About the Program
The South African
Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SANCCOB), a non-profit organization
in Port Elizabeth, South Africa; is focused on the care of sick or injured
African Penguins (also known as Jackass Penguins) as well as other marine birds
such as gannets, cormorants and seagulls. The work of SANCCOB is vital for the
safety of the largest breeding colony of African Penguins in the world which is
situated on St Croix Island right off the shore of Port Elizabeth in the Indian
Ocean.
This is the only
centre in Port Elizabeth that has the capacity to collect washed-up penguins
who are sick, hurt or exhausted; and to treat any diseases they may have, give
them a vitamin boost, fatten them up and release them into the bay again.
They will re-learn
how to catch fish independently with a definite advantage, being made fit and
fat by volunteers.
There are currently
only 25 000 breeding pairs of African Penguins left in the world, and 21000 of
those are mostly right here on our doorstep in Algoa Bay.
The centre’s purpose
isn´t just to rescue and rehabilitate, but also to inform and educate the
general public through their different programs. The extensive displays at the
centre give tourists, school groups and other visitors the opportunity to learn
about these endangered birds but also a wider variety of marine life in the
beautiful and incredibly diverse Algoa Bay.
Volunteers are needed
for the diversity of tasks that come with caring for the penguins and other
rescued birds, as well as the educational purpose of the centre. Volunteers
will feed and clean the penguins, maintain their enclosures, welcome visitors
and guide them through the educational centre, go out on occasional rescues and
assist with releases.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Fundraising & Donations
Fundraising is an ongoing task when running non-profit programs. You will be charged for a
compulsory donation, but if you feel motivated to do even more just let us know and we will
provide any information you might need.
Volunteer your time and energy!
Days:
The centre is open 365 days of the year and needs volunteers throughout the year.
Volunteers work 5 days per week from Monday to Sunday from about 8h00-17h00 with a
lunch break 13h00-14h00 and short tea breaks during the morning and afternoon.
This means that you will be asked to work on weekends but then you will have two days off
during the week. Some days might start earlier or later and in summertime, due to the heat,
hours can change.
Supervision:
You will be supervised by our Volunteer Coordinators who will pick you up upon arrival,
make sure you are settled in, show you around the city and prepare your work activities at
SANCCOB. They will transfer you to and from the project, make sure the shopping is done
and organize fun outings for the weekends.
At SANCCOB your work will be supervised by one of the staff members who will allocate
daily tasks and activities to you. They will also be the people to report to in the mornings
and sign out before you leave again at the end of the day.
BUT IS SOUTH AFRICA SAFE?
Despite general ideas of South Africa being very unsafe, it is important to know that South
Africa is known to many as very friendly and welcoming. But please remember that you
must realise that in big cities you must stick to a certain behaviour to avoid complicated
situations. As 70% of people live in poverty and few are extremely rich, the differences in
life and hope for a better future creates a situation that fuels crime, lack of education,
substance abuse, domestic violence and many more problems.
Your safety is very important, and your host will look after you to the best of their ability. We
do expect you to do your bit and keep to our safety guidelines. Common sense if you best
friend when it comes to safety, but here are a few guidelines:
- Do not walk alone or at night, use an Uber.
- Walk in a group where possible and stay on roads where you are in sight of other
people.
- Do not walk around with visible valuables.
- Do not carry a backpack on your stomach; it shows you have valuables and are a
tourist.
- Be confident and know where you are going without standing on corners looking at
your phone.
- Have a phone on you but do not walk around while calling.
- The project manager at the project will give you additional guidelines that must be
followed.
WHAT WILL BE EXPECTED FROM ME?
It is important that volunteers:
- Are physically fit and able to stand for a full shift
- Are comfortable with getting dirty
- Are willing to work in all weather conditions, often outside
- Can work in a team as well as independently
- Can follow Standard Operating Procedures
- Are reliable and accountable
- Are of a compassionate and caring nature with a love for seabirds
- Can work well under pressure
- Are at least 18 years old
- Are up to date with their tetanus vaccination
- Have consulted with their doctor before volunteering if they are pregnant, on
medication or allergic to animal dander or detergent.
- Persons with chronic respiratory ailments or impaired kidneys or liver should avoid working around crude oil. This project is not for the faint-hearted. The birds are wild and will bite
at any opportunity. Learning how to work with birds is a bit like riding a bike... the more you
practice the better you become. Volunteers should know that commitment is the key to learning
how to handle and feed birds.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Visa
Most countries will get a free visa upon arrival in South Africa, please check if you are
unsure and note that visas are the responsibility of the volunteer, and that Go with Khaya
can not be held responsible for clients being denied entry, should they not be in the
possession of the relevant visa.
In general, the rule applies that any stay of longer than 90 days in South Africa will require
you to apply for a visa before departure. If you plan to stay shorter than 90 days most
nationalities receive a free visa upon arrival in Johannesburg or Cape Town airport which
can be extended for another 90 days (total of 180 days) in South Africa at VFS Services.
All travellers must be in possession of a valid onward/return air ticket.
Passport
South Africa insists on people having 2-free pages available when you enter. Keep this in
mind if you are going to fly home from South Africa after completing a tour to multiple
African countries. Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after
your date of departure from Africa. You are personally responsible for ensuring that
passports, visas, vaccination certificates and other travel documents are in order and for all
costs relating thereto.
Vaccines
Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) is a malaria free area. We do have mosquitoes in summertime,
but they are more of an annoyance. For other vaccines we recommend that you contact
your local physician or travel clinic for information and advice.
Weather
The weather in this part of Africa can be diverse and summers can get warm, while winters
can get quite cold. Port Elizabeth has a very moderate climate though due to the ocean
currents and winds, cooling things down on those hot summer days. Not what everybody
expects of Africa but bring a jacket and warm sweater to be prepared for some of those colder
days, if you come in our winter months (June, July, and August).
Summer (Dec, Jan and Feb) 16 – 40 ̊ Celsius = Autumn (Mar, April and May) 10 - 32 ̊ Celsius
Winter (June, July and Aug) 8 - 25 ̊ Celsius = Spring (Sep, Oct and Nov) 10 - 32 ̊ Celsius
Insurance
Accidents can happen to anyone. Make sure to get comprehensive travel and medical
insurance.
Alcohol
We allow alcohol to be enjoyed at the accommodation but only for those of 18 years and
older. Volunteers under the age of 18 are not allowed to drink alcohol as per South African.
Law
We do not allow any parties or gatherings at the house where alcohol is consumed and
advise you to go out to enjoy yourself and to drink responsibly.
At this project volunteers work with children who are exposed to alcoholism and all the
negative results of it. For this reason, volunteers will not be allowed to participate if they
smell like alcohol in any way.
Drugs
Using or possessing drugs is illegal in South Africa and we have a zero-tolerance policy so
if we become aware of this, you will unfortunately no longer be welcome at our
accommodation or program.
Disclaimer
Go with Khaya commits itself to always offer accurate and correct information, but please
keep in mind that information can change, and all projects can be subject to change
regarding their programs and/or accommodation arrangements.