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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. » back to top 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. » back to top   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? Please refer to each individual Africa volunteer project Do you have detailed information on the aims and practices of each project? Yes, please read more about each volunteer 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. » back to top   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? No – we provide one information pack that is for both pupils and parents. If in doubt read our information for parents page. 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. » back to top       print this page | bookmark this page (CTRL-D) | send to a friend back to top