Overview
The ultimate African safari! Experience thrilling wildlife encounters combined with life changing conservation and community projects.
Live at Kwa Madwala, a private ‘Big 4’ (leopard, lion, elephant and rhino) 4000 hectare game reserve, just south of the Kruger National Park, between Swaziland and Mozambique. In the middle of the reserve it has a renowned safari lodge called Manyatta, cleverly built into the sides of local kopjes popular for offering elephant back safaris.
Your time will be split between helping run this fantastic safari lodge and their elephant safaris while assisting rangers with animal management and making a real difference to the lives of local people. This diversity will ensure you leave Africa both fulfilled and exhilarated, having made an enormous contribution to some of Africa’s most valued wildlife and their fast-disappearing tribes.
The reserve is soon to be jointly owned 50/50 with the community and local South African shareholders with a percentage of the income going directly to the community.
New for 2010 if you have horse riding skills up your sleeve and a secret desire to gallop alongside Africa's great game... KWA Horse safari, conservation and community placement could be for you!
How you help
Helping Who
Kwa’s Park Rangers, Lodge Managers, Local Swazi population.
Helping How
Conservation
- Assist rangers and trackers in all aspects of their duties.
- Head out on morning or evening game drives (helping with the spotlight at night) and walking safaris.
- Reserve management initiatives – fencing and bush clearing.
- Construction of bird hides and viewing decks to help monitor animal movements.
- Assist with the elephant back safari programme. You will get to ride the elephants and help look after their diet, enclosures and general welfare.
- Opportunity to practise riffle shooting.
- Be introduced to 4 x 4 driving and a course will be conducted covering the basic skills and aspects of 4 x 4 driving.
- Spend a day in the life of an elephant groom.
- Microlight over the reserve.
Community
- Help build an HIV AID’s orphanage, managed by Kwa Madwala.
- Help dig a seedling garden to improve the diets of local people.
- Help in another nearby children’s orphanage, Thembalethu School, a centre for victims of AIDS. This is an amazing place where you can teach and play with the kids, who are very energetic and fun. In the past we have painted murals,carried out general maintenance and even built a stage for the budding actors amoungst them! Community leaders help direct us with the projects and help manage the income generating micro enterprises such as making gifts and cards from recycled paper.
- Various township community visits with possible activities including: building wells and water holes, teaching English and sport, including football matches in local Swazi secondary and primary schools.
Eco-tourism
- Assist with the general management of the lodges, including the bar, waitering, cleaning, housekeeping, maintenance, kitchens.
Your base
Your Team
The maximum size of the team is 30 and minimum is 4, aged from18-27 years.
However during the day you’ll split into smaller groups of approximately 10 volunteers to one leader/adult guide.
Accommodation and Meals
You will live in Gazebo Lodge, a thatched house which overlooks the watering hole where animals come to drink. You have the added comfort of a games room with pool table, table tennis, darts, TV/DVD and a swimming pool. You will share an en-suite room with up to six other volunteers. There are showers, baths and basins with hot and cold water and western loos! Take a sleeping bag for sleeping out on the reserve and optional excursions.
Meals will be provided by the lodge but you'll be required to assist with meal preparation on a rotation basis both in the kitchen and when cooking on an open fire. The food is very tasty and vegetarians will easily be accommodated. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and clean drinking water are included in the cost.
Wildlife
There is an abundance of plains game like impala, zebra and so on, which you will see on a daily basis. You will also have the chance to see the big 4: leopard, lion, elephant (both wild and tame) and rhino, as well as hippos, crocodiles and lots of beautiful birdlife. You'll get the rare opportunity to walk as well as drive on safari and whenever a sick or injured animal is found in the reserve you may observe any care given by the vets.
Seasons and Weather
Sept – April: Summer, hot (30 – 40 degrees) and fairly wet – i.e. you are likely to get the traditional African thunder storm lasting about an hour which clears the air and then you may not get rain again for a few days. It is also lush, green and verdant at this time of year.
May – Aug: Winter, warm, dry and mild like a summer’s day in UK but can get very cold at night. You will want to take a woolly hat, gloves and a thick fleece jacket for the nights/morning.
Time In/Out
Time In
You will fly out as a team and be met at Nelspruit (KMIA) airport and driven to the reserve. There is an induction and orientation course on arrival.
6 week or 10 week programmes: approximately 10% on lodge phase, 40% on community projects and 50% on conservation projects.
Activities will take place Monday to Friday for 6 - 8 hours per day, but please remain flexible as every day is different on the reserve.
Time Out
The weekends are your time to explore the local area and have fun! The project team will happily help you arrange transport at weekends to visit local areas of interest.
Top Trips
Take a flight in a micro light over the reserve (insurance permitting), safari in search of the ‘Big 5’ in Kwa Madwala and Kruger National Park, meet 'Jessica' the famously friendly hippo, head out on porcupine watching camp-outs in the reserve, try your hand at 4x4 driving, rifle shooting, adrenaline sports in Sabi outdoor centre (paint balling, rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, canyon swings etc), visits to neighbouring Swaziland and the beautiful palm fringed beaches of Mozambique, whale watching, scuba diving, horseback safaris.
NB One free microlight flight is included (insurance permitting).
Costs/Dates
Dates
2010 for 10 or 6 weeks
January 4th, March 30th, July 12th (6 weeks only), September 2nd
2011 for 10 or 6 weeks
January 4th, March 31 1st, July 4th (6 weeks only), September 1st
Once on the placement it is possible to switch from the 6 to the 10 week option, on receipt of the extra payment
Costs
Up until 31st August 2010
6 weeks £1875
10 Weeks £2930
Up until 31st August 2011
6 weeks £1928
10 Weeks £2998
Includes:
Donation to sustainability of the reserve of £80
Selection and briefing on all aspects of the scheme.
24 hour emergency back-up, management and support by UK team and in-country Placement Manager, with reliable communications and infrastructure.
Safety and induction course on arrival.
Elephant interaction and ride. Game drives on reserve.
1 escorted micro-light flight above the reserve (Insurance permitting - Both Kwa Madwala and Global Travel Insurance have appropriate insurance to cover this activity).
KMIA Airport pick up and transfer to and from the placement.
Food and accommodation throughout.
Not included:
International flights, internal flights to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) Nelspruit, visas, travel insurance, entry to Kruger National Park (120 Rand approx £12), bush uniforms:1 pr of trousers, 1 fleece and two shirts (500 Rand approx £35), travel insurance, medical expenses (reclaimable through travel insurance), soft drinks/beers etc.
