from 1,570€

Fantastic 4.5rating (42)

Penguin Rescue and Rehabilitation Assistant

location
6 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Fantastic 4.5  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Work hands-on with sick or injured African Penguins!
  • Observe how they will re-learn how to catch fish independently with a definite advantage, being made fit and fat by volunteers.
  • Be part in the conservation of our penguins and help us to preserve our treasure!
  • Explore the local South Africa with fellow volunteers!
  • Meet like-minded volunteers from all over the world!

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Calling all animal lovers - endangered African Penguins are supported by the rehabilitation and conservation centre in Port Elizabeth!

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 ...

About the program

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. 




Typical day

As a volunteer you will generally work closely with the people who work at the rehabilitation centre from 8.30AM until 5PM including the following tasks.

  • Hands-on work with penguins and other marine birds
  • Assistance on educational visitor tours
  • Cleaning and feeding of the penguins
  • Helping to release ...

Typical day

As a volunteer you will generally work closely with the people who work at the rehabilitation centre from 8.30AM until 5PM including the following tasks.

  • Hands-on work with penguins and other marine birds
  • Assistance on educational visitor tours
  • Cleaning and feeding of the penguins
  • Helping to release rehabilitated birds
  • General, centre-related tasks
General 
  • Welcoming visitors 
  • Answering the phone and office duties (filing, taking, and delivering phone messages, printing, copy work, receiving deliveries, data capturing, stocktake, postage, communication with suppliers etc.)
  • Attending to “Bird Calls” (phone calls relating to birds in need of rescue) 
  • Assisting with emails  Guiding visitors and school groups through the center 
  • Helping at the coffee shop when needed 
  • Centre maintenance duties 
Fundraising 
  • Capture visitor’s data into database 
  • Filing 
  • Thank you letters to donors 
  • Tracking donations from donors 
  • Assisting in creating Penguin adoption packs 
  • Assist with tin collection program
Sea school 
  • Teaching the visiting children about the center 
  • Helping with rock pool and shipwreck lessons 
  • Looking after displays and educational material 
Bird hospital 
  • Maintaining a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness in the rehabilitation centre. 
  • Scrubbing and cleaning the bird hospital facilities 
  • Washing and drying of laundry 
  • Cleaning equipment used in food preparation and feeding 
  • Defrosting and preparing fish for a variety of seabird species. 
  • Preparing and administering medication to different bird species.
  • Feeding the penguins and other birds (force feeding and free feeding) 
  • Hydrating (tubing) different bird species. 
  • Assisting in maintaining the permanent bird exhibit (scrubbing rocks, raking sand and food preparation) 
  • Cleaning and caring for the birds that are brought in 
  • Catching and handling of different bird species. 
  • Assisting with bird release preparation 
  • Joining the staff (when possible) at rescues in the Port Elizabeth area

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.


Free-time activities

The Eastern Cape and the surroundings of Port Elizabeth show a large variety of natural beauty and make PE a great central place to visit the variety of South Africa. To the East you will find the Wild coast (former Transkei and Ciskei) which is mostly rural and undeveloped, but closer you will find ...

Free-time activities

The Eastern Cape and the surroundings of Port Elizabeth show a large variety of natural beauty and make PE a great central place to visit the variety of South Africa. To the East you will find the Wild coast (former Transkei and Ciskei) which is mostly rural and undeveloped, but closer you will find Addo Elephant Part and great coastal villages such as Port Alfred. To the North you will find the great Karoo; a semi desert area with wide open spaces, large nature areas and long open roads with historical places such as Graaff Reinet, the Baviaanskloof Wilderness and much more. To the East towards Cape Town, you will be amazed by the Tsitsikamma National Park, holiday villages such as Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and natures Valley or the surf mecca of Jeffrey’s Bay. This gives you plenty to see and visit while you are here.
In Port Elizabeth there are a lot of things to do as well. You can go sandboarding on the Sunday river, to Sardinia bay for a day on the beach or visit one of the museums from Nelson Mandela.


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

Be calm, collected and ready to get your hands dirty! It is important that volunteers: -Are physically fit and able to stand for a full shift, comfortable with getting dirty, willing to work in all weather conditions, often outside, reliable and accountable, compassionate and caring nature with a love for seabirds and up to date with their tetanus vaccination. -Can work in a team as well as independently, follow Standard Operating Procedures, and work well under pressure.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 08:30 - 17:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Go With Khaya

Included in your fees:

  • Information and assistance before departure
  • Pick up upon arrival and drop off at the end of your stay during week days
  • Welcome pack 
  • City Tour and Introduction Program
  • Accommodation 
  • 3 basic meals a day
  • Direct donation to the project’s needs
  • Daily transport to-and-from the project
  • Volunteer T-Shirt from Sanccob with a name badge
  • Weekly free social activities

Airport Pickup at Port Elizabeth International Airport

Our volunteers arrive on Mondays and start at the project on Tuesdays. We can pick you up from the airport or from any accommodation in Port Elizabet/Gqeberha.

 

Arrivals and departure transfers from Monday to Friday are included in the fees. If you need an arrival or departure transfer over the weekend (Saturday to Sunday), we ask for a local cash payment of ZAR 250 per transfer.

 

Participation is in full weeks (7 nights) only. Please also keep in mind that projects close for 2-3 weeks over December/January each year.

Accommodation

The volunteer house in Port Elizabeth is a gorgeous home with loads of space.  Whether you prefer to unwind in the garden, at the pool or in the lounge; this home has a special place for everyone. 

The home was built in grand old architectural style and is decorated with modern touches. A pool for summer and a fireplace for winter, what more do you need?

The property is well secured and superbly located within walking distance of the beach, restaurants, laundry & shops.

Food & Beverages

Our full time cook will provide all meals at the volunteer house on a daily basis. This means you will be able to enjoy great South African home cooked meals, learn how to cook some of these specialties and have a House Mother to comfort you when needed. Our cook is a lady with a warm heart and even bigger embrace for those that need it and she will look after the house and the meals to provide the best possible.

We believe in participation, so volunteers will not be sitting back and get served, they still need to help her cook at times, chop vegetables, clean dishes and warm up the food for dinner themselves.

Our cook will create weekly menus offering breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as alternate meals like stews, curries, stir-fry, soups, pastas and other wholesome options. Meals will be prepared and cooked from Monday to Friday, where on weekends volunteers will only have to heat up a meal or make their own similar meals.

There is free coffee, tea and cordial juice available at any time. For breakfast you will have toast, fruit, yogurt, cereal and/or eggs. For lunch you can have sandwiches with cheese, marmalade, cold meats or other spreads. Dinners are a variety of hearty healthy meals such as soups, stews, pies, oven dishes and other options. Please tell our coordinators about any wishes, vegetarian wishes and allergies concerning food.

Internet Access

Limited access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) in Port Elizabeth. We assist you to find cheap flights to South Africa. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for South Africa provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in South Africa you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for South Africa. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

Starting your volunteer work is on Mondays only.

You will either be picked up at the airport or any accommodation in Port Elizabeth on Monday. You will then have time to settle in and explore the area. Tuesday will be your introduction day at the project.

If you arrive before Monday, we can assist with accommodation at a backpacker’s hostel or guesthouse for you.

Participation is in full weeks only (7 nights per week) and the project will be closed for approximately 2-3 weeks over Christmas and New Years’ time every year.

This project has a minimum duration of 6 weeks.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

6 weeks (min. stay) 1,570€
7 weeks 1,800€
12 weeks (max. stay) 2,952€
Average fees 253€/week

Program fees

253€ per week 6 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

6 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Go With Khaya during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Go With Khaya

Fantastic 4.5 rating (42 reviews)

Agency - founded in 2005

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Igna

Spoken languages: English

About the project

Go With Khaya provides responsible and affordable volunteer projects. Take a gap year, work with communities and children, teach sport or work with wildlife.

Meet your organization

“Khaya” means village or dwelling in several African languages – but it also has a deeper meaning, that of ‘belonging’. In Xhosa it also means home or homestead and in Swahili it means boma, which is an enclosed secure area for cattle. At Khaya Volunteer Projects, we make our volunteers feel that they belong. If you choose Khaya to organize your volunteering experience, you will feel secure and well-informed. You will also feel that you belong to the project you decide to work with, as Khaya fits the right people to the right projects.

History

Khaya Volunteer Projects was established in 2005. We offered international students the opportunity to come to South Africa and experience working with local companies and organisations as interns. Our goal was to offer an incomparable experience of the diverse culture and socio-political landscape of this amazing country, and our hope was to inspire people to offer their time and effort in return.

We soon found that many volunteering projects needed more hands and financial support than interns could provide, so in 2009 we started to offer volunteering opportunities to people of all ages and walks of life, such as gap year students, travellers, and conscientious older people with time to spare – whoever you are, you will find the right project for you and fit right in. Things took off from there and we didn’t look back - in 2011, Khaya expanded to Tanzania (Arusha and Zanzibar) and Zimbabwe. Today we have offices in South Africa, Zanzibar,Tanzania and Malawi.

Our Mission

Our mission is simple but resonant: we provide volunteering opportunities for international travellers that are both unique and as affordable as possible with high standards of service and facilities. Needless to say, we also prioritise our selected volunteer projects’ needs in ways that benefit both project and you, the volunteer.

At Khaya Volunteer Projects, our greatest desire is to show people the true Africa, with its dynamic cultures and its incredible raw beauty. To live and work locally in South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Zanzibar or Zimbabwe means immersing yourself in these countries and experiencing your travels in an entirely unique way you will never forget.

Our offer

Khaya Volunteer Projects will introduce you to affordable volunteer projects which have been personally chosen by or established by us. You can choose from a number of viable, sustainable, rewarding ventures: working with children, healthcare, sports development, education, conservation, animals – whatever you can think of, that project wants and needs your time and energy!

We have developed an extremely hands-on and personal approach to your experience. You will have a project facilitator working closely with you throughout your volunteering program to make sure your questions are answered and your concerns addressed. No question, suggestion or complaint is too silly, small or simple! This is just one of the many reasons Khaya has volunteers coming back to us year after year.

Dynamite comes in small packages! One of our points of pride is that our volunteering projects are selected and developed for quality over quantity. This means you won’t have to stand in a queue to touch an elephant or to take part in an activity – this isn’t Disneyworld!  Many other volunteer projects have 30 or 40 volunteers involved, which we feel dilutes your experience and denies the volunteer project your focus and enthusiasm. Some of our volunteer projects are rather new and in the process of improving, so we at Khaya make it our priority to uplift and support where we can and grow these projects to new heights – and for this, we want our volunteers to be as involved as possible and not just people who paid a fee to be ‘faces in the crowd’!

Why Khaya?

Affordability

We focus on keeping our volunteer projects’ prices transparent and as low as possible while still offering the highest level of service. We encourage…no, we CHALLENGE you, our prospective volunteers, to compare our prices with other organisations. We offer incomparably affordable experiences for the level of service you will be receiving. We make sure to eliminate hidden costs and ‘fine print’ as far as possible in our volunteer project pricing. All your meals, transport and 24/7 supervision and guidance is included in our offering (this MAY differ per project, so please double-check with us).

Where does your money go?

We donate a good portion of your volunteering fee directly to the projects we work with (this can differ per project, you can check with us). This means that not only are you helping and supporting the projects with your time and energy, but you are also financially contributing to them! Khaya ensures that the costs involved in our projects are as transparent and uncomplicated as possible so that you know exactly where your hard-earned money is going to. Please contact us if you have ANY queries whatsoever regarding your fee, and what kind of mileage you are getting for your buck!

Locally based

Khaya has one fantastic advantage over other volunteer groups – we’re based right here in Africa, and are therefore directly involved with the volunteer projects on an ongoing, hands-on basis. We make every effort to visit all our projects regularly to ensure that everything is running smoothly, and to ensure that both projects AND volunteers receive all the necessary support and guidance. Our direct partnership with our projects allows us to see immediately how you, the volunteer, fit into the bigger picture, and at the same time we can help with the day-to-day details of your stay.

Very important to us: Khaya strives to create employment in Africa by employing local people at several of our projects and giving them much-needed income opportunities.

Going the extra mile

Khaya believes in going the extra mile. Whether you have questions specifically about the volunteer project you have embarked on, or just a general travel question (er no, lions and elephants don’t usually run rampant in city streets here! :). Ask away with impunity, nothing is too big or small for us to find the answer.

Khaya also conducts ongoing coaching and training of our local partners and coordinators. We train the staff of several projects on how to deal with volunteers, how to utilize them, and the best possible way to assist them. In doing so, we offer support for volunteers and at the same time foster an environment of empowerment for the full-time project workers.

Keeping it real

The pictures that you see on our website are authentic – they were taken by volunteers and Khaya staff. We want you to see exactly what you get if you sign up for a volunteering project with us. We are NOT involved in this industry merely to make a buck – we have a passion to make change happen, and to create a win-win situation for all involved. Also, we really want you to send us YOUR pictures and words, your vision of your experience, for our own knowledge and for potential future volunteers.

Pre-departure and feedback

Before you depart your home country, Khaya will supply you with a pre-departure guide with information about the project you choose. We will supply everything you need to know about visa requirements, and a list of what you need to bring with you; the climate; what to expect culturally and environmentally; and much, much more information!

We always aim to improve our services wherever possible, so once you have completed your time as a volunteer; we will ask you for feedback on your experience with us. Your feedback is of utmost importance to us to keep improving and growing our partnerships to new heights.

All volunteers will receive a Certificate of Participation after completion of their project.

42 reviews · rating4.5

Aniek Fassotte rating4.4

2022 at Penguin Rescue and Rehabilitation Assistant

Het originele plan was om zes weken bij dit project te gaan werken. Uiteindelijk is dit me zo goed bevallen dat ik mijn verblijf heb verlengd met twee extra weken. Het was mooi om zulke ervaring op te kunnen doen. Maar eerlijk is eerlijk, met de 'bazen' bij dit project moet je wel om kunnen gaan. ..
Feeding the penguins really was the highlight! And I never thought routine would be so much fun. All because of the adorable penguins! These creatures do bite, but it's easy to forgive them. Great service from Khaya Volunteer Projects, from booking to service while in Port ...
Claudia Fiedler rating3

2024 at Teach Assistant

School: Overall the teaching experience is an experience that changed my view on the world. However, if you are visiting from europe you need to be aware, that things in africa work differently than at home. To me, the project seemed quite unorganised. The communication with the school was ...
David Mason-Williams rating4.4

2023 at Assistant at Siyafunda Game Reserve

Volunteering with Siyafunda was one of the best decisions of my life! Everyone involved in the project is passionate and knowledgable about their work, which I find inspirational. I learnt so much during my six weeks with Siyafunda, and I cannot wait to one day return and learn more! Anyone who is ...
Zeyneb Kasmi rating3.2

2022 at Teach Assistant

I spent in total 5 weeks in Zanzibar. The island became a second home. I taught mostly in a secondary school. It was a wonderful experience! However, I was living 25 min away from Stone Town / and the school. I did not like taking the bus/dali dali every single day. They only drive to up to a ...
Lison Mc Nicoll rating4.6

2022 at Vervet Monkey Rescue

I stayed 2 weeks in Bambelela in June-July 2022. It was amazing! People there are so nice and we have plenty of monkey time. The tasks to do are easy but so helpful for them! An experience of a life! I’ll always remember my beautiful monkeys there! ...

Location

Africa > Southern Africa > South Africa > Port Elizabeth

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