Q: Could you give us a short background on Friends of the Colobus Trust:
A: Wakuluzu, Friends of the Colobus Trust is a conservation organisation designed to promote the conservation, preservation and protection of primates like the rare Angolan Colobus monkey (Colobus angolensis palliatus) and its coastal forest habitat in Southern Kenya. The Trust was established in 1997 in response to an outcry from local residents about the high number of Colobus monkey deaths in the Diani area. Now, six years later, the Trust has numerous projects concerning the wildlife and the citizens of Kenya, including animal welfare, biological/ecological research, community development and education, forest protection and enrichment and eco-tourism awareness programmes.
Q: What are some volunteer opportunities you offer? Do you have any volunteer opportunities you are particularly proud of?
A: Volunteers can get involved in any of the daily activities but will also be assigned an individual project which is dependent on their skills and the work being carried out at the time. Ongoing work includes giving eco-tours, animal welfare cases and marketing the Colobus Trust in local hotels. Individual projects have been very varied ranging from vegetation and animal surveys to developing marketing strategies and procedure manuals. I was personally involved in a primate pest management plan that was designed to solve pest issues in the hotels. Not only did it help to regulate the behaviour of hotels towards primates but also helped develop relationships within the local community.
Q: What kind of daily life should prospective volunteers expect?
A: Accommodation and is provided as part of the volunteer fee and food costs about 10 euros a week. All volunteers live on site in shared rooms. There are cold showers and laundry is done daily by one of two house staff. Food is provided for Monday to Saturday with hot meals twice a day and bread available for breakfast. The menu is a mixture of western – baked potatoes, vegetable lasagna, pasta- and local- matoke (plantain), sikuma wiki (spinach like). Everything is quite basic but comfortable and the position right on the beach makes it a pretty desirable location!
There are many things to do locally (scuba diving, water sports, safaris) because of the high number of tourists. The tourist bars and restaurants can be expensive but there are local places to be discovered and the beautiful beach and Indian Ocean are absolutely free! Most volunteers get together and organize to go on a safari at some point during their stay.
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you can offer future volunteers?
A: Volunteers must arrive with an open mind. Because of the minimum age limit of 22 the Trust expects volunteers to help design their own projects and work with out too much supervision. Basically, you get out as much as you are prepared to put in.
Q: What is the biggest challenge while volunteering abroad?
A: I think the biggest challenge at the coast is dealing with the humid heat! Otherwise, budgeting, becoming comfortable in new cultural surroundings and not being too naive.
Q: On the flip side, what is the biggest reward?
A: Contributing to worthwhile conservation while learning about another culture. Inevitably you will learn things about yourself at the same time.
Q: Why should they pay to volunteer with Friends of the Colobus Trust? How is the money used?
A: The money that volunteers donate is integral to the financial stability of the Colobus Trust. While we are dependent on grants to accomplish large projects the volunteer money keeps the whole place up and running. In return volunteers get to be part of a working organization. In my experience it is unusual to find volunteer work where there are so many dynamic animals around you and so much opportunity to work independently.
Q: Do you have any advice on funding a volunteer experience abroad? (Fundraising, Budgeting, Scholarships etc…)
A: We don’t get very involved in how volunteers raise their funds but sponsoring is a useful tool because it raises money and awareness at the same time. When it comes to budgeting my advice is to be wary of having too tight a budget because you should always expect the unexpected!
Q: How does volunteering abroad fit into the bigger picture of aid and development?
A: In many developing countries it people who gain a good education may go elsewhere to work. International volunteers can really help organisations by bringing their skills and help to train local people as well.
Q: Why should someone volunteer with Friends of the Colobus Trust?
A: Volunteering for the Colobus Trust is win win situation. You get to experience a real conservation organization and gain valuable experience. In return we gain the financial support and, just as importantly, the skills that volunteers can bring. This is vital in furthering the conservation work that is carried out.
Q: How can someone get in contact with Friends of the Colobus Trust and learn more about your volunteer abroad opportunities?
A: The Colobus Trust website is www.colobustrust.org and contains information on the volunteer programme.
