24/04/2011

Gap Year Volunteering: What to do during summer?

Summer holidays allow many students and gappers the opportunity to do something different with their breaks - something that really stands out on a CV and is very much off the beaten track. Even for people restricted to the annual leave, there is plenty out there that you can do to make the most of the summer, see the world and make a bit of a difference in diverse countries of the world.

For those with a longer period of time available over the summer, why not head out to Nepal for five weeks to volunteer teaching English (or anything else that you are passionate about!) in the beautiful Kathmandu valley. During the weeks you will be based in schools or orphanages, creating friendships and sharing your love and knowledge with the amazing and dedicated children of the local community. Living with a local family, you will immediately be welcomed in to the community and become part of the lifestyle out there. Your free time is your own- for trips to the neighbouring Tibet, or for trekking through the Himalayas. You will be with a group of other like-minded individuals, all there to get to know this country in a way that you could not as a tourist, and to really do something rewarding with their holidays.

If you have less time than 5 weeks, then why not take part in an excellent animal welfare project? This summer sees the release of a troop of 24 baboons from a rehabilitation centre in South Africa- you could become part of this exciting experience, setting the baboons up for a life in the wild and seeing their progress. You will also be caring for abused and orphaned baby monkeys, starting the rehabilitation process so that they too will finally be able to be released back to the wild.

Want something a bit more powerful than the monkey? How about lions? You can work at South Africa’s largest lion sanctuary, rewarding these magestic creatures with a life as close to the wild as they can get. Rescued from appalling conditions in zoos or hunting grounds, many of these lions have never felt what it is like to walk on grass, or to stretch their mighty limbs. You will be helping with the feeding and the enrichment of the lions, gently bringing out the wild characteristics that have been repressed during their time in captivity.

Keen for a beach break as well as a holiday with a difference? How about volunteering with turtles in Costa Rica? Your days are your own, spent exploring the luscious Costa Rican coastline, villages and rainforests. The nights belong to the turtles however, strolling up and down the beaches protecting the nesting turtles and their eggs. Release hundreds of baby turtles back into the sea to start their new lives with the best chance of survival that they can have.

For more information, contact Anne on anne@oysterworldwide.com or call 01892 770771.


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