Take some time with the animal kingdom’s closest relative to humans, the chimpanzee. Spend your days observing them and assisting in the maintenance of their habitat, as well as going vegetable picking and enjoying riverside picnics.
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum two-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (NLA). You will be picked up at the airport and taken to your accommodation in Ndola. Take the time to acclimatise to African life or stock up on essentials before you head into rural Zambia.
Day 1, Monday: You will be picked up from your accommodation in Ndola and transferred to the project site. It’s about a five hour drive so make sure you get plenty of rest beforehand, in order to enjoy the ride through Zambia. Once you have reached your new home, you will have time to settle in and meet other volunteers.
Day 2, Tuesday: It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for - time to meet the chimps! Have your first interaction with them as you prepare food and participate in behavioral enrichment activities. In the afternoon you will learn more about the orphanage and enjoy some chimp observation.
Day 3, Wednesday: Spend some time getting to know the area by going fruit and vegetable picking before having a picnic lunch by the river. Your afternoon will include a sports and culture day at the local primary school, before having fun at games night.
Day 4, Thursday: Go back to the orphanage to spend some more time with the chimps, before meeting the lady that began the whole project. Your lunch will be spent along the river after a canoe trip, before you head back to your accommodation.
Day 5, Friday: Your Fridays will be free to get some rest or enjoy the local town shops, before a night of stargazing by the river.
Day 6, Saturday: Participate in behavioural enrichment programs, food preparation and fruit and vegetable picking, as well as a picnic lunch. Make sure you save some room in your belly as tonight is BBQ night!
Day 7, Sunday: Your Sundays are free, so use them to further explore local markets and villages, or take some time to rest.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow a similar schedule of volunteering Monday-Saturday and having Sundays off. Zambia is a perfect place for adventures before or after your trip as well; white water rafting on the Zambezi or Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge anyone? Departures are on a Monday.
Program Highlights:
- Be a part of day-to-day life and maintenance of one of the largest chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world
- Play an important role in the rehabilitation of the endangered chimpanzees
- Ethical wildlife volunteer tasks and interactions
- Experience living in a rustic and rural African setting - don’t worry, all your basic needs will be covered
- Meet the lady who started this project over 30 years ago, as you get to listen to her experiences with the chimps and the orphanage’s conservation efforts
- Have the opportunity to go on adventures such as bungee jumping and white water rafting
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum two-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (NLA). You will be picked up at the airport and taken to your accommodation in Ndola. Take the time to acclimatise to African life or stock up on essentials before you head into rural Zambia.
Day 1, Monday: You will be picked up from your accommodation in Ndola and transferred to the project site. It’s about a five hour drive so make sure you get plenty of rest beforehand, in order to enjoy the ride through Zambia. Once you have reached your new home, you will have time to settle in and meet other volunteers.
Day 2, Tuesday: It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for - time to meet the chimps! Have your first interaction with them as you prepare food and participate in behavioral enrichment activities. In the afternoon you will learn more about the orphanage and enjoy some chimp observation.
Day 3, Wednesday: Spend some time getting to know the area by going fruit and vegetable picking before having a picnic lunch by the river. Your afternoon will include a sports and culture day at the local primary school, before having fun at games night.
Day 4, Thursday: Go back to the orphanage to spend some more time with the chimps, before meeting the lady that began the whole project. Your lunch will be spent along the river after a canoe trip, before you head back to your accommodation.
Day 5, Friday: Your Fridays will be free to get some rest or enjoy the local town shops, before a night of stargazing by the river.
Day 6, Saturday: Participate in behavioural enrichment programs, food preparation and fruit and vegetable picking, as well as a picnic lunch. Make sure you save some room in your belly as tonight is BBQ night!
Day 7, Sunday: Your Sundays are free, so use them to further explore local markets and villages, or take some time to rest.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow a similar schedule of volunteering Monday-Saturday and having Sundays off. Zambia is a perfect place for adventures before or after your trip as well; white water rafting on the Zambezi or Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge anyone? Departures are on a Monday.
Location of the Project:
Chingola, Zambia
Project length:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks
Arrival Airport:
Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (NLA). Connections are available through Johannesburg, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya.
Volunteer Work:
Food preparation, feeding chimps, general maintenance, farming, education, and behavioral enrichment activities with chimps
Age:
18-70
Number of Volunteers:
5 - 10 international volunteers
Important Note:
Volunteers staying longer than 30 days will need to apply for a "temporary employment permit." This costs approximately $250 USD to be paid upon arrival in Zambia. You must be at least 21 years old to be eligible for this visa.
What's Included
Accommodations:
Shared dormitory accommodations on the project site
Food:
Three meals per day (excluding weekends)
Airport Transfers:
Airport transfers are included on both arrival and departure days
Support:
Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.
What's not Included
Flights, visas (approximately $50 USD), travel health insurance, meals on the weekend, personal expenses
This project takes place at a chimpanzee orphanage founded in 1983 as a family-run orphanage. This project is located 60 kilometers northwest of Chingola, Zambia and right on the banks of the Kafue River, participants will get to experience the natural beauty of such a remote setting on a daily basis.
Chimpanzees are the animal kingdom’s closest relative to humans, but unfortunately the wild population of these primates has decreased to less than 150,000, putting them on the endangered species list. Their population is continuing to diminish by about 6,000 per year because of relentless poaching, logging, habitat destruction, and human encroachment. They are hunted for meat or captured for sale to zoos, animal testing labs, circuses, and even as pets.
Many of the chimpanzees at the orphanage have been rescued from poachers or terrible situations where they have been kept as a pet in a cage or sold in local markets for bush meat. The orphanage is a safe haven for all its residents and is home to the healthiest captive chimps in the world and, with about 1,500 acres of land, it aims to provide the most natural environment possible for their chimps.
This sanctuary has five different focuses. They include research aimed at the identification of social dynamics within the species, behavioral enrichment that works to keep the chimpanzees stimulated and thriving in their environment, farming on excess land so that the orphanage could become more self-sufficient and sustainable, infrastructure improvement, and a fruit tree nursery to propagate both indigenous and exotic fruit trees. As a volunteer, you'll be involved in any of the following initiatives:
A typical day: Every day is different as animals rarely operate to our schedule, so we ask that you remain flexible and open-minded. However, a typical day begins at 7:30 am when you'll leave the project base to head out to the orphanage. You'll likely spend the morning preparing and participating in enrichment activities, assisting with food preparation, cleaning enclosures, and undertaking any research-related tasks. After a lunch break, you may spend your afternoon making enrichment toys, watering plants at the fruit tree nursery, or building structures to improve the existing tourist infrastructure. At 4:00 pm, you'll head back to the project base to enjoy dinner at 7:00 pm, followed by an evening of relaxation. You will work a 5 day week, with Sundays off. On Friday, you will get the chance to go to the nearest town (Chingola or Kitwe) to browse the local markets or buy any snacks/curios.
Many of the chimpanzees at the orphanage have been rescued from poachers or terrible situations where they have been kept as a pet in a cage or sold in local markets for bush meat. The orphanage is a safe haven for all its residents and is home to the healthiest captive chimps in the world and, with about 1,500 acres of land, it aims to provide the most natural environment possible for their chimps.
This sanctuary has five different focuses. They include research aimed at the identification of social dynamics within the species, behavioral enrichment that works to keep the chimpanzees stimulated and thriving in their environment, farming on excess land so that the orphanage could become more self-sufficient and sustainable, infrastructure improvement, and a fruit tree nursery to propagate both indigenous and exotic fruit trees. As a volunteer, you'll be involved in any of the following initiatives:
- Chimpanzee research: Volunteers will work alongside researchers at the orphanage, studying how chimpanzee groups differ in their social dynamics. The study aims to be able to classify standard chimpanzee behavior by assessing these social dynamics using food distribution and video data collection.
- Behavioral enrichment: Volunteers will be involved in creating permanent behavioral enrichment structures (such as tire swings and shaking boxes), as well as organize temporary challenges (often food based) in order to further the behavioral enrichment of the chimps.
- Farming: The orphanange's farming land is used to grow crops such as cabbage, maize, sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and groundnuts to feed the chimps and enable the orphanage to be more self-sufficient. Volunteers will work at least twice a week on the farm harvesting, sorting, weeding, fertilizing, and picking crops.
- Infrastructure improvements: The orphanage attracts many tourists and schools groups so it's important for it to be well-kept. Volunteers will help keep with any ongoing projects, and may participate in tasks such as building picnic sites and shaded viewing shelters, or putting up information boards to educate visitors.
- Fruit tree nursery: Volunteers will work in the nursery, assisting with the weeding, bagging, watering, and planting of fruit tree seedlings.
A typical day: Every day is different as animals rarely operate to our schedule, so we ask that you remain flexible and open-minded. However, a typical day begins at 7:30 am when you'll leave the project base to head out to the orphanage. You'll likely spend the morning preparing and participating in enrichment activities, assisting with food preparation, cleaning enclosures, and undertaking any research-related tasks. After a lunch break, you may spend your afternoon making enrichment toys, watering plants at the fruit tree nursery, or building structures to improve the existing tourist infrastructure. At 4:00 pm, you'll head back to the project base to enjoy dinner at 7:00 pm, followed by an evening of relaxation. You will work a 5 day week, with Sundays off. On Friday, you will get the chance to go to the nearest town (Chingola or Kitwe) to browse the local markets or buy any snacks/curios.
Internet:
Internet is available for a small fee.
Laundry:
Laundry services are available for a small fee, otherwise hand washing is possible.
Accommodations:
Volunteers will be provided with basic, clean, and comfortable on-site dormitory style housing with up to 4 volunteers. The accommodations include a bed with bedding, Earth toilets, and hot showers. A cleaning service is provided daily and electricity is available.
Food:
Volunteers will be provided with three meals a day, excluding weekends. Breakfast is serve-yourself, lunch is a packed lunch at the volunteer site, and dinner is a cooked meal served in the dining area. Meals are not provided on the weekends, so this is a great time to go out and explore the local restaurants and cuisine or buy and prepare food on your own.
Please take note of this program's minimum requirements:
- Minimum age of 18
- Basic English
- Good physical fitness - must be able to walk at least 4kms a day
- Appropriate medical checks
- Immunizations (please consult your local travel clinic)
- Volunteers travelling to Zambia for over 30 days will need to apply for a Temporary Employment Permit which costs approximately $250
Zambia is a fantastic country to travel in and there are some incredible National Parks to explore, like Kafue and South Luangwa. Many travellers go to Livingstone to see the world famous Victoria Falls – one of the 7 Natural Wonders of The World. There are lots of adrenaline-filled activities to do in Livingstone too – like white water rafting, bungee jumping and micro lighting to name a few. Or you could join an overland tour from Livingstone to Cape Town or Livingstone to Nairobi as a great way to end or begin your placement.
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