Volunteering in Namibia

Sleeping outside on the red desert sand, I’m wrapped up in all my layers and a sleeping bag cocoon in an attempt to stay warm. I wake up and can feel icicles forming on my nose, but open my eyes to a sky absolutely full of stars. Millions of tiny sparkling specs all with their own stories to tell, and the milkyway strewn across the sky in all its splendour. Desert cats and baboons howl in the distance, and it feels like perhaps I’ve drifted into another time. Life here has been like this, unchanged for countless ages and I am dwarfed by the magnificence of it all. My insignificance is almost palpable. I reach for my head torch and slowly slide out of my sleeping bag, being careful to close it up so no scorpions creep in while I’m gone. It is my turn for “lion watch”.

Africa

Africa. Perhaps the most incredible and evocative continent on the planet. Certainly for me at least. Africa was a life long dream of mine..ever since I was a child I dreamed of Africa. This continent has always had an allusive fascination for me. I was desperate to go, to see those incredible animals, and to experience something of the wildly different culture of the people there. But it also seemed just a little bit scary, and all the fancy safari tours all seemed too contrived and I wasn’t sure that was for me. Plus my ex was not a fan, so that basically decided it, and it stayed a nice idea for “some other time” for years.

Fast forward some years, and I find myself turning my life upside down. I’d ended an 18 year relationship and was rediscovering life on my own, and eventually made the decision to quit my job and take the plunge. I was going to take a life break, travel and explore the world with no plans or pre-conceived ideas.

But there were 3 components that I decided were essential for me:

1-Yoga. Stories for another time, but now a qualified yoga teacher so happily ticking yes to that one
2-The Camino de Santiago. Another incredible, life-changing tick..read more about that here.
3-Volunteer work. The more I thought about it, the more this felt like a critical part of my trip. Taking the time to galivant around the world just seemed so indulgent.. And while this was going to be so much more than just a long holiday for me, I wanted to find some way to give something back along the way. Plus, what better way to go deeper than the usual tourist traps and really discover the essence of a place? So where would I look for volunteering opportunities? Africa, of course!

I went into some of the logistical stuff in my earlier post on Voluntourism, why you should consider it, so I’ll skip over that and just get stuck right in.

Elephant Human Relations Aid = EHRA

Namibia. What an incredible little country. I was lucky enough to get a volunteer spot with Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA). EHRA is an elephant conservation group. They are dedicated to helping alleviate the pain points that cause problems when humans and desert elephants interact. Working both with local communities and the government, they help preserve these incredible animals. Have you ever looked into the eyes of an elephant? If you have, then you know the wisdom that is there. It is like they can see inside you, the real essence of you. These gentle giants are intelligent, social and caring creatures. With rituals and social behaviour that rivals that of the earliest humans, there is no doubt in my mind that these animals understand more than most give them credit for.

Namibia. What an incredible little country. I was lucky enough to get a volunteer spot with Elephant Human Relations Aid. EHRA is an elephant conservation group. They are dedicated to helping alleviate the pain points that cause problems when humans and desert elephants interact. Working both with local communities and the government, they help preserve these incredible animals. Have you ever looked into the eyes of an elephant? If you have, then you know the wisdom that is there. It is like they can see inside you, the real essence of you. These gentle giants are intelligent, social and caring creatures. With rituals and social behaviour that rivals that of the earliest humans, there is no doubt in my mind that these animals understand more than most give them credit for.

In Namibia, for many, life continues much as it did decades or even centuries ago and the people here live in some of the worlds harshest conditions. They are connected to the land in a way that most western cultures struggle to understand. For me, being here and witnessing this was truly an eye-opener. But it also means, that animals that can’t be eaten, are considered by some as a pest. So lions that steal goats, or elephants that break into water supplies are understandably disliked by the communities affected, and in some cases this puts their lives at risk. This is where EHRA step in. They liaise with local communities and the government and with the help of their volunteers, they build fortifications around the desert water supplies to ensure that elephants can’t leave the communities without access to water.

Part 1 – Build week

Building fortifications for local water supply. Using large rocks found in the area, along with cement mixed with the plentiful desert sand, we built a massive wall. Translation = a week of hard physical labour! But the result, is guaranteed water supply for the people who live in this harsh climate. And with an external water access point, the farmer’s goats and cattle, and of course any passing elephants can have a drink too.

This work might not sound like much, and it’s certainly not the romantic vision that comes to mind when you imagine elephant conservation. But in this way EHRA is truly able to help people and elephants co-exist in harmony. And with no other natural predators, humans are indeed the biggest threat to these majestic creatures. So by paving the way for coexistence, EHRA is creating a brighter future.

So, build week is mostly physical labour. And in the baking sun, it definitely was hard! We set up camp a short distance from the well, and lived a beautifully simple, rustic life for the week. Breakfast was toast and porridge, then we headed out to build for a few hours. We retreated back to camp for lunch and a siesta during the hottest hours of the day and then more building in the afternoon. We would finish the day with dinner and chats around the camp fire before falling into sleep under the stars. What an incredible way to spend a week!

No showers, no electricity, no phones or wifi. Swags rolled out on the desert sand. Out in the open with nothing but a blanket of stars above me. Spectacular.

Part 2 – Safari

If build week was great, then safari week was unbelievable. The second part of EHRA’s work involves tracking the elephants, monitoring their migration patterns, as well as that of non-local herds, and keeping tabs on the health of the elephants. After years of doing this, EHRA has detailed family trees for the resident elephants. They track breeding patterns, and changing physical features such as tusks damaged or broken so they can continue to be identified as time passes. Dung samples are collected as part of a separate project to better understand migration patterns.

For me as a volunteer, this week felt like a holiday. The guides do most of the work, collecting dung samples and taking detailed notes, explaining to us the complex hierarchy of the family as they do so. It was the most incredible way to “live” a local experience, learn about the elephants and see this incredible desert in all it’s natural beauty.

Not your regular safari…

This is not your regular safari. The animals here are not used to human contact and so sighting animals is much harder than in smaller parks like the Serengeti. This makes the tracking much more difficult, but there is a sense that this is more real. And while the close ups with the animals is almost non-existent except for some of the elephants, it seems a little more like the way it should be. These are wild animals. They should not be completely fine with a handful of trucks driving right up to them to get a closer look. That is not normal animal behaviour. No-one is leaving food for them, baiting them in order to sell more safaris to tourists. So here, you get a real taste of this desert and it’s incredible vastness.

In this week, we had only a rough plan, knowing that we would change course depending entirely on what we found. The goal was to track at least one of the 3 resident herds in the area. This means driving through the dry river beds, and following fresh tracks when we found them. We would set up camp every afternoon in a new location, and continue on again the next day. A completely nomadic existence – a little taste of a lifestyle that is both intriguing, at times challenging, but also incredible.

Lion watch

Unfortunatley (or fortunately depending on your viewpoint) the closest we got to a lion was seeing the fresh tracks where we set up camp. We didn’t see the animal in the flesh, but the danger was real. A curious lion checking out the human smorgasboard sleeping under the stars is definitely not part of the ideal itinerary, so we kept the fire burning all night and took it in turns to be awake for “lion watch”. I’m not entirely sure what I would have done if I’d seen the glistening eyes of a lion looking back at me, but thankfully it didn’t happen. Instead, it was a couple of hours spent next to the flickering flames, enjoying their warmth and gazing at the seemingly infinite stars overhead. We alternately chatted, and sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the African night. Those are hours I will never forget.

Final words

Is this kind of volunteering experience for everyone? Definitely not. But if you are open to removing yourself completely from the creature comforts you are accustomed to, and experiencing a way of life that is utterly different, then I definitely recommend considering it. For me, this was a highlight of my trip and something that will stay with me forever.

And the moment when one of the largest bulls in the herd walked straight to me, looking me in the eyes for what seemed like an immeasurable, heartstopping moment before continueing on it’s way. Well..there are no words to adequately explain to you how that felt. But one thing is for sure. I am eternally grateful to have lived this experience. This is quite possibly what life is all about.

If you’re interested in volunteering, check out the EHRA website below, or contact Rachel directly: Rachel@desertelephant.org
https://www.ehranamibia.org/