Hosted by DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage

Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

Name: Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Brand: DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage
SKU: 52946
Rating: 4.93 (68 reviews)

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4.93 Rating

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Location

South Africa
- Hoedspruit

Length

1 to 8 weeks

Project Types

Childcare Climate Change Community Development Youth Conservation Environmental Conservation Wildlife Conservation Education Teaching Health Education Sexual Health Indigenous Rights Tourism Veterinary Service +4

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Program Details

Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Timeframe

Year Round

Housing

Rondavel

Groups

Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)

Travel Type

Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price

670

Price Details

*Rates on site
1 week $670
2 weeks $1 190
3 weeks $1 750
4 weeks $1 960
5 weeks $2 310
6 weeks $2 640
7 weeks $2 980
8 weeks $3 330
//
Your fees include:
- Transfers on Saturdays for arrival/departure
- Three meals per day, tea, coffee, juice
- Accommodation including bedding and towels
- Laundry
- One trip to town per week
- Working in the community
- Wifi
//
Your fees exclude:
- Flights, internal/international
- Travel Insurance
- Personal toiletries such as shampoo, sunblock, mosquito cream
- Sodas, cokes, alcohol

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation Wifi

What's Not Included

Some Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Equipment SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Jul 24, 2022

Last Reviewed: Feb 23, 2023

Wish List

151 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

DAKTARI Environment & Wildlife Education Centre is set in a beautiful nature reserve close to the Kruger National Park. The comfortable camp is located in the heart of the reserve where you will work with the children and the animals of the sanctuary.

You will teach the local children about the importance of protecting the environment and blossom their passion for animals through the care of the animals in our sanctuary.

Please note that all animals kept in captivity in our sanctuary are not able to go back to the wild. We do not encourage animal petting.

DAKTARI also runs an outreach program for a greater impact on the communities. The weekly ECO CLUB and Wildlife Crime campaigns give the children the opportunity to ignite positive attitudes towards their valuable environmental heritage.

The volunteers are vital to the success of our programs and really make an impact on the communities, the future of our environment and our wildlife.

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Video and Photos

Children learning about the protection of lions

Volunteer with animals and children in South Africa

Volunteers interacting with our Bush Baby

Children and volunteers feeding a sable antelope.

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Program Highlights

Educate underprivileged children about the environment, anti-poaching and important life skills.
Care for injured and/or orphaned wildlife and help us give them the second chance they deserve.
Get involved with local communities and learn about South African culture.
Go on trips and excursions and discover the beauty of South African beyond the gates of our camp.
Become a part of the DAKTARI Family, make friends for life and memories you'll never forget!

Program Impact

Our programs have reached more than 4,500 children in 16 years, cared for hundreds of animals, and helped employ dozens of youth.

What makes our Teaching Program different?
The children get to spend a full week at our camp with our volunteers and get to have fun, as well as learn a lot! Because we only take eight children each week, they benefit from one-on-one attention and participate in every lesson. Each day has a mix of lessons, activities, and animal interactions.

The teaching program is very hands-on. The children get to see the animals up close at our wildlife orphanage and interact with the animals every day. The lessons are interactive and practical and the children leave here with a passion for learning.

The program is completely taught by volunteers with the help of a local volunteer coordinator. They get a detailed teaching program before they arrive so that they can learn the material. The lessons include outdoor activities,

To get an impression of what the life of a volunteer at DAKTARI is, check out the video below!
https://youtu.be/PrVswQF57rU Life of a Volunteer

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Program Reviews

4.93 Rating

based on 68 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 92.65%
4 rating 7.35%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.85
Support 4.95
Fun 4.9
Value 4.85
Safety 4.95

Good for Students, Solo Travelers, Adventure travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 68 reviews

This is my second time at Daktari. It’s always a pleasure to be here. You meet new volunteers who are always kind and friendly. The staff and the animals don’t change but I’m very happy to see them again. I advise you to do this volunteer experience because you can learn so much about the animals with the staff and the animal manager. Moreover, you can teach some items about the environment to children and you develop a real relationship with them. It was the best experience of my life and I will come back again !

I spent two incredible weeks with the other volunteers. Taking care of the animals was an awesome experience. Teaching children who need it really makes a difference for their future life and its very satisfying to participate in that. There's many subject that they can learn about their country, environment, animal knowledge, wildlife crime, politeness and respect, career guidance and many others. You really create a nice relation with them and you can see how they are thankful about people who takes care of them. Also i wasn't use to live in community and it's very interesting on some points and rewarding.
I highly recommend DAKTARI!!!!

I had a great time in DAKTARI. Actually, a life time experience. I left Brazil for 1 month and a half and came to South Africa knowing everything would be different from what I had tried or seeing before. I had a wonderful surprise when I started working with kids and animals. I fell in love with the meerkats!

Volunteering at DAKTARI is the best thing I could do for myself and my daughter.
The staff is professional and from the first moment they have given me the feeling we are one and that we all work for the same goal.
It's a Bushlife experience that you will not find in any other place. from the owner up to the cook they all give you a homey feeling.
I'm grateful for choosing Daktari.

Pros

STAFF ARE FRIENDLY
getting to know local kids
homey

Cons

needs to get use to the rest and quit
problems with WIFI

Spending those 6 weeks at Daktari has been even more amazing and wonderful than I would have ever imagined. I did not feel like a volunteer at all, I immediately became part of a caring and fun family. Working so closely with all the animals has always been a dream of mine and being able to do so, in such an ethical, respectful environment is a wonderful, life changing experience.

Pros

Meaningful Interaction with Children
Educational Work with all kinds of Animals
Safe and fun environment

The DAKTARI family is more than welcoming and you feel at home as soon as you arrive. The teaching program you receive as soon as you register, which allows you to have a look of what to expect, is great and you can feel the impact on kids at the end of the week. The coordinator is always here to help you in the teaching program if needed. Stabling twice a day allows you to interact with bush animals which is incredible. The animal manager and her coworkers makes a great job explaining what do it and how to do it. You'll never get bored though you're still having fun ! Thanks a lot to everyone !

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

When you re at Daktary, you feel like everyone (volunteers, staff and the kids) is your family so you feel at home within the bush ! Meanwhile you live among animals (dont panic, not the wild ones !) you dont even know the name who come sit on your laps and you can pet them !

I work as a travel agent, bringing volunteers to DAKTARI and other projects around the world. After helping a lot of volunteers fulfil their dreams of coming to South Africa, I managed to arrange 2 weeks to spend at the project. What a wonderful time I had starting with the staff who are so friendly and polite, the animals being taken care of as if they were family and the amazing food that was prepared catering to each of the volunteers individual needs. I can only say that if you are looking for an unique and quality experience involving a well thought out educational program and the preservation of native animal species, this is the one for you.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Come with an open mind to experience and learn a lot of new things. You need to have a passion for animals and education, the staff really counts on you to do your duties!

I spend 4 weeks at DAKTARI and it was a big step out of my comfort zone to get here but when i arrived i felt home right away! i loved working with kids and animals, i learned a lot and i also got to know amazing people from all over the world!!! Amazing trips, nice food, lovely people, great teaching program about environment, poaching, tourist and jobs and wild animals. I made friends for life and i would never forget my stay at DAKTARI because it was such a wonderful time!! Thank you for this experience!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

i went on a safari and saw the big 5, also around the camp we saw a lot of wild animals

Questions & Answers

What is the process like for booking this program?

Great question! Once you send a message or press Apply Now, the provider of this program will receive your message or application, and guide you to the next step. All you have to do is fill out a few details! The entire process should only take a few days and every message will appear in your personal inbox.

By Brittany Murphy on March 12, 2019

How long will it take to be accepted?

You will know within the next few days.

By Brittany Murphy on March 12, 2019

What happens after I press "send a message" on the right side of the page?

Your message will be sent to the provider who runs this program! You will receive a personal email as well as a message in your Go Overseas Inbox (top right of the page, "Inbox") once the provider responds to your question. At any point, you can ask more questions by pressing View within your Go Overseas Inbox.

By Brittany Murphy on March 11, 2019

What do I do after I apply to this program?

Wait for the provider of this program to accept you! You will receive an email to your personal inbox as well as your Inbox here on Go Overseas within 48 hours.

By Brittany Murphy on March 11, 2019

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Alumni Interviews

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

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.

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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.

Sophie Boulter

2016 Alum

Staff Interviews

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

What is your favorite travel memory?

It is not easy to choose just one favorite travel memory as I am lucky to have plenty in mind! But if I have to talk about one it would be Christmas Eve in Uyuni, Bolivia, during my first backpacking adventure ever! We were staying in a salt house and I remember sharing this meal with complete strangers, eating cold pasta with salt for Christmas and drinking beer, with 3 blankets wrapped around me, and going to bed at 8pm to wake up early the next day to see the sunrise on a laguna with flamingoes. Definitely one of the most unusual Christmas I had, but also one of the best!

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

Working for DAKTARI has been a great yet challenging experience that made me grow so much on the professional side as well as the personal side. I have had the work with people from all over the world and work under pressure at times. I have definitely improve my conflict resolution and communication skills. I also had to work different positions to cover for leave or in interim and this has allowed me to expand my skillset and knowledge in different areas.
I have also a better understanding of the South African culture and history, and its current challenges. This makes me someone I believe even more open-minded and eager to give back to the communities.

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

We regularly have former students who attended our onsite Environmental Education program or our offsite Eco Club who come back to DAKTARI to visit us. I especially remember Wellington: he first came when he was 12 years old, and kept coming back during his holidays to help with animals. He had always been passionate about animals and wanted to work with them.
Over the years we eventually offered him a volunteer experience as animal manager. We trained him at the wildlife orphanage and arranged for him to attend several courses, one of which was a wildlife rehabilitation course, and another a tracker-training course. Thanks to the support of Kruger2Canyon Biosphere he was enrolled in their Environmental Monitors Program. While he was a full-time paid employee as the DAKTARI’s animal manager he became confident with computer work and was always trying to improve the camps of the animals, coming up with innovative ways to give them enrichment. After two full years of experience with us, he has been recruited by Hoedspruit Endangered Species as a curator. Willington is such an ambassador for DAKTARI!

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

Our programs are divided into three main areas: Onsite Environmental Education program, Wildlife Orphanage, and Outreach, which comprises of bi-weekly Eco Club, campaigning in primary schools, Village Tour and Homestay. Volunteers can experience all of the above if they want. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to be able to do all the activities, and even more! We also offer excursions in the Kruger National Park or the Blyde River Canyon so they can explore the wonders of South Africa. Staying for 3 to 5 weeks is recommended to have a complete experience of DAKTARI!

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

DAKTARI is unique as it offers a combination of teaching children with our Environmental Education program and taking care of animals through our Wildlife orphanage. The volunteers that come to DAKTARI can experience a wide range of activities, both onsite and offsite, as we also make them participate in our Outreach programs. The team is flexible and always making sure we can provide the best experience possible, adjusting schedule to try to meet everyone's needs whilst still achieving our goal that is to educate and inspire local children to value their environment and stimulate community development.

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

I believe that a company can only be successful if it has strong values and ethic and stand by them even in difficult times. The employees must also be aligned to these values and share the vision of the company, working as a team towards the same goal. Successful organisation are driven by passionate and competent leaders who are willing to take feedback to improve so they can keep delivering excellent results.

Camilla Brotons

Outreach Assistant

Nathalie Roure

Fundraising Manager

Location

Location:

Hoedspruit

Currency:

South African Rand

Weather:

Jan-Mar

81 F / 57 F

Apr-Jun

68 F / 46 F

Jul-Sep

66 F / 45 F

Oct-Dec

77 F / 52 F

Airports:

Hoedspruit Airport

( HDS )

Hoedspruit is in the Limpopo province in Big 5 country, which refers to the Game Lodges and Private Nature Reserves. This town is agriculturally oriented and the majority of activities involve wildlife, environment, and people.

About DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage

The mission of DAKTARI is to educate local children to protect the environment through the medium of a wildlife sanctuary. Each week, DAKTARI welcomes eight new students to our camp to attend lessons, do activities, and interact with the animals in our wildlife sanctuary. It is home to more than 40 animals that are unable to survive in the bush...