This was my second time volunteering at Askari, and was no less life changing than my first. I continued to grow and learn about wilderness, conservation and myself. The balance between learning, physical work sessions, research and social activities is well thought out but not rigid, and the sightings along the way are awesome! Wherever we were driving, whatever we were doing, there was a purpose behind it which made it all the more meaningful.
A huge shout out to Katie and Robbie for making the programme fun and informative with their humour, huge store of knowledge and honest discussion, encouraging the volunteers to learn and grow. Their passion is infectious, their patience endless, their leadership inclusive and their integrity beyond reproach.
This is an unique and special place to connect to Africa, wildlife, and wilderness. An experience I will repeat in a heartbeat, and definitely highly recommend.
Askari WCP
My 4 weeks at Askari have been the best month of my life. Going to Africa and seeing animals such as lions, elephants and so on had long been a “bucket list” dream of mine. At Askari I have seen everything, and not only that, I’ve gained appreciation and awe for so many aspects of conservation and bush life. Katie, Robbie, Cas and Andrew all did an amazing job welcoming us and guiding us through experiences I could never have even imagined! The Askari staff are so knowledgeable. I know I’ve only glimpsed a tip of the iceberg yet I’ve gained so much. Their passion is contagious, even after years in the bush, they are still just as excited as us over great sightings. It is volunteering but the work is always fun, the team is always happy and it really felt like a holiday. I am sad to have to leave; this month is going to be undoubtedly remembered as one of the best times of my life.
From arrival every member of staff I met were friendly and helpfiul, to Katie and Robbie in particular, they had my life in their hands and not once did I question my safety. The team are approchable, focused, hard working, informative and their enthusiasm and passion is infectious. Lots of hands on work to be done including: security and longevity of fences, tree protection, alien plant control, camp clean (breeding camp and bush), assisting vet and wider team, data collection in the bush and much more, no experience necessary. Each day brought something different and soo much to learn!!
This was my first trip to Africa and Askari couldnt have opened my eyes and heart any more. The views are breath taking, lots of close encounters with animals, every activity was fun and they even offer a few day trips which were equally amazing. I was sad to leave Askari but also delighted and proud that I was able to play a small part in helping them become a benchmark in conservation, I do plan on returning and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend Askari to anyone interested.
My stay at Askari WCP was amazing! I learned a lot and had lots of fun. We had a very nice group; helped each other and bonded fast! Katie and Robbie combine their expertise with lots of fun. I think that’s very important during a stay/project like this.
We did a lot of different activities, like sable relocation, tracking, tree protection, bird watching and last but not least "The Rhino Warrior Challenge". In weekends and during time off we played a lot of volleyball, 30 seconds and card games. I also really liked the food. Lot of diversity, quite healthy and lots of fun by making it together. Especially the Cremora tart was a success ;)! And don't forget the Friday night, pizza night!
Every day at Askari was another beautiful day in Africa or like Robbie said, “Another terrible day in Africa/ Askari;)”. Thank you so much Katie, Robbie and all staff for this great life experience.
The choice to go to Askari WCP is one of the best choices I made in my life. So if you have the opportunity to come to Askari, do it for sure!
I’m so stoked that Baxta, a work colleague, got me signed up for this programme. 2 years ago I knew the trip was going to be amazing but it’s done that and more. All the staff have been super friendly and easy going for us kiwis and we appreciate that passion for what you guys are doing on Pidwa. I’ll be back!
