Volunteer in Namibia

Thanks to its spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, Namibia is known as one of the top safari destinations in Africa. From deserts and wetlands to savannas, the Southern African country offers a great variety of habitats for globally threatened animals to thrive.

Given that almost three-quarters of Namibia’s population rely on natural resources for food, income, and shelter, wildlife conservation is a priority: The country was the first African state to include environmental protection into its constitution and encourages every citizen to be involved in wildlife protection. By now, about one in four rural Namibians is part of a registered conservancy.

Today, a network of national parks covering about 17% of the country provides a home for elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many other exotic animals. Only in Namibia you can find the largest free-roaming populations of cheetahs and rhinos in the world. Can you imagine a place more worthy of a volunteer experience in wildlife conservation?

Whether you decide to work at a wildlife sanctuary or support research efforts, your hands-on work as a volunteer in Namibia will have a positive impact on people and planet.

Cheetahs are fascinating animals. The beautiful wildcats known for their characteristic short, black-spotted fur coat can reach over 90 km/h when chasing prey such as antelopes, gazelles, or impalas.

In Namibia, the majority of the animals reside in open plains and savannah woodland. According to IUCN, Southern Africa is the stronghold of cheetah populations worldwide with about 4,200 of the 6674 individuals left in the wild.

Sadly, even in Namibia cheetahs are under threat. Despite its status as an endangered species under Namibian law, declining prey numbers, decreasing habitat, and illegal poaching are minimizing cheetah populations.

To save cheetahs from extinction in the future, conservation projects need funding and manpower to make sure their programs are implemented effectively. You can be part of this endeavor!

Are you ready to live your best life in the Namibian bush and to save vulnerable cheetah populations from wildlife crime? Then we are more than happy to connect you to local cheetah conservation projects that make a difference.

One thing is for sure: You will not get bored wandering the ever-changing, lunar-like Namibian landscapes as a cheetah conservation volunteer. At a wildlife research center or sanctuary in Namibia you will be involved in many different activities, such as:

• Set and check camera traps
• Feed rescued cheetahs
• Record statistical data on cheetahs
• Clean and maintain sanctuary enclosures and project site
• Dig new waterholes
• Play with cheetah cubs
• Teach children English and conservation
• Watch over reserve to spot poachers

What are you waiting for? Book your volunteer stay at a cheetah conservation in Namibia today and take this opportunity to see the country’s fascinating wildlife with your own eyes.

If you would love to help improve the lives of the local population, volunteering at an education project might be the right volunteer work in Namibia for you. Whether you want to work with children or adults and pass on your knowledge, the choice is yours.

The many social projects in Namibia will warmly welcome volunteers with good Maths and English skills, as well as active or retired teachers. If you are a college or university student that is currently receiving a degree in Early Childhood or Primary School Education, volunteering for an educational project in Namibia could be an ideal internship opportunity and experience for you. As a teacher for one of those projects, you will be engaging in many different activities. Some of these might be:

• teaching English
• teaching Maths
• teaching vocational skills
• coaching sports
• tutoring individual students
• supervising small groups
• helping to prepare lunch
• playing games with children

As an education volunteer in Namibia, you will get to experience what it means to be a teacher first-hand. While you will receive all the help and support you need from your volunteer project lead, you might be free to come up with your own lesson plans.

If you really want to get in touch with locals during your time in Namibia and immerse yourself in their culture as much as possible, being an education volunteer is the way to go. And not only that, as an aspiring teacher, your time spent abroad as a volunteer in Namibia will look great on your resume as well.

Every time you travel internationally, you might want to exercise some common sense as muggings and pickpocketing are very common. Please keep the following tips in mind during your travel and volunteering journey:

• Unfortunately, Namibia is a rather poor country with correspondingly high theft rates. Therefore, make sure to only carry the money that you will need for the day in your wallet.
• Leave the rest in a safe in your hotel/hostel room together with credit/debit cards, air tickets and passport.
• It also makes sense to bring attested photocopies of these documents, in case you lose them.
• Don't wear expensive jewelry when walking around.
• Watch where you leave your bags on public transportation (Tip for ladies: don't put your bags on the floor!).
• Avoid leaving valuables in your car.
• Do not stop on the side of the road - even if you think someone needs help or you see something suspicious; call the police instead.
• Make sure that you do not share a cab with a stranger.
• Monitor your credit card statement so that you can report any fraudulent activities right away.

In the past, Namibia was colonized by Germany and South Africa and many indigenous people were dispossessed of their lands and relegated to reserves during the colonial period. Following the apartheid, there are still to this day significant differences in wealth between Namibia's white settlers and its indigenous people, which you will notice all over the country.

Nevertheless, Namibia is a fascinating and multicultural country worth exploring. Even though the nation only has about 2.3 million inhabitants, the population is made up of 13 different ethnic groups. The largest ethnic group, accounting for around half the population, is the Ovambo. Some of the country's smaller ethnic groups, such as the San in the east, still keep to their age-old nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles.

About 87% of all Namibians are Christian. The other 13% of the Namibian population adhere to traditional African religions, which you might want to learn more about during your time as a volunteer.

The languages spoken in Namibia are just as diverse as the existing ethnicities and religions. While English is the official national language, only a few Namibians speak it as their mother-tongue. Oshiwambo, which is the language of the Ovambo people is the most widely-spoken language but you might also encounter Khoekhoe, one of the Khoisan languages in Africa which are characterized by their clicking sounds. You are quite likely to encounter someone communicating in Khoekhoe as it is spoken by around a quarter of a million Namibians.

During your stay in Namibia, you should be aware that extended greetings and handshakes are very important in the Namibian cultures. To be polite, keep in mind that when food and drink are offered, you should always accept. Further, public displays of affection are frowned upon and there is a general emphasis on emotional restraint in public, especially in rural areas.

If there's one thing you definitely do not want during your volunteer work in Namibia, it's falling ill. And whilst you can't always avoid it, there are definitely some things that will help you to stay healthy during your time in Namibia:

• Eat and drink safely: Don't eat undercooked food, avoid eating street food and don't drink water from the tap!
• Also, wash your hands often, especially before eating.
• Plan for how you will get health care during your stay. Get a travel insurance and bring medicine with you, especially if you need special medication.
• Prevent bug bites: You might want to cover exposed skin, use an insect repellent, and use a bed net.
• Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccinations before every trip. These vaccines include MMR, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, varicella (chickenpox), polio, and your yearly flu shot.
• If you are going to volunteer with animals, the US-based health protection agency CDC recommends that you should consider an anti-rabies vaccination in addition to your routine vaccinations.

There are some general requirements you should comply upon your arrival:

• Please check the current validity of your passport. Your passport should have at least 6-month validity from the date of arrival in Namibia.
• Make sure your passport has at least two blank visa pages. Namibia requires that you have adequate unused pages in your passport, allowing for any necessary stamps upon arrival and departure.
• Please check if a transit visa is required for any connections.
• Make sure to be in possession of a valid return ticket.

If you are planning to volunteer in Namibia for 90 days or less, you have to apply for a Work Visa. Make sure to submit the filled and signed application form to your closest Namibian Embassy or Consulate before entering Namibia. They will provide you with a checklist of documents that need to be submitted. The organization you are volunteering with will assist you in the visa application process. The application process for a work visa takes roughly five weeks and costs around US$130.

Along with the work visa, you will also need a Temporary Residence Permit for Work Purposes .

If you are planning to volunteer in Namibia for more than 90 days, you need to apply for a Work Permit. Of course, it takes a bit more documentation but lasts up to three years!

To make this step as easy as possible, you can find the application form right here. Make sure to submit the filled and signed application form to your closest Namibian Embassy or Consulate . They will provide you with all further information and give you a checklist of documents that need to be submitted. The organization you are volunteering with will help you through this process as well.

Please remember that the application process can take a long time so we would like to advise you to start early enough.