Return to Nakavango

Hi, my name is Sarah, I went volunteering for the first time last year and it was the most incredible experience that I had to go back. An experience that changed me for the better I think.

My aim for this fundraiser is to raise money to help me travel back to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to continue my volunteer work. I was fortunate enough to travel here last year and spent 8 weeks working for Nakavango Conservation Programme and Masuwe National School. As a volunteer with the conservation I helped the anti poaching unit prevent the constant threat to the wildlife and we also helped protect the animals against vegetation that was poisonous to them.

Once a week we volunteered at Masuwe National School. There I was privileged to get to know these wonderful kids. The school provided one meal a day for the students and for many of them that one meal was their only meal each day. These kids had miles to walk each morning and evening, no matter what the weather and many of them didn’t have shoes. They were incredibly happy little kids and what little they had they offered to us. They had dreams of careers, some wanting to be lawyers and doctors but without money they will have to leave school at 11 or younger if they can’t pay the fees. My goal is to do as much as I can to help them. As part of the programme we got to teach them different skills, play chess with them and play sports. We brought them food, planted vegetables and fruit trees in their garden to help ensure they always had something to eat. 

In order to return to Zimbabwe, to continue my volunteer work, I will be taking an unpaid leave of absence from my own career, I will be paying for my flights and my place on the Nakavango Conservation Programme. While it is a costly outlay I feel that my passion, my skills & my contribution like many others are crucial to the success of these programs. I am aware that we are all living through a cost of living crisis, while at the same time these programs are also being effected as people can no longer afford the flights and the €2,500 cost to participate. With this in mind I am reaching out to try & raise funds to enable my return to Zimbabwe. 

Thank you for taking the time to read & follow me along on instagram to watch my volunteer journey.