Nambian Guest Farm

Placement number: 0059
Location: Namibia
Preferred Languages: English
Date: All Year
Minimum Period: 4 weeks  (6 weeks preferable)

I run this guest farm in an environmental friendly way and that is why I also received, as the only guest farm in Namibia, the newly introduced Eco Award. We make use of only local staff and train some of them even without school education as much as possible. I like to make sure that all the kids will not only go to school but also finish the school. Our Kindergarten for employees' children is up and running and has been since June 2006.  Apart from that I moved away from cattle farming towards practically only game. Here we have 4 Cites listed species which are to be specially protected: Cheetah, leopard, rhino and Hartmann Mountain Zebra. That’s what we do.  

Role of Volunteer

1.        Running the kinder garden and teaching our local staff how to
run a kinder garden. As a sideline , in addition, teaching any other
skill they are good at, an advantage would be on the computer side:
Word, Excel, email, Powerpoint, Publisher, but also any other
skill, anything: communication, how to answer a telephone professionally
etc.anything in a business or tourist environment or even beyond, music,
singing.
2.        Teach local guides and other employees practical English in
relation to their tourist or wildlife activity.
3.        On the wildlife side: research on leopards or other animals in our area.
4.        Rhino tracking. We like to do some rhino tracking with tourists
by foot, car or on horseback. For that we need to find out more about
their home range. The volunteer should be good on foot or horseback and
must be prepared to also sleep a few days in the field in a tent and
cater for himself/herself. He/she will not be alone. GPS knowledge would
be an advantage.
5.        Ecotourism. Fine tuning, monitoring and extending our ecotourism
project especially in relation to waste management, water management and
energy management and non indigenous plants.
6.        In general I am also always looking for volunteers who like to
work with horses. This could be ideally combined with rhino tracking. (
western style, but any knowledge and experience is good ) 
7.        Continue a study about bush encroachment. We have started a
study, and measured the density of bushes in different areas . Last year we
had a big field fire and it would be interesting to measure the effect on the
density of bushes.
8. Conduct personal research for your course back home
    
     Subjects include:-  Conservation of wildlife
                                    Ecotourism in Namibia
                                    Sustainable development
                                    Effects of tourists on local habitats (foot impacts, horse riding, tyre impacts etc)

Cost

The volunteers are offered free food and accomodation.

Travel

We are 50km from Windhoek and only 90km  from the International Airport

Testimonial

I try to do some volunteer work abroad every year, and it's getting increasingly hard to
find opportunities for which I don't have to pay. Through Ecoteer I was able to work for
a month at the Guest Farm in Namibia.  I conducted an inventory of the birdlife
on the property, compiled a guide to some of the commoner species, and introduced two of
the establishment's native guides to birdwatching.  I also assisted with game counts and
took a few of the guests birding.  A basic room and excellent food were provided at no
charge.  Working at Düsternbrook was, for me, the perfect introduction to southern Africa.

Ken (May 2007)

 Lizzy Eves - July 2007
        "I got the feeling that I had really experienced the Namibian lifestyle by talking to, and
        working alongside, local people who are happy to share their experiences with you. During my
         time on the farm, I saw wildlife including leopards, rhino, oryx, kudu, baboon, warthog,
        cheetah, giraffe, springbok and many more!"