African Impact s plastic and environmental sustainability initiative is working to reduce the impact of plastic and waste on people, the environment, and wildlife in Africa. Across two locations in South Africa and Zambia, we are connecting fiercely passionate international volunteers and interns with driven, motivated local communities, who are then able to work together to solve one of our planet s most pressing issues; plastic and waste. This Zambian project, just a stone s throw away from the magnificent Victoria Falls, is a world-first and has won multiple awards for innovation and excellence. This unique, hands-on opportunity focuses on the prevention of waste in the region, direct clean-up action, and explores creative opportunities for reusing, repurposing and recycling plastics. With a particular emphasis on ecobricking and opportunities for recycling plastic, volunteers will work closely with local communities to help cleanup this stunning area of Zambia, and use plastic bottles and discarded rubbish to create bricks that can be used to build vital structures.
Build awareness of plastic pollution in the villages surrounding Livingstone by educating adults and children on the issue of waste and its impact on health, wildlife and the wider environment Help reduce waste and the impact of plastic by creating ecobricks that can then be used to build sustainable structures for the local community. If you re up for it, you can even get involved in the build! Be on the frontline of locally-grown solutions that reuse and recycle waste, as well as propose alternative waste management solutions that avoid litter being dumped in the streets Work alongside local community members who are passionate about plastic pollution and become part of a rural community that is working together on culturally-responsible and contextual solutions Get involved in plastic and waste clean-ups in and around the town of Livingstone, including collecting trash from the rivers that feed the Zambezi River and the magnificent Victoria Falls Live and work near one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the majestic Victoria Falls and enjoy some of the amazing tourist activities that Livingstone has to offer, including bungee-jumping and white-water rafting Visit the neighbouring countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe on exciting optional excursions Zambia is an extraordinary country, named as one of the safest on the continent and home to some of Africa s most majestic scenery. However, having worked in Zambia for over ten years, African Impact has seen first-hand how plastic and waste have destroyed these areas of natural beauty and impacted the lives of community members and wildlife. Put simply, there is nowhere for litter to go no bins, and the council do not offer any free waste collection service. With the majority of the population living far below the poverty line, they simply cannot justify the cost of this over schooling or food (nor should they). Thus, litter, plastic and other waste is either dumped in huge piles at the side of the road, burned, or buried. After considerable research, it was found that the rural communities around Livingstone understood it was bad practice, but not why. This is why African Impact is working closely with the community to educate, and champion, locallyled solutions like mass clean-ups and putting pressure on the local council. There has been a truly inspiring response from community members and we want you to be part of it.
Using our environmental education curriculum, volunteers will deliver workshops to schools, community groups, women s groups and local businesses on the importance of waste management and why plastic is destroying the environment. Fully supported throughout by our staff team and interns, your workshops will introduce the issues and possible solutions to land waste, water waste, and how waste is affecting people s health. Building awareness is critical for starting the journey of minimizing waste, and can kick-start innovative and practical ideas from local community members that can help to reduce, reuse and recycle litter in the long-term. A large part of this project will be using what you ve collected on mass clean-ups to build things through a process called Ecobricking. This is a unique, sustainable and free way to make bricks to build incredible structures, while at the same time reducing plastic and litter that would otherwise end up in landfill (win, win!). An Ecobrick is a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle filled with soft plastics. This includes cellophane, chip packets, sweet wrappers, plastic bags and anything else that can t easily be recycled. Once it s all stuffed and packed into the bottle, the bottle is screwed closed and then used as a building brick. Since this project s inception, we have used ecobricks to build a compost bin, a chicken coop and piggery for a local village. This method has also contributed to the build of an ablution block for a disabled community to significantly improve their quality of life, as well as a kitchen bench and seats for children to sit on at a local school. Our volunteers also help to run a swap shop with school students to encourage them to take on the eco-brick challenge. Through this, the students exchange the ecobricks they have made for prizes. It has seen us receive over 3000 ecobricks and taken thousands of pieces of litter off the streets of Zambia!
Litter clean-ups are a fun, quick way to make an immediate impact, and are a great excuse to get outside. The local community of Livingstone are always keen to get involved in these, so you will join large groups who meet up to clean villages and areas of natural beauty, including the banks of the Zambezi and Muramba rivers. We can t stress the importance of this enough; the Zambezi and surrounding national parks are home to some of Africa s most iconic animal species who are threatened by plastic that flows from the nearby towns and villages. When possible, we also invite our students, women s groups and other community leaders to join us on these! Creating practical ways for waste to be reused, recycled and to help people make an income is how we want to grow this project and secure a permanent change in the behavior of local residents. While it s a long journey, it s one that needs your effort, time and passion. To inspire you, you ll undertake field trips in order to see locally-led solutions in-action. This will include site visits to organizations who are doing their best to recycle plastic and cardboard, as well as NGOs who recycle waste into gifts and homeware. Through this, we hope you will be inspired to work with our community groups and trial new start-up initiatives that will help them reduce, reuse and recycle their own plastic waste. In the past we ve seen volunteers using plastic bottles to build hanging plants, as well as using it to create crafts that can be sold to tourists as souvenirs. At certain times throughout the year, there may be an opportunity to use the litter you ve picked and the eco-bricks you ve created to build sustainable structures for the local community. In the past, this has included a piggery, chicken coop and compost store for a nearby disabled community. Volunteers have also been instrumental in building kitchen benches and seats for children at a local school. Depending on the time of the year, you are more than welcome to get involved a fantastic opportunity to see how your hard work is contributing to a long-term goal. PLEASE NOTE: Building work is not guaranteed to be happening during your placement, however if you do have a strong passion for building, or feel your skills would be best placed in this way, please let us know so that we can cater for this and plan accordingly!
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri AM Help out at a local farm, assisting the community in whatever way they need Get your hands dirty on whatever build project we are working on at the time Be up nice and early to continue building work Use the eco-bricks you have built in whatever builds are currently going on Help out at a local farm, assisting the community in whatever way they need Lunch Lunch at the volunteer accommodation with your fellow volunteers Enjoy the swimming pool, check out one of the local markets or simply just relax in your new home African Impact merchandise sale Workshop on our foundation and our aims and achievements Project check-in to see how you re enjoying life PM Conservation education and plastic pollution workshop with the local community Litter picking, mass clean-up, or collecting and building ecobricks Meet and work alongside community members who run recycling and conservation initiatives Litter picking, mass clean-up, or collecting and building ecobricks Art club help turn waste into fun activities for children Evening Movie night at Livingstone Backpackers Free time to relax and enjoy Livingstone Backpackers Sundowners by the Zambezi River or games night Braai (BBQ) night! Weekend begins! Sat If you re feeling brave, how about doing a bungee jump or gorge swing over the Bakota Gorge at Victoria Falls? You can relax in the evening with a dinner or sunset cruise along the Zambezi River. Sun Check out Victoria Falls National Park before spending a day white water rafting down the Zambezi River (a must-do!) This is a rough example of how your week as an ecobricking volunteer could look. However, due to the nature of the project and African time, these activities may change on a daily basis.
Volunteers reside in a comfortable, private house located within the Livingstone Backpackers voted the #1 Hostel in all of Zambia. The Livingstone Backpackers allows you access to a fun dining area, bar, swimming pool, and even a rock-climbing wall. You are just a short 5-minute walk away from Livingstone s town center that is filled with grocery stores, cafes, bars and restaurants. The volunteer house has 24-hour security and individual lockers to store your valuables. Bedrooms sleep 4-8 people, with bunk beds in each room. Bed linen is provided and a cleaning service will attend to your room daily. Livingstone, Zambia is a beautiful, rural town that many call the real Africa. Just a stone s throw away from one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World Victoria Falls Livingstone is the ultimate playground for those who love adventure sports, wildlife and the great outdoors. Whether you want to bungee jump, swim in the Devil s Pool, feed some crocodiles, white water raft down the mighty Zambezi or just enjoy a breathtaking sunset, you will experience things that only Livingstone can offer. Don t worry, you will certainly not miss out on wildlife. There are many national parks where you can observe lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, elephant and giraffes and often, we spot some of these animals along the road on our way to project.
2019 GBP USD EUR 10 days 927 $1372 904 2 weeks 1030 $1524 1004 3 weeks 1308 $1935 1275 4 weeks 1585 $2345 1545 5 weeks 1862 $2755 1815 6 weeks 2139 $3165 2085 7 weeks 2416 $3575 2355 8 weeks 2693 $3985 2625 Further Please enquire. Project fee this goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. It facilitates funding for items such as resources, building materials, equipment and project supplies. It also covers operational costs such as housing, communication, and project vehicles Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day at our volunteer house (excluding weekends) All airport transfers from Livingstone International Airport upon arrival and departure All daily transfers to and from your projects during your stay Housekeeping service Comprehensive orientation and training program Assistance and support from the African Impact staff and Project Managers who live and work with you You can join us on any Monday throughout the year.
During your stay you will have the opportunity to enjoy some to the incredible attractions Livingstone has to offer. These activities are not included in the price, but they are a great way to spend your free time. Popular Outings: Dinner/Sunset boat cruise on the Zambezi River USD60 Spend your weekend on safari at the Chobe National Park from USD156 The world s most exciting white-water rafting on the Zambezi River from USD160 Bungee jumping and gorge swings over the Batoka Gorge at Victoria Falls from USD45 to USD 210 A helicopter ride or microlight flight over the Falls from USD 185 to USD 366 Canoeing safaris on the Zambezi River with experienced guides from USD110 All prices are approximate and always subject to change. At African Impact, we create the most transformative and impactful volunteer experiences on the planet for communities, wildlife and volunteers. Volunteering in Africa is what we do, it s in our DNA and what we are awarded for year after year. We ve built, grown and developed our very own projects, hand-in-hand with local African communities. We work with the most incredible people to make this happen and surround ourselves with inspiring human beings from every corner of the world. Every year is a chance to grow, learn and better our offering both for host communities and for volunteers themselves. We re constantly pushing the boundaries of excellence and know that volunteering can achieve even more. What do we believe in? Providing an extraordinary experience to our volunteers Making tangible, measurable impacts for our communities and wildlife initiatives Transforming the lives and perspectives of everyone who is part of our journey So, welcome to what good volunteering looks like. Join us and go #BeyondVolunteering to a place that connects cultures, mindset and ideas. A place that leaves you awed and inspired, able to do more, discover more and to make a real impact.
Jess will guide you through the whole prearrival procedure for this placement and you will receive comprehensive information throughout to ensure you are fully prepared for your project placement with us. Jess grew up, studied and worked in England before setting off to travel the world. After living in Australia, Thailand and Mexico she has now made the leap and moved to Africa, after visiting several times, and can t wait to introduce you to this spectacular continent and its people. Email Jess on: jess@africanimpact.com We look forward to welcoming you for a unique, rewarding and unforgettable experience!