conservation

Uniglobe Eco Experience (UEE)

Empowering Communities

Uniglobe Volunteers International-UVI has a Uniglobe Eco Experience (UEE) program in which volunteers

participate in 3 months project. This volunteer work is currently available in Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique,

Namibia and Botswana. Volunteers who have passion for the conservation of the Eco-society find it here, they

work directly with conservations organizations .A conservation placement is the ultimate life changing and

rewarding experience. Placements range from 3-6 months, giving volunteers the opportunity to become involved in

a wide variety of conservation activities.

Within the first month the volunteer is allocated a group of forty students from the partner schools. In coordination with the school, the volunteer is allocated three hours a week to teach the students civic education based on environment and conservation as well as agriculture.

The last week of the first month Uniglobe provides trees and T-shirts to the forty students and the team led by the volunteer is assigned an area within that local community to plant the trees. After completing that project, the volunteer leads the forty students in choosing three leaders among the forty who will lead the team to keeping the new formed club-(UEE) -alive in that school so that the activities may continue.

Finally the students are issued with certificates by Uniglobe Volunteers International Staff in that country. Within the second month the volunteer is allocated a group of either youths or women active in any of Uniglobe Eco experience activities in another community. During this period, the volunteer should attend their meetings and activities at least three days a week. Full participation is regarded as an obligation and the idea is to bring new ways of improving environment, creation of awareness on mis-use of resources especially cutting down of trees and burning of charcoal. The volunteer should at least teach a new concept to that community to replace the bad habits, ie use of biogas instead of cutting down trees.

At the end of the second activity, uniglobe provides a donation towards the new concept. Uniglobe Volunteers International donations may cover either the amount needed to actualize the new concept or a certain percentage, hence giving the community an opportunity to participate through contribution of the remaining percent. The last month is meant for networking. The volunteer is allocated at least four centers in the community with conservation in nature projects (one day visit in a week per centre). The remaining days are used in reporting to UVI and also online awareness in which the Volunteer interacts with other volunteers exchanging vital development concept all over the world and hence networking. A conservation placement is the ultimate life changing and rewarding experience. This gives volunteers the opportunity to become involved in a wide variety of conservation activities; including anti-poaching patrols, animal care and feeding, monitoring and counting of wildlife, erecting and checking of game fences, bush rehabilitation and everyday reserve maintenance and management. Volunteers can choose to focus exclusively on one project, or alternatively experience a number of different projects.

All of our conservation projects have a strong element of continuity and hence the work of one volunteer is carried on by subsequent volunteers collectively. Uniglobe Eco Experience network makes a lasting impact on local communities, wildlife and wildlands in Africa Participating in daily tree planting and other activities to protect nature. Volunteers will get to experience firsthand the beginning of a game reserve and be actively involved in various aspects of game reserve development and management, including some of the following: Erection/maintenance/removal of fences Vegetation management with seasonal fire-breaks/block burning Animal carrying capacity for reserve size and vegetation Anti-poaching patrols (specifically snare removal) Restoration and rehabilitation of damaged habitat Construction of facilities, homesteads/bomas, bridges and roads Educational outreaches with local schools/ communities carry out identification of Eco-system i.e trees, Birds, insects, snakes of a given community. Nature conservation, fencing and law requirements Alien plant and soil erosion control Horse trail, hiking trail and bush camp establishment Development of renewable energy system Re-introduction of wildlife and animal care (sporadic) Feeding wild animals is of priority in some conservation depending on where we place you from Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana.

Once the term of three-six months is over, the volunteer is issued with certificate and recommendation to help in search of job or academic work. For volunteers who want to continue working for Uniglobe programs the opportunities are open in other forums. For more information on (UEE), please contact us @ info@uniglobevolunteers.org

View the original article here