Be part of nature conservation and community outreach in rural Bergville, South Africa

Infos

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  Description

  For four generations, our family has lived in a quaint little valley in South Africa's majestic Northern Drakensberg. Our vision for this area can still be summed up by the words of our founding great-grandfather: "our work is to create beauty, to make the land more fertile, to make our living, to leave the world better than when we first came into it." Our valley has recently been officially recognised as a nature reserve, with wild animals roaming the hills and gorgeous indigenous plants and trees growing in the forests. It is a place of stunning natural beauty, peaceful serenity, and happy souls. Working closely with members of the local community, we strive to conserve this pristine environment for the generations yet to come.
  Together with nature conservation, we are equally committed to growing and developing our community through foundation-phase education. To this end, in 2006 we started a little school down the road which has only grown and flourished since then. We are also actively engaged in assisting the early childhood development of young children and infants in our neighbouring village of amaZizi.
  We love our home not only for its natural beauty, but also because of the wonderful people who inhabit this space with us. We are a tight-knit family, and everyone plays a role around here, young and old. But we also love it because of our neighbours, people who are passionate about their homeland and wish to work together to "leave the world better than when we first came into it."
  We currently employ six locally paid staff at the camp and ten at the school. The camp staff rotate in shifts to keep the camp neat and tidy for guests, and also to repair trails, burn firebreaks, and monitor wildlife in the reserve. The school staff are teachers, although they do also occasionally help with food deliveries to the creches in the local village.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Bénévolat

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Baby-sitting et jeux créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Ferme

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Histoire

  

  Livres

  

  Jardinage

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Randonnée

  

  Cyclisme

  

  Sports d'aventure
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  We are fortunate in South Africa (and in this part of KwaZulu-Natal specifically) to be blessed with rich cultural diversity. In this local area alone, we have people from various cultural, socio-economic, and language backgrounds. Workawayers staying with us can expect to dive into this varied local culture, learning about the history of the area, the various groups of people who have settled here, and (for the intrepid ones) even learning some of the local isiZulu and Afrikaans languages.
  We have a big family, and many of us have been lucky enough to travel quite extensively. We love learning about different cultures, hearing people's stories, and learning from their unique perspectives. We also love sharing our passion for this place, its natural heritage, its long history, and its wonderful people.
  Workawayers who stay with us can expect to leave not only with skills in trail maintenance, nature conservation, and early childhood development and education, but we hope that we are also able to transfer to them some of our love for rural South Africa and the magic that exists here.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  In the Nature Reserve, we are looking for Workawayers who are passionate about conservation, fit and healthy, and are ready to get their hands dirty. Tasks will include maintaining walking paths, eradicating alien vegetation, and monitoring wildlife movement. Direction and assistance will be provided to Workawayers (who may work in teams or individually), but we encourage responsibility and are looking for volunteers who will be able to learn quickly and take initiative once they are assigned a task to complete. Workawayers will learn how to identify different plant and animal species, how to safely and effectively remove alien vegetation, and how to maintain trails so as to prevent water erosion and provide visitors to the Nature Reserve with easy access into the mountains.
  With the Community Outreach projects, we are looking for Workawayers who are passionate about early childhood development and who are comfortable with and caring towards young children and infants. Tasks in this regard will be varied, but may generally include making food deliveries to local creches and assisting with tasks and functions at the school.

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Zulu: Courant
  Afrikaans: Intermédiaire

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  Hébergement

  Workawayers will stay in a-frame chalets at our remote eco camp, nestled right into the mountains which surround this valley. All bedding and towels will be provided. There are shared ablutions (separated by sex) and a communal kitchen and dining area. Groceries will be provided, but we do expect Workawayers to cook for themselves (and each other when staying with us in groups).

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  Autres infos...

  The natural landscape here is truly a vast playground for adults and kids alike. In your time off, you are encouraged to hike, horse ride, cycle, and swim in the area. There is also a National Park adjoining our property with incredible views of the main Drakensberg escarpment. Alternatively, if you want to kick your feet up, relax, and read a book in your spare time, that is also encouraged.
  The eco camp where our Workawayers will stay is also open to tourists, so we do ask you to please be mindful of other guests who may be there. We are blessed with no noise pollution in these mountains, but that also means that sound carries. We therefore ask that there be no loud music or parties while other guests are staying in camp.
  We do not permit marijuana or other drugs to be brought onto the property. Furthermore, Workawayers may not consume alcohol on the property.
  Workawayers are encouraged to arrive in their own vehicles as this will provide you with more freedom to roam on weekends and during your other time off. However, for those without a vehicle there are busses that run from Johannesburg and Durban to the town of Harrismith, where we can pick you up.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  We have just installed WiFi at our remote eco camp.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Cet hôte a de la place pour les vans.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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