Julie – Internship South Africa

Julie spent 2 weeks on the feline refuge farm in South Africa, and here's the story of her mission within this unique and exciting family project.

This trip was very rich in emotions and discoveries. I met a family who put the well-being of their animals first and who are also very open and welcoming. It was my first time volunteering and I have absolutely no regrets about my choice. It allowed me to discover another way of life, while giving me the feeling of being useful and having a role to play.

What were your best memories?

I have so many memories that it's hard to pick just one. But I'd say the most memorable and beautiful was when we discovered a baby lioness whose mother wasn't taking care of her. To save her, we had to take her back to the clinic to feed her, and the next day, when we went back to see the mother and she had a second cub that this time she was protecting, we took the little lioness back and her mother accepted her. And in the days that followed, we could see that the two little lions were thriving under their mother's protection. It was very moving.

Rate the services offered on a scale of 1 to 5

- Pre-departure information: 5

- Registration process: 5

- Management / project coordinators: 5.

Note: this rating corresponds to the cat farm but not to the two days spent in Johannesburg. The youth hostel was very good, but I'd recommend either booking a guided tour of the city in advance, or simply letting the volunteers know that they have about 1? to 2 days of autonomy in Johannesburg.

- Volunteer schedule: 4.

Unfortunately, I can't give it the highest mark because we had too many moments of rest for my liking...but not many of us thought so. It's just that I find it hard to keep still.

- Catering and accommodation: 5.

The meals, homemade almost all the time, were excellent, and they introduced us to a number of South African specialties. The self-contained accommodation is equipped not only with a variety of resting facilities, but also with universal plugs, which, for Europeans, is extremely practical.

Would you recommend this course to others?

Yes (and I've already started), because the family's work is admirable and they really need someone to come and support them. What's more, they're so welcoming that you almost feel like you're part of their family too. They are accommodating and go out of their way to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Would you recommend Freepackers for international projects?

Yes. I didn't correspond with you very much, but that's precisely because everything was very clear in terms of organization and administration. I left feeling perfectly confident that whatever happened when I got there, I wouldn't be left in the lurch.