VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS

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We offer a limited number of self-funded volunteer posts to enthusiastic people with an interest in making a difference to local communities and wildlife in Africa through conservation, sustainable development and education.

 

We are looking for volunteers with passion, determination and commitment. There are many areas in which different skills and abilities can be applied and a multi-disciplinary approach is encouraged, covering field work, conservation planning, teaching, IT and administration, to name just a few areas. People with the enthusiasm to learn a wide range of skills and abilities would be most beneficial. We are looking for national and international students and graduates, who wish to further develop their research and conservation knowledge in a working environment out in the field. 

 

Volunteers are also encouraged to take advantage of the many recreational opportunities available in the area, such as visiting Mgahinga Gorilla National Park where many activities are available. This includes visiting the world famous mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, hiking the volcanoes, birding, nature walks and Batwa trail. 

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Volunteers will participate on a daily basis in various areas of WLCI. Their tasks can include collecting field data when out in the field, logging data in spreadsheets, attend meetings with members and community members, participate in the educational programme within the schools around Lake Mutanda. We expect volunteers to contribute to the project with their own skills and abilities in all areas to gain full experience of a conservation project on the ground.

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A VOLUNTEER'S STORY

 

A friend invited me along on a trip to Uganda. Within days I met Sandra who spoke of her time in the forest and work in the field which struck a chord. In that moment, I saw what I could gain. Two months later, without knowing what I was signing up for, I was back for three months as her volunteer. 

When I was asked what my expectations were I couldn’t answer. History showed me that expectations projected a focus on outcome, be it positive or negative. I hoped for an experience and to find a purpose within the project. 

The thing with nature is that the beautiful lives alongside the brutal and humans exist within this. I arrived with no knowledge of the field I entered. I realised how my actions had impact.  Away from everything, when I was in the field, I saw myself as a part of the place. I would sit and observe for hours, days, weeks becoming months. Gaining affection to particular individual creatures, acknowledging their movements and respecting their space. Before I had purpose in the project, I found a purpose in the field and that is when my mindset shifted. I began to understand my place in the field and valued this time more than anything. 

I came to Uganda not ‘well-equipped’ so to speak. Neither practically or professionally. I despise technology and have a resourceful attitude towards life which has been an asset when developing skills and abilities I did not know were within me. Out here, materialistic and monetary solutions seem to be counter-intuitive more often than not. I have witnessed WLCI grow through its infancy, progressing with little more than pen, paper and persistence. This project feels like a child raised by a community, lead by a founder who has taught me more about myself than anything. I am not the same person who turned up. 

I have always been an artist, and this has been warped and moulded into every aspect of what I do, but a creative mindset, open to change has carried me further. I'm able to assert myself in ways I never had the opportunity to do before. I have proved that patience is worth everything, and that the people on the ground are crucial to conservation. In Uganda the only way to make change, is to create it on the ground, commend it through community and continue the work in person. It is these close-knit community relationships which have changed me, for the better, and for that I am eternally grateful. Wetland Life Conservation Initiative is a registered community based organisation in Kisoro, south west Uganda, at Lake Mutanda.  This is a wetland area which requires protection of important niches and restoration of degraded wetland sites within this ecosystem. This project involves the local community working together in a sustainable way, creating a more biodiverse environment for flora and fauna as well as maintaining an income through sustainable practices for conservation. 

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If anybody is considering coming out as a volunteer, I can not recommend it enough. The difference it has made to my life as a whole and the person I have become today is a credit to this project and the people on the ground. 

If anybody has any questions relating to volunteering for WLCI, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can apply to volunteer by downloading the application form using the link above.