects I was alone with another volunteer and towards the end we were a group of 15 people of all ages and different backgrounds. Working together was a lot of fun and you can easily improve your Spanish, French and English speaking skills. And even if there are difficulties with communication, you always understand each other and have fun together. Both times I stayed in a hostel. This is the best thing you can do because you are on site. You are constantly surrounded by animals and you can have a much closer connection with the team and the other workers and volunteers, even in your free time.

My assignment was very useful. Since I was in both projects for about two months, I had a lot of responsibility and did work alone, taking care of the animals and getting to know new volunteers. I dedicated these 4 months to the animals and tried to help them as much as possible.
But the special moments are with the animals, when you manage to make them happy and see how they react to your work - the bird that is suddenly lively again because you have turned its cage into a land of milk and honey, the sloth that is happy about the hibiscus flower, the baby turtles that swim towards the sunrise or the baby monkeys that immediately jump on you when you come into their cage. Then they won't let you go. You can't leave the cage until they fall asleep.
Elena S.

I was with RGV in Tanzania and can really say that it was a great enrichment for my life. Before my departure, I was a little afraid of what to expect, but the team of RGV advised me well and also informed me about what cultural differences there are and what I should pay attention to, etc.. When it finally started I felt well prepared.

In Tanzania I helped out at a school and afterwards I participated in the turtle project on Zanzibar. I will never forget the impressions I gained there for the rest of my life. I thank everyone for the wonderful time and can only recommend the projects to everyone.

I worked at the Children Center in Accra for 8 weeks and I would never want to miss this time. I was able to get involved in so many areas. I taught the street children, helped with the education and carried out many leisure activities. My accommodation of Mama Mina is directly on the same railing as the street children project. So I did not have to travel to the project.

During the weeks we traveled a lot through the country together with other volunteers. The infrastructure is great as well as the security in the whole country.

All in all, I can say that the choice to go abroad with the German volunteer organization Rainbow Garden Village was exactly right!