Thinking about choosing EHRA as your volunteer project?

Ian Dearmer | England

As I, excitedly, started planning and preparing for my 5th consecutive trip to Namibia, the desert and the elephants, I started to reflect on why. Why indeed?

My addiction started after, coming up to retirement, and having spent months researching and trying to find something to volunteer for, that I felt I could contribute to and would make me feel good about doing it.

There are  a massive number of volunteer offers available around the world, not all, in my opinion, "above board" and some unjustifiably expensive. 

Eventually, EHRA seemed to offer what I was looking for. An ethical, non-profit organisation who dealt with real wild animals, unrestricted by parks or reserves, where, with like minded volunteers, I would get dirty, sweaty and live in the open, doing tangible work to assist people live in harmony with our disappearing wildlife. 

From my first trip in 2016, (when Chris asked us not to laugh so much!), until the 2019 trip every day has been very different! No boring regularity! Nothing can surpass the inner feeling you get when waking in the wild, naturally, or with some kind words of the "duty team " member waking you with a hot coffee in the darkness of dawn. Cupping your coffee, listening to the murmur of waking fellow volunteers and watching another stunning sunrise.

Maybe this is why.

Or could it be the sweaty effort on the "rock run", in the wilderness, where no matter how exhausted you feel there is always a joker keeping the fun moving along.

The continuous banter and chatter between the mixed aged, mixed nationality and gender groups mixing cement, hauling rocks, building a seemingly never ending wall. Everybody doing what they can to achieve that ultimate sensation of being able to lean up against a completed wall for the ubiquitous "I done it!" photo. How good do you feel?

Maybe its the slumping against your bedroll in the cool of the evening while the selected "duty team", assisted by the staff, prepare an unusually delicious meal, cooked over an open fire for the first time in their lives, after which the chatter continues around the fire before wriggling into your sleeping bag staring at the canopy of a million brilliant stars before slipping into a deep, wonderful, sleep. 

The stunning scenery, from reed bound river beds to vast open spaces as far as the eye can see, to enormous volcanic outpourings, strange moon-like areas and sand dunes, all under a pollution free crystal clear sky. Absolutely awe inspiring.

All of these things are part of why I keep going back. 

However, again for me, the ultimate why, is the goose bump producing first sight of a real wild desert- adapted elephant! Then, up close their "tummy rumbling",  forces any right minded individual to realise that they are in the company of a truly unique animal. I could sit for hours watching these gentle, intelligent giants going about their lives, minding their own business  and not wanting to inconvenience anyone. It is inconceivable, to me, that there are people out there who want to annihilate this species.

I was truly emotional, on my first day back in 2019 to hear that Voortrekker had been "trophied" that day, and to visit the site of his death was surreal, making me well up.

There are just too many whys for me to list them all, but one of the most inspiring ingredients of this experience are the staff. Chris taught me to read the stars and "abused" me verbally, Big Mattheus taught me how to identify elephants by their ears and tails, Markus is a fount of all knowledge, Phillip so cool, calm, pleasant. Victro was the most helpful person, and all of this is held together by the passionate, indomitable Rachel.

My soul is looking forward to this years trip. No showers, no wifi, no stress, with time and space to clear the mind.