African Impact FAQ's - Volunteer work Africa
Below are the African Impact FAQ's and information
about volunteer work Africa.
» General questions
» Medical questions
» Volunteer questions
» Sports, teaching and expedition questions
General Questions
How safe am I in Africa?
- In the world of today safety can not be guaranteed. We do however
make every attempt to ensure that your time with African Impact
is as safe as possible.
- We utilise people who live in Africa and have a good understanding
of what issues it is facing
- We Keep up to date with the tourism networks on any changes
in situations in areas
- We Put in place back up plans should any changes be required.
- We Ensure that the work you are involved in is done with the
correct safety precautions
- The biggest indicator for safety, we believe, is the experience
that people visiting, touring or volunteering have had. The experience
that our groups and volunteers have had to date has been positive.
In 2004 we had over 2000 foreigners visit our projects and resorts
without any problems.
What insurance cover do you suggest/should be taken out?
- Personal travel insurance is compulsory when travelling with
African Impact. The extent of your insurance is up to your discretion.
We suggest that you take a package that includes repatriation
to your home country should there be a medical emergency. Read
more on our Africa travel
insurance page.
Do I need any visas?
- Different countries have different (and consistently changing)
visa requirements. The validity and visas for the countries you
are visiting are your responsibility.
What insurance do you hold?
- We have US dollar based public and passenger liability. The
level of liability that we hold has been set to the levels recommended
by the local tourism bodies.
What indemnities do I need to sign?
- You will need to sign a general indemnity for African Impact.
Certain places that you visit or activities (e.g. Victoria Falls)
that you do will also require an indemnity For people that are
under 18 years of age, the indemnities must be signed by parents
prior to departure.
What equipment/clothing should I take?
- The clothing and equipment you take will vary according to
each trip (you could be in snow on Mount Kilimanjaro or in the
heat of the Namib Dessert). Prior to departure we will issue you
with a full itinerary as well as a comprehensive kit list of things
to bring.
How much of which currencies should I bring?
- Your monetary requirements vary greatly between the countries
you visit and the type of trip that you are on. Prior to departure
we will issue you with a full itinerary, a comprehensive kit list
of things to bring and details on how you should plan to bring
your spending money.
What type of vehicle will I be travelling in?
- The type of vehicle you travel in will vary according to your
itinerary and the type of trip you are on. Our transport fleet
ranges from mini buses and land rovers to large 29 seat overland
trucks and 60 seat coaches.
What are the current HIV/AIDs issues/advice?
- The HIV/Aids pandemic is a major issue facing the whole of
Africa. A solid understanding of HIV/AIDS and how it is contracted
is vital when visiting Africa. All precautions should be taken.
Which countries can we include and which cities in those
countries?
- African Impact is able to operate in South Africa, Lesotho,
Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi,
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. We are able to operate in all the
major cities and areas in those countries. The major point of
entry in terms of flights in Southern and East Africa are Johannesburg,
Nairobi, Harare, Lusaka and Entebbe. View of our Africa
map to see where the countries are in relation to one another.
Who will organise the itinerary?
- The most optimal itinerary in terms of enjoyment, satisfaction,
logistics, etc. is developed between each potential volunteer
and our placement coordinators
What would you do if a trip has been arranged and all travel
details confirmed and finalised, but political instability makes
it hazardous to go through with the trip?
- When planning a trip to Africa, it is always important to allow
for some degree of flexibility and spontaneity in your itinerary.
In any instance of political instability or potential danger in
the area you are planning to visit, we would not cancel the trip,
but would change the location to somewhere safe. Our guides are
experienced in conducting trips all over Southern Africa and are
well acquainted with the major attractions of each country.
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Medical Questions
What malaria tablets should I take?
- We recommend that you visit your local travel clinic or Doctor
for advice on health (malaria, yellow fever,etc.) while travelling
in Africa.Read more in our Africa
health and vaccinations page.
What immunisations do I need?
- We recommend that you visit your local travel clinic or Doctor
for advice on health (malaria, yellow fever,etc.) while travelling
in Africa.
Do you require medical details and special dietary requirements
from me?
- We need to know if you have any specific medical conditions
as well as any specific dietary requirements that you might have.
What if I am ill?
- Our response to your sickness will depend on the severity of
your illness. Many of the places that you will visit will have
a basic medical service that will be able to help with a diagnosis.
Whatever the illness may be you can be sure that we will look
after you as best as we can and also ensure that you receive the
appropriate medical treatment.
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Volunteer Questions
What is the age range of the volunteers?
- 17-70. To date the youngest we have had is 17 years and the
oldest has been 67 years. Age is not the important part of being
a volunteer. Your enthusiasm, servant heart and open mind is what
is key!
Why do I have to pay to be a volunteer?
- Africa is the poorest continent in the world and there is essentially
no budget to run the conservation and educational volunteer programmes.
Your payment gets broken into two: the first section goes towards
meeting the costs of your stay (airport transfers, meals, accommodation,
etc.) and the second part goes towards the capital and operating
costs of the programme you are involved in.
What specific jobs might I be asked to do?
- The specific jobs that you are asked to do are very dependent
on the needs at the time and vary from week to week. Our website
contains more information on the different projects and kinds
of things that you will be involved with.
What arrangements are made for when I arrive at the airport?
- A member of the African Impact team will be at the airport
when you arrive in Africa and will transport you to your project.
What is the journey time to the programme base?
- The journey time varies according to what project you are on
and what airport you fly into. When the African Impact team is
finalising the details with you we will inform you of all the
travel details.
Is there an overnight stay en route? Where will it be?
- This varies by location but usually is more dependant on which
airport you are flying into and what time you arrive. Our African
Impact team will sort all these details out with you.
Is there a laundry service at all of the possible locations?
- Yes, or the facilities for you to do your own hand-washing
at projects that are more remote.
What holiday trips are available and how much do they cost?
- The holiday trips that are available vary but as a general
rule you can budget between $250-$350 for a 5 day holiday.
What level of spending money will I need?
- The amount of spending money that you need will vary according
to how much you want to shop, eat (outside your regular meals)
and drink (aside from tea, coffee and cordials). As a general
rule you could budget on $150 per month.
What are the parks fees?
- Parks fees are fees that are paid to the National Park of the
country that you are in for visiting one of the countries National
Parks. Some of the work that we are involved in takes place in
National Parks. The fee for working in the National Parks (if
applicable) is included.
Do you have an internet service at all the locations?
- We have an internet service at most locations but some of them
are in quite remote areas and can be unreliable.
Are there working phones at all of the locations?
- We have telecommunications at all our locations but due to
the location of some of the projects the phones are not always
available. We do have an office in South Africa and Zimbabwe that
have 24 hour numbers should there be an emergency.
What is the daily routine at each of the possible volunteer
bases?
- Your daily routine at any of the projects is very seldom the
same and will vary from day to day. We suggest that you look at
the website as the project descriptions will give you a clear
idea of what you will be doing.
What kind of food is eaten?
- The food you will be eating will be predominantly western food
(potatoes, beef, vegetables, etc.). We will also make available
some of the local African foods which you are encouraged to try.
What are the aims of each of the projects?
Do you have detailed information on the aims and practices
of each project?
Would I be moved in a crisis?
- Yes. We have a number of plans in place should you ever be
in a crisis (medical, family, political, etc.).
Do I need qualifications?
- To be a volunteer you do not need to have any qualifications.
The majority of volunteers at schools are not teachers and do
not teach at the schools but instead rather get involved with
extra mural activities, administration and general help.
Can I offer to teach?
- The possibility of you doing some teaching in the schools is
very much dependent on the country you are in as well as the actual
school that you are at. We do have some teaching positions available.
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Sports, Teaching & Expeditions
Can I have some ball park figures for expeditions?
- Unfortunately it is very difficult to give figures as the costs
of a trip is based on a number of variable factors (duration,
time of year, places visited, number of people, accommodation
style, etc.). Our experience has shown that it is best for you
and the African Impact team to make up your own trip based on
your specific desires.
Do you have any suggested itineraries?
- We do have a few standard itineraries that can be obtained
from our website. We do however encourage you to tailor make your
itinerary with the African Impact team to sort your specific requirements.
Do you issue any guidelines to students?
- African Impact works closely with the staff members on an expedition
for students to uphold the law of the land, the name of their
school and the reputation of African Impact. We ask for the staff
members to assume the ultimate responsibility of the pupils but
are always ready to assist the staff members. Our guides will
also be on hand to help with understanding the local laws, customs
and cultures.
How do I select a school?
- The first thing to do is to select a country that you would
like to work in (the African Impact team can help you on this
as well). Once you have selected your preferred region we will
send through to you information on a number of different schools
that we have targeted. Alternatively if there is already a school
that you have relationship with then we can assist you with visiting
that school.
Where will I be accommodated?
- Your accommodation on expeditions, sports tours and impact
a community will vary from hotels to camping. When the itinerary
is being developed the African Impact team will provide you with
a number of accommodation options to choose from.
What projects might I be involved with?
- The projects you will be involved with will vary according
to the needs of the school you are visiting, your resources budget
and the time that you have available. When the African Impact
team provides you with the information about the schools the most
pressing projects are listed.
Where are these schools?
- The schools are predominantly (although not exclusively) in
rural areas in the countries that we are operational in.
What happens in the evenings?
- The activities in the evenings varies according to the school
you are at, where you are staying, etc. We always try and have
one or two evenings of social interaction and entertainment. View
our day in the life of a volunteer
to find out roughly what your day will involve.
Should we bring tools, equipment, books, resources etc?
- Yes....any gifts to the schools you are visiting are more than
welcome. We do ask though that you would give these gifts to the
schools through African Impact so that we can keep the school
accountable for the efficient use of the precious resources.
Will protective clothing be provided?
- This will vary from trip to trip and will be communicated with
the group prior to departure.
Do you provide a separate information pack for parents?
Can we also play against local club sides?
- Yes, when developing your itinerary with the African Impact
team you can request this and we will do our best to put the fixture
together.
Will we be billeted or in hotels/B&Bs?
- Your accommodation will depend on your preferences and the
school that you are visiting. When your itinerary is being developed
your accommodation will be determined.
Can we go on safari?
- Yes. Seeing some of the awesome sights that Africa has to offer
is encouraged. When your itinerary is being developed the African
Impact team will be able to advise you on your safari options.
How do you calculate the entire fee? How do we know what
percentage of funds raised are given to the African school and travel
respectively?
The fee would be divided into two amounts that will be kept entirely
separate. One will be a fixed amount paid to African Impact, to
cover all travel costs and logistics for the trip, including accommodation,
food and travel. ‘Impact a Community' funds are kept separate
and this amount will fluctuate, depending on the amount that the
visiting school raises.
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