from 2,674€

Outstanding 4.9rating (189)

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Sanctuary

location
2 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Enjoy up close and personal time with Malawi's wildlife
  • Stay in Malawi's bush
  • Released animals in the wild
  • Make memories you can't get anywhere else in the world
  • Make lifelong friendships

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+

About the program

Help to promote and support wildlife conservation internationally as well as educate the local communities about it.

The Project

The centre is the only wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary in Malawi, promoting wildlife conservation both internationally and within the local communities. They have an extensive community outreach and education program and the centre is open to the public 365 days a year, ...

About the program

The Project

The centre is the only wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary in Malawi, promoting wildlife conservation both internationally and within the local communities. They have an extensive community outreach and education program and the centre is open to the public 365 days a year, welcoming hundreds of families and school children every week.

The project is still in the development stages which means volunteers can have a very real influence on the direction they take and there is a great team currently in place. Volunteers often extend their stay because they enjoy it so much and can see the value of their contribution. The centre couldn’t do their work without the support of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who really want to make a difference. It is a ground breaking project and the first People and Wildlife Centre in the world, a pilot project supported by a well-known international wildlife charity which is already being used as a model for other centres in Africa.

The centre operates on a strict hands-off policy as most of the animals are expected to be released or to live as naturally as possible without human contact. It can be difficult but you should refrain from touching or engaging the animals in human-like communications or interactions unless you are given instructions to do so (such as for orphan surrogacy).

Longer placements are available upon request.

The Location

Lilongwe, named after the Lilongwe River is the capital and largest city of Malawi. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, near the borders of Mozambique and Zambia. Lilongwe has existed for centuries as a small fishing village on the banks of the Lilongwe River. It has seen rapid population growth and has become the most populous city since 2008. While Blantyre remains the commercial capital of Malawi, Lilongwe is gradually replacing it as the economic capital of Malawi.

Lilongwe is divided into a New and Old City. The former has hotels, embassies and offices while the latter has markets, bus stations, cafes and restaurants. The modern shops of the City are contrasted by the street and walled markets of Old Town. The Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary is between the Old and New towns which is where the Wildlife Rescue Centre is located.

Lilongwe features a humid subtropical climate that borders on a subtropical highland climate, with pleasantly warm summers and mild winters. Due to the altitude, temperatures are lower than would be expected for a city located in the tropics. Due in part to the growth of the expatriate community and the increasing importance of tourism, the number of international restaurants has risen very rapidly over recent years. The city now offers a rich and internationalised diversity of cuisine. There is a diverse population of native peoples, Asians and Europeans, with several languages spoken and an array of religious beliefs.

Our Volunteers

There are various projects volunteers can contribute to and make a real difference to the wildlife at the centre and the local communities. You will be responsible for feeding and watering the animals, cleaning enclosures, providing enrichment and assisting with tours for visitors and activities school groups. You will make a positive difference to the lives of the animals at the centre by caring for and enriching the lives of a variety of wildlife.

You will receive a tour upon arrival and will get to know many of the animals and their stories of how they came to be at the Centre. A volunteer coordinator is on site to assist with any support or direction you may need during your placement and there is excellent onsite support at all times. O2E support staff are only a phone call or email away for any query you might have.

Conditions On site

You will spend your days in hot conditions. The work caring for the animals can be physically challenging but extremely rewarding.

Black mambas are an extremely dangerous African snake and may be seen around the centre. Instructions are given to volunteers about all the wonderful but potentially treacherous wildlife in the area.

Please Note

The second instalment of your project fees is due within 1 week after you paid the deposit on Volunteer World. This is a total of $495 AUD and comes off your balance. The balance is due 90 days prior to travel. For all further information about the fees, please scroll down to the section "Program Fees“.



Typical day

Dependent on your passions, experience and needs of the centre you could be involved in any of the following: 

  • Assisting the carers: Work alongside the animal carers to offer the orphans the best possible care that they deserve. This includes cleaning, feeding, buying food from the market, hand ...

Typical day

Dependent on your passions, experience and needs of the centre you could be involved in any of the following: 

  • Assisting the carers: Work alongside the animal carers to offer the orphans the best possible care that they deserve. This includes cleaning, feeding, buying food from the market, hand rearing the baby orphans and providing enrichment to those that need it. 
  • Vet assistance: Depending on your skills, work alongside our full-time vet and their team and help conduct full health checks on all new arrivals and regular vaccinations and check-ups on all the animals at the centre. Or work with our sister organisation, helping to deliver care to domestic animals in surrounding communities that need it.
  • General centre support: Helping with construction and maintenance, giving guided tours or getting involved with events at the centre.
  • Education: working on new signage, developing education program or help out at the Wild Kidz Camps. 
  • Community outreach: Work with the Community Outreach Manager as they deliver extensive wildlife conservation education program within the local schools and orphanages. Other outreach work covers reforestation, farming diversification and health education on subjects like HIV/Aids and Malaria and developing markets for their crafts and produce. 
  • Environment: If you are interested in conservation management, we have several projects including ecological surveys, mammal censuses and a forestation project. 
  • Marketing: If you have experience in website design, public relations, events, photography or documentary making, we would be more than interested to hear from you.

If you find you take an interest in a particular area or project at the centre, the project staff are very encouraging and will help you to experience new and interesting jobs if you wish to.


Free-time activities

Malawi is known as the Warm Heart of Africa for its friendly people, warm climate and stunning landscapes. Lilongwe is a safe, clean city and you are welcome to try the local restaurants, local markets and sample the nightlife.

If you are keen to travel the centre can help you arrange everything ...

Free-time activities

Malawi is known as the Warm Heart of Africa for its friendly people, warm climate and stunning landscapes. Lilongwe is a safe, clean city and you are welcome to try the local restaurants, local markets and sample the nightlife.

If you are keen to travel the centre can help you arrange everything from scuba diving at the lake to safaris in Zambia.


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 (fluently)

Required Documents

Proof of travel Insurance docs and Proof of vaccinations

Nationality Restrictions

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

Other Skills

Volunteers need to be flexible, full of enthusiasm and like a good day's work! It is important that volunteers are adaptable in terms of what work they are involved in and the centre will do their best to ensure you are involved in the projects you are most interested in. No two days could be the same!

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 09:00 - 17:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers

    What's included in this project?

    • Pre-departure support
    • Project Information Pack
    • Malawi airport transfers
    • Arrival orientation
    • Accommodation
    • Meals
    • All necessary training by staff and/or volunteers
    • O2E T-Shirt
    • 24-hour in-country support
    • 24-hour O2E emergency phone
    • Certificate of Participation, if requested
    What's not included in this project?

    • Flights
    • Travel insurance
    • Personal spending money
    • Visas and entry permits

    Airport Pickup at Lilongwe International Airport

    The wildlife centre is a short 25 minute drive from Lilongwe International Airport. To fly to Lilongwe, check out Kenya Airways, Ethiopia Airways and South African Airways. O2E will arrange for your transfers from the airport to the centre.

    Accommodation

    Ever fancied waking up to the sound of a lion roaring or monkeys playing out of your bedroom window? In this volunteer accommodation you can! Volunteers stay together at the Volunteer House, which is in the heart of the wildlife centre and surrounded by animals. This allows you to be close to the action and gives you a chance to experience the wild side of Africa. 

    The house has mixed dorm-style accommodation with electricity, a kitchen, lounge area, bathroom and hot showers. There is a generous and attractive garden area for relaxing in the evenings and on your day off. All meals are served by the local cook who provides international meals along with some local Malawian dishes that he is more than happy to show you how to make. 

    Vegans and people with allergies are catered for and every week on a Saturday night, the centre has a Brai for the weekly Saturday night BBQ. If you prefer to eat out there are many good restaurants just a short drive away and the wildlife centre public restaurant serves fantastic lunches!

    Food & Beverages

    Breakfast supplies are available to volunteers and all lunches and dinners with vegetarian and vegan options are prepared by the resident cook. You will experience some yummy African cuisine as well as a very tasty homemade pizza! Fresh, filtered water is provided.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Lilongwe International Airport (LLW) in Lilongwe. We assist you to find cheap flights to Malawi. 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 Malawi provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

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

    Details on arrival

    Program starts on Tuesday each week (Tues to Mon)

    To get there, the wildlife centre is a short 25-minute drive from Lilongwe International Airport. To fly to Lilongwe, check out Kenya Airways, Ethiopia Airways and South African Airways. O2E will arrange for your transfers from the airport to the centre

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

    Program fees

    2 weeks (min. stay) 2,674€
    3 weeks 3,433€
    4 weeks 4,282€
    5 weeks 4,939€
    6 weeks 5,544€
    7 weeks 6,128€
    8 weeks 6,669€
    9 weeks 7,082€
    10 weeks 7,446€
    11 weeks 7,804€
    12 weeks (max. stay) 8,127€
    Average fees 1,007€/week

    Program fees

    1,007€ per week 2 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    2 - 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 Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers

    Outstanding 4.9 rating (189 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 2011

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Very high response rate

    Coordinated by

    Tracy

    Spoken languages: English

    About the project

    Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers is a non-profit organisation that was founded for the purpose of providing resources and financial assistance to animal welfare and conservation

    Meet your organization

    The O2E Founders are animal lovers and committed volunteers. They founded and established the organisation in Melbourne, Australia, having seen firsthand that volunteer recruitment agencies were not always aware if the projects they supported had the best interests of animals and environment in mind. Instead, unethical and harmful behaviour including elephant riding, unsustainable tree nursery projects and the consumption of scarce community resources by the presence of volunteers were often the result. Local wildlife communities and the animals’ environments were also clearly disadvantaged. For this reason, we created our Oceans 2 Earth Ethical Standards and the Wildlife Code and measure all potential projects by these policies prior to partnering with them.

    Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers offers volunteering and adventure travel experiences for ethically minded animal and conservation lovers looking for the trip of a lifetime.

    In creating Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers, the O2E founders challenge and engage individuals to contribute to meaningful animal welfare and conservation projects. As wildlife carers and avid animal welfare and rights campaigners, they uphold a vision to promote ethical volunteering as an advisable travel alternative.

    We believe the way to solve the issues of animal mistreatment and environmental destruction and degradation is to provide people with the opportunity to contribute and interact so that they may develop their own personal culture of responsibility and global conservation. People exposed first hand to challenging bio diverse environmental issues are more likely to draw on those experiences and continue to make a positive impact once they arrive home. 

    Oceans 2 Earth recognise that individuals really can make a difference. However small the work effort is from one person, if you combine the actions of many people as a whole, the result can become quite significant. By bringing like-minded and ethically conscious animal lovers together, Oceans 2 Earth believe that there is no limit to what we can achieve. 

    Our Mission

    Promote environmental sustainability and to be accountable for our impact on the environment.

    Take action and find solutions to improve the natural, bio-diverse way of life for all. Promote the ethical treatment and natural living ecology of all animals.

    Expose and educate volunteers to the plight of animals ill-affected by conflict or interaction with man, encouraging them to take action and find solutions to these global issues. 

    189 reviews · rating4.9

    From the moment you arrive at this wildlife rehabilitation centre, it is like a different world. Being up close to Australian wildlife was so amazing and I was given my own pademelon to look after once I arrived. She was my responsibility and I fed her and cleaned her enclosure throughout the ...
    Ida Stilbo rating5

    2024 at Aussie Wildlife Homestay

    I had the best time staying with Peter and Caroline! In my 3 weeks stay I got to experience the Aussie Wildlife on close hand. I spend lots of time with the roos and wombats both feeding, playing and cuddling. There are also plenty of other animals to talk to during the day. The rooms and house were ...
    It is such a unique and an amazing experience. I’ve met so many wonderful people and learnt so much about the Great Barrier Reef while volunteering for a great cause! Highly recommend and would like to do it again. Thank you ...
    Susanne Everding rating4.4

    2023 at Forest Elephant Sanctuary

    The best animal welfare project I have ever experienced - everything was just great! Highly recommended!! The founder LEK is an incredible woman who achieved unbelievable changes for ...
    kate minchin rating5

    2023 at Forest Elephant Sanctuary

    I ventured by myself on this trip and found it very rewarding. I was part of a group of 20 people where we worked together on many various tasks from carting watermelons, to cutting bananas or grass to visiting a school for the day. We had lots of time to also explore the park or walk a dog or ...
    Spent my best time in Australia so far. It’s been such a pleasure to know and work with a group of amazing people. Great shout out to Helen, Tim and all the other volunteers. This is the perfect experience where you get to know Great Barrier Reef from a different perspective while doing ...

    Location

    Africa > Eastern Africa > Malawi > Lilongwe

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    Contact Tracy
      Very high response rate
    English

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