Overview
You’ll be based at Kwa Madwala, a private ‘Big 4’ (leopard, lion, elephant and rhino) 4000 hectare game reserve, situated just South of the Kruger National Park between Swaziland and Mozambique, home to a renowned safari lodge called Manyatta, beautifully built into the sides of local kopjes.
Over the years we have sent teams of volunteers to this fantastic location who work in the lodge and on their conservation and community projects while experiencing the adventure of animal safaris, elephant rides, micro-lighting, rifle shooting, 4x4 driving and much, much more.
Kwa have now taken on a selection of hardy bush horses to offer the unique opportunity to explore, track and conserve wildlife on horseback through this stunning African bush environment.
As a result we can now offer our leapers the chance to help and work with their horse related activities (approximately 50% of the time) and contribute to their conservation and community projects (approximately 25% of the remaining time respectively), while enjoying all the adventure that this location has to offer.
What type of horses?
They are commonly known as “Boereperde”, a word derived from the Dutch/Afrikaans word “Boer” meaning “farmer” and “Perd” meaning horse – directly translated 'farmers horse'. They are now officially recognized as a breed and known to be strong, lively, yet even tempered, hardy and sickness resistant who can happily cope with living in the African bush.
Type of saddle?
English and western trail saddles.
Experienced rider?
The basic rule is: Could you gallop confidently out of trouble? Can you confidently tack up and look after a horse? If unsure...PLEASE call to discuss...
How you help
If you love riding, then galloping alongside Africa's great game amongst stunning scenery is going to be one of lives great moments...
Helping Who
Kwa’s park Rangers, reserve grooms, local Swazi community.
Horse Related Activities:
Your time will be split between riding out around the private game reserve in search of game, horse welfare, setting up coffee stands for morning and sundowner rides.
Horse welfare will cover: lunge work, in hand training, flat work, dressage, watering down horses, cleaning tack and exercise rides (this would only be done with supervision) as well as cleaning and mucking out stables with help from staff. So be prepared to get dirty!
During your daily stable activities the host may rotate volunteers through the various tasks i.e. one person setting up coffee stations, another setting up fly camps whilst others exercise and groom horses. You may also join an early morning vehicle game drive with the other Leap team before you start working with the horses.
Kwa are currently setting up overnight camps called "fly camps" which is another area for you to help with. Setting up fly camps will include helping set up camp high lines for horses, building fires, setting up portable electric fences to protect the horses, setting up tents for clients and bucket showers etc. You would be asked to do a night watch over horses in rotation. The watch would be done from the safety of a vehicle with the use of a spot light.
Conservation and Community Projects
Join up with the other Leapers who are on the South Africa Team placement. Your time will be split between working on conservation and community projects:
Conservation
- If not on horseback then join the morning or evening vehicle or walking game drives (helping with the spotlight at night).
- Reserve management – fencing and bush clearing.
- Construction and/or repair of hides and viewing decks to help monitor animal movements.
- Interaction and assistance at the elephant back safari programme. Ride the elephants and help look after their diet, enclosures and general welfare.
- Spend a day in the life of an elephant groom.
- Try out rifle target shooting.
- Be introduced to 4 x 4 driving - a course will be conducted to cover the basic skills required.
- Microlight aerial perspective/game viewing (insurance permitting).
Community
- Help in the nearby children’s orphanage at 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 addition we have painted murals, carried out maintenance and built a stage ( which they love!) Community leaders will decide what projects are relevant. In addition income is generated from micro enterprises such as making gifts, cards from recycled paper and seedling projects to improve diet etc.
- Various township community visits with possible activities including: teaching English and playing football matches in local Swazi secondary and primary schools, a witch doctor visit and a visit to a community clinic and improving facilities in an orphanage.
Your base
Your Team
Minimum team size is 4 and maximum is 7 - 10 from April 2011, aged 18-27 years.
Accommodation and Meals at Bush House
Accommodation is at Bush house, which is comfortable and simple but for added comfort there is a pool table, table tennis table, darts and TV/DVD. It also has a swimming pool. You will share an en-suite room with up to six other volunteers. There are indoor and outdoor showers, baths, basins with hot and cold water and loos. You will need a sleeping bag for sleeping out on the reserve and optional excursions.
Meals will be cooked at the house and volunteers will be required to assist with meal preparation on a rotation basis both in the kitchen and when cooked on an open fire. Vegetarians will easily be accommodated. A fridge is available and volunteers will have to buy their own beers, soft drinks etc. Fruit juice is available at meals, and tea/coffee is available at all times and will not be charged for. The water is safe to drink but has a mineral taste to it so volunteers often prefer to buy bottled water. Breakfast is usually fruit, cereals and toast, with a cooked breakfast usually once a week. Lunch is salads or sandwiches, and dinner, the main meal, is usually meat, pasta, salads etc. Bush House is exclusively for ‘Leapers’ but all vacant accommodation not utilized by Leapers at Bush House is made available for other clients where necessary.
Wildlife
There is an abundance of plains game like impala, zebra and so on, which you will see on a daily basis. You'll 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.
Seasons and Weather
Sept – April Summer: hot (30 – 40 degrees) and fairly wet – 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 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 50% with the horse related activities, 25% on community projects and 25% 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.
Daily Routine
A general Guide: NB may change due to weather or project tasks – please be flexible.
Alarm 6.00.
3 days a week on a morning daily ride of 1.5 hours OR an evening ride of 1.5 hours (1.5 hours total), followed by 1.5 hours carrying out the stable activities described above. These tasks are usually completed at different times during the day (i.e. 3 hours approximately of horse related tasks).
2 days a week on a longer morning game ride of 3 hours OR an evening ride of 3 hours, followed by 1-1.5 hours carrying out the stable activities (i.e. 4-4.5 hours approximately of horse related tasks).
Time Out
The weekends are yours to explore and have fun (although you may be required to ride at weekends if you have been unable to ride as much as planned in the week (weather, horse fitness etc)! The project team will happily help arrange transport to visit local areas of interest.
Top Trips
Take a flight in a microlight over the reserve (insurance permitting), safari in search of the ‘Big 5’ in 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 (paintballing, 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).
If for some reason the micro-light is unavailable (servicing) or it is unsafe to fly (weather etc) and you are not able to fly, then you will not be offered a refund for the flight but offered instead some compensatory game drives and or bush walks of an equivalent value.
Costs/Dates
Dates
2012 for 10 or 6 weeks
January 4th, April 2nd, July 2nd (6 weeks only), September 3rd
2013 for 10 or 6 weeks
January 3rd, April 1st, July 1st (6 weeks only), September 2nd
NB Once on the placement it is possible to switch from the 6 to the 10 week option, on receipt of the extra payment.
Enjoy these extra benefits only available if you stay 10 weeks (Jan, Apr, Sept)
We appreciate that many choose the six week option for financial or other reasons but would highly encourage leapers, if they can, to stay for the full ten weeks – most do.
We are also very flexible and allow people the choice to extend from six weeks to ten weeks either pre departure, when you know how your fundraising is going or once overseas. The flights booked through STA travel are deliberately flexible to allow you to change your plans.
- more time in the saddle, and a further 8 game rides.
- improve your chances of incredible safari experiences, such as seeing animal births, hunts and kills with many more game drives and rides.
- a higher possibility of seeing vets treating wildlife.
- hone your essential ranger skills with shooting practice and 4X4 driving.
- longer time to experience the culture and have fun overseas.
- maximise the value of the international flight, especially if you tag on some independent travel to nearby countries.
Costs
Up until 31st August 2012
6 weeks £2248
10 Weeks £3492
Up until 31st August 2013
6 weeks £2248
10 Weeks £3492
Includes:
All horse riding/safaris.
Donation to sustainability of the reserve £80 per person.
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 microlight 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.
