►A
range of projects in
Australia
and New Zealandnow
available. Some quite unique ones, like our Sports Massage Therapy Work
Experience placement - excellent!
►BOLIVIA
- an exciting destination for Travellers, is now one year old.
Read more about it...
►Help to rehabilitate Vervet
Monkeys who have been rescued from abuse or death. Feed them, study
them, love them ... and prepare them for release back into the wild to live
happily ever after.
►Excellent
Diving Project in Malaysiawhere you can train and gain certificates and help teach others to dive in
this wonderfully exotic tropical location.
►Work hands-on with
abandoned, abused and orphaned animals in our new Wildlife Sanctuary Project
in South Africa.
►Learn the art of Capoeira in Brazil - a real
cultural experience, the essence of Latin America
►Web Design - an exciting new
project in Ghana - click here for
a volunteer's feedback on the project or speak to us about it -
+44 (0)1903 502595 and ask for Andy Kemp.
►We now have lots of new
Work Experience placements in even more destinations!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:
To keep up to date
regarding Avian Flu please
click here for the FCO's own advice page.
TRAVELLERS JUNIOR AMBASSADOR FOR CONSERVATION IN
SOUTH AFRICA SAVES CHAMELEONS! An extract from CC Africa's newsletter
about Jonathon Terblanche, the son of Sam Terblanche, Travellers
Manager in South Africa.
Bongani Planet Manager Helps Save Endangered
Chameleons in Hilton, KZN
"Every day guests are delighted by CC Africa’s expert ranger and tracker
teams who impart knowledge and inspire conservation.
This story is a beautiful example of how something that
started out so small, has now lead to the protection of an endangered
species!
Staff at Bongani
Mountain Lodge were recently charmed by a curious, young guest named
Jonathan with an avid interest in spotting chameleons. Bongani ranger,
Gideon, spent time with Jonathan looking under rocks to track the tiny
creatures with a torch. Another Planet Manager in the making!
When Jonathan returned home to Hilton with his family, he
continued observing chameleons right in his own garden. The family’s
property was later sold, and they learned that 40 new townhouses would
be developed on the land.
Jonathan was outraged, telling his parents that they had to do
something to save the ‘special’ chameleons. They took photographs and
sent them to KZN Wildlife, who have confirmed that Jonathan’s
cold-blooded friends are in fact a rare and protected species – the
Midlands dwarf chameleon.
Jonathan and his family are now helping the experts to
relocate the population before building commences. All thanks to
Jonathan, our little ranger in training!"
A HEARTWARMING SUCCESS STORY
SUCCESS! THE LATEST
UPDATE ON KONG
Hi Jennifer, I just wanted to
update you about Kong. He has found a new mom. He was playing in the
trees by himself all the time and the other monkey's they came to visit
him. The other Vervet males were fine with him and didn't attack him. I
was close to keep an eye on him. Every time he just came down to get his
bottle and then went back again in the trees.
A curious vervet mother without baby was watching him for a few days
already. It must have been the same one and she took him and nursed him.
He is now part of the troop of Monkey's who are around our Lodge.
Now and than we see Kong but he doesn't come close now because he found
a new mom. So it is a happy ending for Kong he is back into the nature
where he belongs.
Photos of Manon and Kong, the abandoned baby Vervet
Monkey
"He is a real character, very funny. He gets upset if
you ignore him for a while - then he will not look at you if you hold
him! I'm always around him but my fiance is not always there and when he
comes after work, Kong will not talk to him."
HOW THE STORY OF
KONG, THE ORPHANED BABY VERVET MONKEY, ALL STARTED Travellers was approached by someone in
Zambia who asked our help and advice in how to look after an abandoned,
orphaned Vervet monkey - and we were able to help!! The story below is
told through the exchange of emails between our various team members and
a project we work with - it demonstrates how working together can bring
about heartwarming solutions in so many different ways - no wonder we
all love what we do!!
Email from Zambia: I'm Manon Vaillant I live in Zambia. We have found a baby orphan
Vervet monkey. We live in the Bush and have lot's of Vervet monkey's
around but this one was abandoned and very much under feed. We have him
for 2 days now but he is still screaming for his mother. We are scared
that the other males will kill him if we but him back. His mum did leave
him and didn't go back to feed him. Can and will a other mother take
care of another baby and raise it as her own or will a mother look after
a orphaned who already has a baby.
We bought an special milk for baby's and
feeding him every 2 hours. I think he is only less than a month old and
needs the special care. We would like to keep him but are there any
risks or should we but him back in to nature? Any information would help
because this special creature needs lot's of love and care and we are
willing to give him that.
Regards Manon Vaillant please contact me as soon as you can
Email reply and request from Travellers
Director to our South Africa Manager:
Hi Sam, Please can you read the email below - this person (Manon) needs
urgent help with a baby vervet monkey. Can you please speak to CROW and
ask what he should do with the baby and how he should be looking after
it, and then let Manon know as soon as you can? Alternatively, perhaps
you can pass this help request directly onto CROW so that they can
communicate with each other directly? I would really like to help Manon
if we can. Thanks very much.
TO
MANON: Hi Manon, Samantha is our conservation expert and CROW is a
rehabilitation Centre that looks after vervet monkeys. They will be able
to give you the CORRECT guidance and assistance that will help you with
your orphan monkey.
I
am very glad that you are looking for expert help instead of perhaps
making a mistake and ruining the orphan monkey's life - good for you!! I
hope this gets sorted out for you and if you need any more help with
anything, please let us know. We do try to help communities and
conservation projects as much as we can. Please will you keep in touch
so that we can know how you're doing.
With kind regards,
Jennifer
Jennifer Perkes
Managing Director
Travellers Worldwide - voluntary placements overseas
Email from Manon in Zambia: Dear Jennifer
I just wanted to keep you updated about the situation of Kong is his
name the little baby vervet. Luckily he is putting a bit of weight. we
bottle feed him every hour. He is always very happy to receive his
bottle and comes running up to me as soon as he noticed his bottle. we
build him a huge house of the old bar that we not using anymore it is
about 10 meters big. we have put trees in it and lot's of things to
climb in to.
He does still makes a lot of noise now and then especially when we
leave him alone. He really can't be alone. I often go for a walk with
him outside. He is scared about other monkey's as soon as another monkey
approached us. At night he sleeps in my room and he does wake me up ones
a night to give him some milk.
Regards,
Manon
Email from Samantha in SA
to Manon in Zambia: Hi Manon,
Thank you for your e-mail – I have forwarded to a number of conservation
rehabilitation experts – the best thing to do is to get hold of someone
in your area that specializes in wildlife rehabilitation or your
conservation agency – I am not sure what the situation in Zambia is.
Hopefully Dr Jean Harris or Dr Helena Fitchat will be able to assist
you.
Kind regards,
Samantha Terblanche
Email from our partner
Rehabitation Centre in South Africa to Manon in Zambia: HI Manon.
I have just picked up your email now, so I called Dr Helena Fitchat for
some immediate advice for you with regard to the baby vervet. Her advice
is as follows:
Bottle feed it about every 3 hours with Nespray
milk (or something similar)
It should not be left on its own at all at this
age, so keep it with you or in little basket near you all the time.
Make sure it has a blanket to cling on to and if
you have any fluffy teddy bears, give it one - just make sure there
are no eyes that it could swallow
You can cut up some soft fruit like banana and
put it in a dish until it decides to take it
Nestum Porridge can also be offered mixed with
milk quite soon
No other monkey will take this baby on, so you
cannot put it in the wild now unless you know who its mother is.
The baby will be very traumatised and could be crying
for its mother/food if it is underfed. Just make sure it is comfortable
and not alone and is fed enough.
I am not sure where you are in
Zambia, but I have been in contact with people from a Wildlife Education
Trust and am wondering if they could help. Their contact details are:
[contact details given]
Please do not hesitate to mail us if you have any other questions. I
have copied this mail to our Clinic Manager as well and she can advise
you as the baby grows. Her name is Estie Allan and she can be contacted
on [contact details given]
Regards
Judi Gounaris
Chairperson - Executive Committee
LATEST! SPORTS ACADEMIES ESTABLISHED IN SOUTH
AFRICA
Travellers has a qualified sports coach,
Richard Cowley, based in the schools in Khanyisa (South Africa) and we
have so far managed to establish a Rugby Academy, Football Academy (etc
etc).
The main school is delighted with the
progress made in setting up a well structured and well implemented Sports
regime within the school and the five other disadvantaged schools in the
area that use the facilities now have access to quality sports coaching.
The children are equally happy because
they're getting excellent coaching, which they didn't have before, and
also opportunities to excel or just enjoy all the benefits that come from
participating in sports.
As time goes on, Travellers and Richard
hope to increase the good work we're doing in these schools and, with the
help of our wonderful volunteers, provide endless opportunities for
children who would not have had them but for our volunteers and our
programme in the schools.
Well done, everyone, and a special and
heartfelt thanks to Richard Cowley for making all this possible! Needless
to say, if the Principal and teachers weren't as enthusiastic as they are
and keen to get involved in making the programme a success, it wouldn't
have worked. The children are very lucky to be surrounded by such good
people!
As soon as Richard's work in Khanyisa is
done and the project can stand on it's own feet, he'll be moving on to
other Travellers Sports projects and doing the same for those communities
as well. It's an honour for all of us at Travellers to be able to make
these huge differences in the communities we work in --- and it can only
happen because of our volunteers!
Travellers 21 March 2006
TRAVELLERS
VOLUNTEERS ON TV!
In late 2003, Travellers
were approached by the BBC to help with the making of a documentary called
'Grown up Gappers'. This series featured 8 people who wanted to
step off the treadmill, pack their life into a rucksack and go exploring the
world as travellers, rather than cosseted tourists.
Travellers Volunteers Jan Flanagan and
Paul Edmunds were amongst these 8 people. Each of them had reached a
stage in their life at which they wanted
to give up their everyday responsibilities in favour of a major lifestyle
change. Rather than just selling up and heading
for the easy life abroad, they were seeking out
new experiences, adventures and personal fulfillment.
►Volunteer
Jan Flanagan took part in 3 projects, at Pinawalla Elephant Orphanage
and Colombo Zoo in Sri Lanka, and at Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation
Centre in Malaysia. The crew followed her physical and emotional journey as
she battled with leeches, fought her way through the jungle, and learnt to
have confidence in herself.
►Volunteer
Paul Edmunds was filmed by the BBC for 'Grown up Gappers' which charted his
travels across Africa. During his programme with Travellers in Ghana, Paul
had a wonderful time coaching cricket and really made a difference with the
children, who ended up meeting the national cricket team!
After several months of filming and
hard work, we were excited to see the end result when the documentary was
aired on BBC TWO in 2005.
Grown-up Gappers across the world:
Travellers is approached by many older people from all over the world
who would like to volunteer but think that it is only for the "kids". IT
ISN'T. This programme by the BBC has highlighted that doors to a new world
are open to everyone - and we're delighted to say that we send many older
people on our projects and they are wonderful volunteers who contribute
enormously to the communities they work in.
So if you're 17 or 70, please join us -
everyone is more than welcome. We'd be honoured to have you.
TRAVELLERS STAFF IN CHARITY FUN RUN!
Mike and Andy at Arundel Fun Run With Roshan, our Sri Lanka Manager, who
came to cheer them on!
Well, what conscientious
and motivated staff we have!! On a sunny Sunday morning in late August Mike
Ecclestone, Travellers’ Manager and Andy Kemp, our Ghana Coordinator
(amongst other roles!) didn’t spend the morning in bed, eating a fry up and
watching T4, oh no. For these two it was an early rise and journey to
Arundel where a 10K sponsored run for charity was taking place. Accompanied
for support by Roshan, our visiting Sri Lankan Manager, the boys donned
their trainers and Travellers t-shirts, stretched and warmed up and ran
alongside a myriad of competitors through the cobbled streets and around the
glorious Cathedral of this quaint city.
Coming in at impressive
times of 53:20 and 59:19 (check them out!
http://www.runnerswebuk.com/results/2005/arundelc.html) our boys secured
loads of money from kind friends and unlucky passer-bys who had agreed to
sponsor them. Not to mention Travellers’ Director, Jennifer’s personal
donation who offered generously to match whatever the boys raised.
Andrew will be arranging
for the money he raised to go directly towards sponsoring many different
children in Ghana to attend school for one year. Can you believe that it is
only £5 to cover the expenses of a child’s school fees per year in Ghana? By
being so active already in the local schools and community of Accra, it
means that Travellers is able to ensure that every penny is spent directly
where it is needed to achieve maximum benefit for the local children.
Nothing gets lost in admin or transportation.
Mike will be donating his
sponsorship money to the equally worthwhile cause of saving the community
crèche from closedown in a small rural village in Brazil. The crèche in Foz
do Iguaçu is being told that it must close if it doesn’t start raising the
necessary funds to help renovate the building. The crèche is an amazing
place and something that Foz and the community really needs to hang on to.
We are very proud of our
extra-curricular contribution and intend to do more events in the future to
help with the many worthwhile causes we find ourselves facing in the
communities us and our volunteers come to love.
If anyone would like to
donate anything towards these causes (even £1 goes a long way) please
contact us with your cc details at
info@travellersworldwide.com or call 01903 502 595 and we promise that
your money will go directly and in full to the place where it can make the
difference to a life.
A big well done to Mike
and Andy and keep it up!!
Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring
Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595 Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179
Email:
info@travellersworldwide.com
.
+44 01903 502595
