Volunteering Abroad With Us
Volunteer Encounter is dedicated to wildlife and environmental conservation as well as community development and commitment to making a difference in the world, leaving our mark one volunteer project at a time. For us, true conservation and community empowerment go hand in hand and we believe they can only be achieved from a holistic approach tackling both at the same time. That is why we strive to benefit the community through wildlife and environmental education, not only to make a difference to their lives but to also ensure our conservation efforts will be successful, with the surrounding communities onboard.
We have an extensive footprint across the world’s most magical continent, Africa, where we proudly offer amazing volunteer opportunities in conservation and community development since 2004! But over the past year, and with our 15 years of experience in the African continent, we have decided to spread our wings across the Atlantic and make an impact in Latin America, widely recognized as the most unequal continent in the world but also the most diverse and culturally rich and vibrant one! Latin America offers the opportunity to go MAD (make a difference) in community development, marine conservation, jaguar conservation, cultural exchange, jungle conservation and more. We are so excited to offer these opportunities to you!
From short term volunteering and gap year travel to internships and group travel, the time is now for you to explore your skillset, learn a new skill, benefit others around you, boost your CV with your new-found experience, all whilst making a long-lasting impact on those around you. What’s more? You will have an incredible, rewarding and insanely fun adventure, with the opportunity to also explore what’s on offer in your chosen country. Adventure and the experience of a lifetime begins here, just bring yourself!
Working Holiday With Horses
Hands on wildlife project
Photography Internship
Wilderness Training Courses
Our Countries to Volunteer Abroad
Costa Rica
Zimbabwe
Egypt
South Africa
Mexico
Tanzania
Guatemala
Peru
Zambia
Zanzibar
Kenya
Why Volunteer with us?
Our organization has been operating professional and sustainable volunteer projects at Antelope Park, Victoria Falls and Livingstone since 2004 and we are so proud of how our projects have developed and the difference they have already made in conservation and community development. Our projects have now grown across the continent and beyond from Cairo to Cape Town and Mexico to Peru in Latin America, where we continue to grow, offering new and exciting opportunities to our volunteers, while also making a difference worldwide.
We have a huge and permanent commitment both to the communities we work with and with all of our volunteers who choose us as their trusted agency to travel abroad with and make an impact. We always work with organization and community leaders to establish what their needs are and how we can help them achieve their goals. We never start projects without community buy-in and we are always looking to play a part in helping the community achieve their own goals. On the other hand, we are 100% committed to our volunteers and to ensure they have an amazing experience overseas, are always safe and supported by our professional team and make sure their ideas are heard and their time and money are put to good use ensuring they can also achieve their personal goals.
We live and breathe Africa and those are our roots and where it all started back in 2004! But we are ready to increase our footprint to Latin America, discovering new territories and working to make a bigger impact worldwide and that´s why we are also setting roots in this magical continent. And to do so we also work with knowledgable and professional members who are originally from this continent and have that first-hand knowledge on it, exactly as we do in Africa! We always employ local people in our projects looking to generate economic benefits to the host communities as well as taking in the vast wealth of knowledge they have on their own countries!
We provide 24/7 support to our volunteers from the moment they first enquire about joining one of our projects. We are always there for you and have teams on the ground made of professional members who will be there to help you enjoy this experience and answer any question or concerns that you may have! Most projects also see staff members living in the same property as you so they are there non-stop to guide you through your amazing volunteer experience!
Whether we run the projects ourselves or we partner with different organizations, we have a clear guide on ethical practices and how to run long-lasting, sustainable and impactful volunteer projects. Our partners, our volunteers and ourselves have to abide by a clear code of conduct as well as follow our child protection policy. We promote ethical and sustainable tourism by putting clear aims and goals together for each project and making them ‘SMART’ -Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and setting a Time period in which to achieve this. We ensure all of our volunteers go through an in-depth comprehensive induction upon arrival so to explain our aims and goals on the different projects, safety instructions and our code of conduct.
Our 6 most requested volunteer projects
Wildlife Photography Internship
Help us to raise awareness of our community and conservation efforts through the power of your lens, with stunning photo opportunities.
Location: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Duration: 2 – 12 Weeks
Lion and Wildlife Sanctuary
Play a vital role in conservation, with close encounters with our resident lions and wildlife, right on the doorstep of the mighty Victoria Falls.
Location: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Duration: 2 – 12 Weeks
Wildlife Internships & Service Learning
Our Wildlife Internships and Service Learning opportunities provide a stepping stone int these careers. Our experienced staff, who have traversed similar paths, will guide and support you as you contribute your skills and gain a competitive edge in your chosen field.
Location: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Duration: 4 – 12 Weeks
Wildlife Conservation
Volunteer with wildlife in Zimbabwe for the ultimate opportunity to get fully involved with all aspects of conservation and animal management, as well as encountering African Big 5 species daily, including lion, rhino, and elephant!
Location: Antelope Park, Zimbabwe
Duration: 2 – 12 Weeks
Horse Management Project
Discover incredible wildlife and scenery from the saddle, while taking part in vital stable mgt, with incredible horse activities on offer.
Location: Antelope Park, Zimbabwe
Duration: 2 – 12 Weeks
Teaching and Community
Be part of our goal to improve education, by providing essential individualised classroom support to kids eager to learn and prosper.
Location: Antelope Park, Zimbabwe
Duration: 2 – 12 Weeks
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