Project Life
Volunteer with Rhinos in Uganda - PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

Your duties may vary according to what support is needed at the time. Most work is not hands-on work with the rhinos - running a rhino sanctuary requires a great deal of physical work outdoors and sometimes indoor administrative work too. So please do not be disappointed if you do not get to work hands-on with the rhinos during your stay. These are wild animals and are not kept in enclosures!

The general plan will be that volunteers will have a one-week program, on each of the three activities; ‘community and education programs’, ‘wildlife programs and rhino monitoring’ or ‘ranch management and construction’. Activities will rotate in succession on a weekly basis to give every participant an opportunity for an all round experience with the activities and programs of the project.

Dependent upon your qualifications and skills, you may have had specific duties assigned to you that are additional to the weekly program. Your objectives will be outlined in a letter which you will receive on arrival and discussions will also be had with the Director about your work during your period with the Project. Please note that you may be the only volunteer at the project!

The activities volunteers will be involved in on a weekly rotation include:

Week 1: Community and education programmes:

Volunteers will assist the RFU education officer with the development and implementation of the following programs

• Environmental education and development programmes
• Outreach schools programs
• On-site school education days within the sanctuary
• Community sensitisation programs, such as workshops and discussions regarding the RFU and conservation of wildlife, snake awareness program, recycling education
• Community crafts development and economic empowerment such as bead work and honey.

Week 2: Wildlife and rhino monitoring programme:

During this week, volunteers will be assisting in carrying out wildlife censuses in the sanctuary to monitor and develop inventories of the populations within the sanctuary. This could include some of the following:

• Spending a day with the rhino-tracking and monitoring unit recording the rhinos’ movements and behaviour
• Wildlife censuses and waterhole counts
• Identification and development of inventory lists of fauna and flora in the sanctuary
• Developing resource material and interpretive displays highlighting the fauna and flora of the sanctuary
• Inputting data from monitoring into computer programmes.

Week 3: Ranch management and construction:

• Construction of campsites and relevant facilities
• General reserve management e.g. Erosion control, fencing etc.
• Maintenance of visitors centre
• Maintenance of sign boards.

We must stress that we expect people to come out with a completely flexible attitude, as things can change... and usually do! You will be expected to work the hours that fit in with the rest of the team with a working day from 7am-6pm, normally one week of 6 days (Mon-Sat). Hours again vary, according to duties required of you at the time. Everyone is expected to rise at the same time during a working week, regardless of duties/responsibilities.

Typical day at Ziwa:

Working hours depend on tasks to do. e.g. when you are involved in the education programme, you might have school groups visiting during the day.