Volunteer in Namibia, Africa - Building/Patrol Project

Volunteers mixing cement

For this project we work in 2 week rotations. Volunteers will first join a team in building walls around vitally important water sources for Damaraland homesteads. The walls are built to protect water pumping facilities: a borehole, solar panel and pump or windmill. The elephants are given access to the water at certain points, thus preventing them from damaging the pumping mechanics and allowing the farmers use of the clean, fresh water.

A protective wall finished by EHRA volunteers

Volunteers will spend one week at the building site working on the wall, which is made from local stone and cement brought in by EHRA. Facilities are very basic, we take with us only the minimum of equipment and supplies for the week. You will be camping and all cooking is done over the fire, everybody sharing camp duties. It is extremely intense work in the heat of the african sun doing hard physical labour, but you will undoubtedly finish the week with a great sense of achievement.

Volunteers in one of the EHRA 4x4s

The weekend is spent relaxing at the EHRA base camp in the Ugab River. we then head off on patrol for the next week. Patrols are lead by at least one experienced guide on our very specialised 4x4 vehicles, again with minimum of equipment, setting up camp at a different site every evening. You will be experiencing areas of Damaraland and surrounding desert that no safari or overland tour will ever venture into, tracking and observing our local desert-adapted elephant herds. Volunteers will help with herd identification and data collection projects.

Out on patrol

This project is a perfect opportunity for people to really return to basic levels of living, learn simple camp-craft and survival skills and get back in touch with nature; whilst becoming directly involved in spearhead conservation work. It is a chance to experience hard but rewarding work, witness amazing natural phenomena and escape the highly strung world and its day to day routine. There is fun to be had and something to learn at every stage in the EHRA journey for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Volunteers walking in the Namib desert

It is important to mention that this project is entirely funded by the volunteers, we have no outside funding whatsoever and we do not ask for any compensation from the communities we help. The work you will be doing is having a direct impact on the lives of local communities and wildlife.

Have a look at the EHRA photos and volunteer photos sections for more pictures of life with EHRA.