South Africa is
modern and energetic, the perfect
place to gain experience in your chosen career.
We'll place you in a
delightful small veterinary practice in Cape Town, under the supervision
of an excellent vet who will endeavour to give you as much knowledge and
experience as possible.
The
practice is situated in the capital city of Cape Town - with it's
world-famous Table Mountain and miles of glorious beach, this is a good
city in which to live and work.
An excellent entry on your CV or Résumé - and excellent experience for
your future career. The experience you gain
will be invaluable to you in the future and
totally different to what
you're used to in your home country.
"I've seen a variety of
procedures so far and am
already perfecting my stitching technique."
You will work in a general
vet practice in Cape Town - small, but very friendly. It is typical of a
veterinary clinic in South Africa. The practice deals mainly with domestic
animals, but you may also get an occasional opportunity to help out at the
Blue Cross Animal/Veterinary Hospital, which is much bigger.
The Blue Cross is a
privately-owned veterinary practice that deals with a wide range of veterinary
procedures and if you spend time here, you should get exposure to larger
animals such as cattle and horses.
YOUR WORK: As this is a small practice,
your work responsibilities will differ according to what is required at
the time you're there.
"I've been very busy, LOVING working with Dr. Cathy Wahl at the
vet clinic. I couldn't be happier and love both her and her
staff. I've seen a variety of procedures so far and am already perfecting
my stitching technique.
Cathy has been arranging for me to travel around to a few
other vet clinics too, which has been great. I've met loads of people here and am having a fabulous time!"
Devon Swartz
The practice opens at 8.30 but
you will be expected to come in around 9:00 am. The practice has surgery
in the mornings between 09.00 and 12.00 and in the afternoons between
15.30 and 18.30. Lunchtime is usually between
12.20 and 15.00 depending on how busy they are. You will be free to leave
the surgery during this time.
You will
have opportunities to shadow the Vet with
plenty of scope for observation and some hands-on work. Depending on your experience
and confidence, you may be able to participate in basic and simple
procedures under supervision, such as making
blood smears, analysing urine samples, learning to prep surgical sites,
etc. This will also depend on whether the Vet feels you have the
capabilities to take part in these activities.
At times
you may find the work to be slow as it only becomes busy when animals are
brought in. There will be a variety of different jobs that you’ll need to
assist with and some of these will not be directly related to working with
the animals, such as attending to the upkeep and cleaning of the premises,
or helping out with Reception.
In other
words, you must be prepared to do anything and everything that needs to be
done during the time you’re there.
Entrance to the practice - the cat likes it !
Accommodation and Living in Cape Town
A ten
minute walk from the centre of the bustling Cape Town CBD is the quieter, more
chilled out area of Green Point. Here we use St Johns Waterfront Lodge, one of
the better known backpackers’ lodges for your accommodation. It is not only
close to the city, but also to the famous V&A Waterfront (5 min walk) and
literally a hop, skip and jump away from the ocean. Among a host of other
activities, from here you can visit the world-famous Robben Island by boat,
where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 27 years!
Apart
from other Travellers volunteers, this hostel mainly attracts international
travellers to Cape Town. It is uniquely built on two plots so literally has two
of everything, including two pools! They are very friendly and will always help
you where needed. They can answer any questions or can even help when you need
some TLC because you feel a bit homesick!
The
Main Lodge is the centre of all the lodges and is a meeting point for everyone.
You can discuss your day in the living room, have a nice chat out on the
terrace, go for a swim, watch a movie, etc. Included in the placement cost is a
bed in one of the large 8-bed dormitories, so you will be sharing. However,
there is an option of choosing a single or double room if you are happy to pay
the difference, but we do find that volunteers staying in the larger dormitories
tend to make friends easier and be a bit more social. Remember, safety by
numbers is always the most responsible way to do things!
This
lodge has a living room, lots of bathrooms and a two well-equipped kitchens. It
also has a lovely big (recently renovated) living area with satellite TV, a cosy
bar and very comfy couches. In the main outdoor area, there are two pools, the
braai (South African for BBQ) area and lots of tables and benches in the
beautiful garden. There is a payphone inside the main lounge and a FREE internet
service. St John’s has also recently fitted a CCTV security system, so you can
live with peace of mind, knowing that you are safe and sound.
Food: You will be
given a food allowance to buy your own food from the big supermarket up the
road. The lodge is equipped with a kitchen with a fridge, stove, oven and
microwave, and all the necessities to cook a good meal.
To also assist you during your time with
us in South Africa, we have included the web-link for Pick and Pay a major
Supermarket in South Africa, by logging on to:
You can book your own international
flights or we can book them for you. Where possible, we send
two or more people on the same flight and give the names and
telephone numbers of other Volunteers
on your flight so
that you can chat or even meet up before leaving. We will
also give you the names and numbers of other Travellers volunteers placed
near you
St George's Mall, Cape Town
You will fly directly into Cape Town where you'll be met by our Cape
Town Manager who will take you to your accommodation and see
that you're settled in. You will also be taken to your work and
introduced to everyone.
All flights we book have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa,
of course.
VISAS:. We'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
PRICES
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in South Africa, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
unless otherwise stated,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
