The Animal and Wildlife Area REsearch and Rehabilitation Trust is a Zimbabwean non-profit veterinary conservation organization founded and run by local Zimbabwean vets. Its mission is to pro-actively further the conservation and welfare of wildlife and wildlife habitats, with particular reference to conservation veterinary medicine, and to raise AWAREness of veterinary and ecological threats to wildlife.

The Trust is one of the most pro-active conservation bodies in Zimbabwe and has a 5 pronged approach to achieving its objectives:

1. Pro-bono veterinary treatment of sick or injured ‘ownerless’ wild animals.
2. Prophylactic campaigns targeted at domestic animals living in interfaces with wild areas – vaccinations, sterilisations, health clinics and welfare advice.
3. Research that will influence management of wildlife or wild habitats.
4. Capacity building – training local vets, support staff and rangers.
5. Education and public awareness of the important issues threatening wildlife.

Most of AWARE’s projects run in wildlife areas or in rural communities living on the edge of these areas. We try to give volunteers a chance to see some of the fantastic tourist spots in the vicinity of the projects that we operate.

Quite simply, without the financial support from volunteers, AWARE would not be able to perform many of its projects.

Unfortunately we are not in a position to cover the costs of hosting you. Meals, housing and transportation costs can add up quickly, and if we had sufficient funds to pay for volunteers the funds could be better spent employing local workers who would stay at the job for a longer period.

That being said, you can expect to work quite hard providing extra manpower and gain hands on experience with the animals that we work with. For detailed project information please visit: www.awaretrust.org /help-us/volunteer.html.

Most of our work is physical in nature so you should preferably have above average physical fitness. Maximum age depends upon your health. Although some experience of caring for animals is desirable it is not a requirement.

Africa provides an ever-changing environment and power failures, water & fuel shortages, temperature fluctuations and other uncontrollable situations do occur. You will need to remain flexible, understanding and good humoured. “African time” can be difficult and frustrating for those used to a very structured life so this is something to keep in mind!

We will aim to provide you with all your daily needs, keep you out of harm’s way and support you in your volunteer work. In exchange, we ask you to work hard and to behave consistently in ways that reflect well upon AWARE Trust and our personnel.

We view the volunteer experience as your commitment to improving the welfare of Zimbabwean animals and rural communities. This should include a willingness to overcome challenges of various sorts.

Your Project accommodation will vary depending on the Project, but be prepared to camp as circumstances may change unpredictably:

For the sterilization projects in Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCA), (with the exception of towns such as Victoria Falls or Kariba) your living conditions may be amongst the roughest that you have experienced. You will likely be camping in an African village and you will get an appreciation of how the villagers live their everyday lives. You will be provided with a tent, sleeping bag and stretcher or mattress. We will base our camp near any concrete building (e.g. school) that can act also as a surgical theatre. NB. There will likely be no electricity, but we will carry a small generator to run veterinary equipment.

You will be asked to help collect water from a manually pumped borehole. This water will be stored in 200l containers for drinking, bathing and surgical use. The water is often brackish in taste and is purified by means of chlorinated tablets, which eliminates the chance of contracting cholera. If you cannot tolerate the taste of the water bottled water will be provided but we ask that you try as far as possible to ‘do as the Romans’ since vehicle space is at a premium on these expeditions.

There will generally be a ‘long drop’ toilet facility (with no seat) in the vicinity. A solar shower bag will be strung up to a tree and a shower tent erected underneath for bathing purposes.

For wildlife research projects in National Parks, your accommodation will generally be in National Parks camping grounds, which are basic and make use of a communal ablutions block with running water. The water is usually heated in a wood boiler, but due to frequent maintenance problems, may not be hot. Some Parks have electricity, although there are frequent power cuts. Others do not have electricity.

For wildlife research projects on private game reserves your accommodation will generally be in rooms provided by the reserve which can vary from very basic to very comfortable. If there is not enough accommodation or the accommodation is full you may be required to camp. There will usually be running water and electricity.

Meals

Food is basic and meals are designed with the vehicles’ space constraints in mind. Although we will carry a gas freezer, this tends to quickly fill up with blood samples and will generally not be used to cool beers! Food is cooked on a gas stove, which is also used to run the autoclave that sterilizes surgical instruments. The autoclave gets priority over food! However, the locals are always happy to collect firewood so that we can cook on a fire. Volunteers may be asked to help with food preparations as there may not be enough space to bring a cook along.

A typical menu will consist of:

• Breakfast: Oats porridge with bran-flakes. Tea and coffee.
• Mid morning snack: Tea or coffee with a muesli muffin or rusk, and a piece of fruit
• Lunch: A light lunch of canned fish or ham, 2 minute noodles, Pro-Vita biscuits, tinned beans or sweet-corn.
• Mid afternoon snack: Fruit or biscuits as required.
• Dinner: Spaghetti bolognaise, or chicken/steak and rice/potatoes with vegetables; tinned fruits or a piece of chocolate for desert.

Cell phone signal is unreliable in most of the areas we work however we do carry a satellite phone in case of emergencies. There will similarlybe no internet connectivity.

Try to arrange your flight so that you arrive in Harare with time to spare before a designated project start date so that you get a complete orientation. As stated on the project outlines on our website, dates can sometimes change due to unforeseen circumstances. Make sure that you have provided us with the correct flight arrival details to ensure that we collect you at the right time.

You will likely travel through O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. Iit is essential that you lock and cling- wrap your stow-away luggage to prevent theft of articles from your luggage. Please be aware that sometimes travelling through Johannesburg, luggage can get delayed, so it is advisable to pack some useful items in your hand luggage, just in case.

Note: Visas are your responsibility and the information provided below is to serve as a guideline only. We advise that you confirm this information with the embassy/consulate of the countr(ies) that you will be visiting in your home country before departure.

It is possible to obtain a holiday visa from your local Zimbabwean embassy prior to departing for Zimbabwe. However, it is usually easier to obtain the necessary visa at the airport on arrival in Zimbabwe itself. There is a cost to obtain a visa, payable in cash (US, Pound Sterling, Euro or Rand) at immigration. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrival date in Zimbabwe and have at least 2 free pages, so please check the expiry date.

It is vital that you apply for a HOLIDAY visa.

It is possible to get a visa for up to 1 month at the port of entry, which can be extended after arrival in Zimbabwe up to a maximum of 6 months. You will not automatically be given the maximum length of time, and we recommend that you request a visa that is at least one week longer than you actually need in case you decide to travel in Zimbabwe for a few extra days or there is a change in your flight requiring you to be in the country for additional time. If during your stay in Zimbabwe you intend to leave the country and return to it, it is cheaper to apply for a double-entry visa. Below are the details of the current prices for common countries, however, we ask that you have additional cash to hand as the visa rules change often and the price may have increased since posting this document.

Zimbabwe – Visa Costs:

Nationality Single Entry Double Entry

American US$ 55.00 US$110.00

Canadian US$ 55.00 US$ 110.00

British US$ 55.00 US$ 110.00

EU Countries US$ 55.00 US$ 110.00

If you visit Victoria Falls you can be stamped out of and re-stamped into Zimbabwe, enabling you to take part in activities on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. The Zambian border will charge between US$ 50 and US$ 200 for the day entry visa. There is no visa charge when visiting Botswana.

Medical Insurance

Working with animals in Zimbabwe can be dangerous. We will not accept your application unless you supply proof of medical insurance. You will need to arrange full cover for any medical requirements which may arise during your trip, including cover for full air (helicopter) evacuation in the event that this is necessary. Your medical cover also needs to include repatriation. If you do not already have a company that you are happy to use to take out a policy with, consider World Nomads – “designed for travelers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and activities”. Please be sure to check your policy carefully to ensure that it does cover activities which you are hoping / likely to participate in, such as wild game capture, as cover does vary from one country of residence to another and from one volunteer project-type to another.

USD $1000 per week.

2012 dates at a glance