Wildlife Rescue & Community Development at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi

The Lilongwe Wildlife Centre is looking for dedicated and passionate volunteers for their busy wildlife centre.
We are Malawi's only wildlife sanctuary and the first 'people and wildlife' centre in the world to work hand in hand with local communities to conserve wildlife, so it is a very unique opportunity for volunteers, and there are a number of projects that you can get involved in.

The Wildlife Centre, based at Lilongwe, was set up in 2007 as a People and Wildlife Centre taking over a 120 hectare wilderness area right in the heart of Malawi's capital city. Not only is it the sole wildlife sanctuary for orphaned and rescued wild animals in Malawi it is also a centre for the people, operating extensive community outreach and education programmes.

Highlights
The Centre employs over 30 dedicated local staff with a management team that also includes highly qualified international wildlife and education experts. International volunteers are also crucial to the smooth running of the project in terms of hard work, new ideas and skills transfer.

Activities
Volunteer projects range from animal care assistant, vet assistant, rehabilitation and release assistant, education and community support, centre support, marketing and those interested in conservation or ecology.

What difference does this project make?
There have been some fantastic achievements at the Centre within the last few of years including the rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of animals. The sale of wild animals on the side of the roads in Lilongwe has now been eradicated thanks to local campaigning. The PAW (People and Wildlife) clubs in 12 of the poorest communities are fully supported by the chiefs and officials with whom the Centre has developed various income generation projects and they even have support from the UNDP and City Assembly for the city wide forestation project plan.

We have over 150 animals here at the centre, including over 100 primates including Malawian and East African Vervets, Yellow and Olive baboons and Blue monkeys. In addition to this we have lion, leopard, crocodiles, snakes, porcupine, tortoises, duiker antelopes, and as a rehabilitation and release centre there are a range of other animals at the centre at any one time.

Qualifications
Whilst relevant skills and past experience are very helpful, it is those with enthusiasm, flexibility and a good work ethic that leave the biggest mark and get to go home with the greatest sense of achievement.
How to Apply?
For more information and an application pack, please contact Jerrine Barnett at lilongwe.volunteers@africanconservation.org
Dates & Costs
Volunteer contribution:

Prices range from £850 for a 2 week programme to £2,695 for 12 weeks.

Prices for longer stays are available on request.

Price includes accommodation, all meals, airport transfers, all work related transport, orientation and on-going support, all in-house training and a much needed donation to the centre, without which we would not be here.
F.A.Q.
What kind of work will I be doing?

Dependent on your passions, experience and needs of the Centre you could be involved in any of the following:

Assistant animal carer: Work alongside our animal carers to offer our orphans the best possible care that they deserve...cleaning, feeding, handrearing baby orphans and providing enrichment to those that need it.

Vet assistant: Work alongside our vet to help conduct full health checks on all new arrivals and perform regular vaccinations and check-ups on all the animals at the Centre.

Release assistant: Track animals that are being released back to the wild, whether that be in the Centre´s 80 hectare wilderness area or out at one of the Centre´s release sites around the country

Centre support: Helping with construction and maintenance, giving guided tours or getting involved with events at the Centre

Education: Giving guided tours, helping create conservation based educational activities, working on new signage or helping out at the Wild Kidz Holiday Camps.

Community outreach: Working with the community outreach manager. We have several ongoing community programmes including such projects as our 'Green and Clean' programme where we are working with our local communities to plant sustainable wood lots and vegetable gardens, and providing training to encourage sustainable living and the use of alternative fuels and discouraging negative practices such as sand mining and deforestation.

Environment: If you´re interested in conservation management, we have several ecological surveys and mammal censuses and an important aforestation project we would love your support on.

Marketing: Anyone with experience in website updates, pr, events, photography or documentary making would be more than welcome.