Most basic tasks (cleaning, feeding) are performed by local paid staff - we have 16 local employees. But, we always need help with delicate tasks such as cuddling.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Work is per shifts, 6 days per week, starting from the day after arrival (i.e. if you arrive on a Monday you will start working on Tuesday and you will have free following Monday. Of course you can change your shifts with other volunteers, if you agree on a new schedule): morning from 7:30 to 12:30 or afternoon from 13:00 to 18:00. Transport to/from the shelter is provided for free when needed by the paid staff. Work at the shelter includes walking the dogs with the help of a walking list, taking some of them to the beach nearby (one group in the morning and one group in the afternoon), and cuddling them in the big internal halls or the outside compounds when it is too hot to walk them, or when all of them have been walked already.
Most volunteers love the ride to the shelter and back on our open truck, with the local staff, and sometimes a couple of dogs that have to go to the shelter or to the clinic.
Volunteers who work in the morning have to have breakfast at 6,30 before going, or must take with them something to eat during the morning because they will be very hungry after a couple of hour walking energetic dogs in the marine fresh air! Lunch is after coming back at 13. Most volunteers like to have something ready from the previous day so that they can eat as soon as they arrive home, and then they have still time to rest and go for some free time activity on the beach or in town or visit another village on the island. public buses go back and forth from town to the 4 villages on the coast during the whole day, with the last ones coming back from the villages at about 5 PM. Sometimes volunteers can organize shifts in the kitchen and prepare food for themselves at 12,30 and other volunteers that come from the shelter at 13.
Volunteers working in the afternoon must be ready to go at 13, so they have free in the morning.
For people that don't like to cook or don't want to spend their time cooking, meals can be bought for little money in a lot of local small restaurants. You can be dropped off at the market place when you come back from the shelter at 1PM and have lunch there, before going straight to the beach for a nap. Everything is so close and easy to reach that there is almost no need to "organize" free time.
Free time activities can vary according with the time of the year: in winter it is not so hot, so you can go round during the whole day. In Summer it will be difficult to do anything else than rest or being at the beach from 12 to 17.
Shifts are allocated according to the needs at the shelter and to the desires of the volunteers. Some people like better to work in the morning because it is cooler, but of course night life suffers from this schedule. Other people prefer to go to bed later, rest in the morning and work in the afternoon. In general volunteers are working one per shift or more only if available.
NOTES:
- Information given in the Time Commitment session of this program are only orientative and they are not binding: the free day can be on any day of the week (may be on the weekend, maybe not) and the working time is per shift: one morning shift from 7,30 to 12,30 OR one afternoon shift from 13,30 to 18,30.
- changes in shifts must be communicated with a week notice and be authorized
- changes in shifts can't leave shifts uncovered
- we'll make our best to give you the morning shift on the last working day of one week and the afternoon shift of the first working day of the following week, so that you have 2 days and 2 nights off and you can visit another island if you like.
The island is famous for its music and its partying vibe! So night activity is guaranteed!
On the island you can find a diving center (in town), a windsurfing school and a kitesurfing school.
Capoeira is also widely practiced and can be learned with 2 groups in lessons held in the late afternoon.
Hiking paths are very simple to follow. Every volunteer who likes hiking can't miss visiting the neighboring island, Santo Antao, with its beautiful mountains and trekking paths.
If you are not so keen on hiking, you can rent a bicycles, electrical bicycles and scooters at local shops.