My First African Experience

An internship GVI in South Africa is simply the perfect balance between learning a lot, having a lot of fun and amazing sightings every day ! I could not have hope better for my first experience in Africa. The staff members and the volunteers were super nice and very welcoming. I was nervous in the flight on my way to South Africa, but after a day being at the base, I already felt part of the big GVI family.

The difference between GVI Limpopo and a safari experience from a lodge is that with GVI,we contribute to the welfare of the wildlife by collecting important data and more, or through reserve work management. Volunteers can leave here feeling like they have made a difference, and truly contributed to the wildlife conservation. Having awesome daily sightings is the result of the hard work that we all put in and this is a marvellous feeling.
Being this close of the three male cheetah everyday was something that I could never forget. After finding the cheetah, we were either going to look for other animals of the reserve, always learning as much as possible with a very passionate and enthusiastic staff member. It is so much more pleasant to learn about elephant or eagle when they are standing right in front of you.
In the vehicle, we get the chance to observe the animals very closely, without intruding on their space and natural behaviour. I have had so many amazing sightings and every day has felt better than the previous day.

Sharing the same house with more or less 20 people in the middle of a reserve is an incredible feeling. Here, I've reconnected myself with nature, with the world and with humanity. You can not have a bad day during your time here, as everyone's happiness and optimism will always cheer you up, even during your difficult moments.

With GVI, you'll meet different type of volunteers. Some are like me, they want to come here to gain experience on the CV as a Wildlife conservationist or Field Guide. I also met volunteers studying or having jobs not related at all to animals conservation, such as math, fashion or chemistry. However, everyone here shared a common passion which is the wildlife, and everyone was always keen to teach or learn about it.

One of the main believe of GVI is to make difference on the field, which means that we were not only learning and working on the reserve but also outside the reserve, being involve in the community around Karongwe. During my time, I visited the local schools where I've spent time with the kids, playing football and teaching them about the environment. The kids were lovely, they wanted to learn as much as we wanted to teach them, and they gave me motivation and conviction in the path I've chosen.
I believe so much in the Global Vision Internation project, which is to impact volunteers careers by helping local people in places where they need us the most.

GVI has given me the chance to project myself on the long term, and I feel like this internship has answered so many questions to my professional life. GVI has given me conviction in the fact that, when united, we can truly make a difference in the world, with a lot of work but also by having a lot of fun.

I will never be grateful enough for this incredible experience that I've had the pleasure to share with the volunteers and the staff members, and I will definitely return next year for another internship.