Volunteer feedback

I just want to say thank you again for what an incredible experience I had in Malawi. There hasn’t been a day when I haven’t wished I was back in Nkope! I have never met people more welcoming and warm-hearted, and the staff at the house are so friendly and helpful. It was great to be part of such a rewarding and sustainable project – I felt the ideas of volunteers were always taken on board, and over the 4 weeks I was there, even more improvements on the projects were made. I really hope to be able to return at some point to see how much the project has developed! Many thanks.

I came to the project last year for just a month but I found the experience completely amazing, what affected me most was the good friendships I made with the other volunteers and staff, the Tanzanian way of life and most of all my relationship with the boys who live at the centre. Because of this I was desperate to return and did so this year for 5 months and found it both challenging and rewarding. I am truly a different person than the girl who stepped off the plane and have learned a lot of life skills. Other volunteers who have travelled across the world to many places have told me that they never found anywhere like this, and for me it genuinely is the best experience of my life.

I would recommend volunteering at this project to anyone who has a genuine interest and love of Sea Turtles and wants to throw themselves into the Community of Akwidaa in order to educate the villagers of the importance of conservation. I volunteered for the month of January and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. You need to be self-motivated, full of initiative and prepared for hard work in order to make a difference. Tom and Jo give lots of support and ideas, however it is up to you to be creative and look for ways to raise money for the community fund. For instance I made turtles with the local children and stuffed them with sand to be sold as souvenirs at the Lodge. While the lesson was chaotic with the children, it was incredible fun and rewarding to see their pride in the unique turtle they had created.

I would recommend this program to anyone that has some medical training or hopes to learn more about the situation in Africa. If someone wants to learn first hand about the situation, this project offers many first person accounts, especially if you take an active role. I am taking home a greater passion to help others & educate them about leading health conditions, especially those that are preventable. It has also given me a great appreciation for everything I have.