ALUMNI GRANT TRIP REPORTS 2019/20
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE When Emma Hall (2019 cohort) found her Gap Year project cancelled due to COVID-19, she signed up to a volunteer programme in Zimbabwe helping to protect endangered black rhinos; a plan made possible with support of the TTS Foundation’s Alumni Grant. “This year has been a bit of a strange one, to say the least. I had originally organised to do a two-week intensive Chalet Cooks course in the UK during my Gap Year, to set me up for a winter season in the Alps working as a chef. I applied for the TTS Foundation’s Alumni Grant to help me fulfil this plan, knowing many Tanglin Alumni who had already taken up this incredible opportunity. Unfortunately, during the very first week of the course, an outbreak of COVID-19 was discovered at the cookery school, forcing the cancellation of the remaining days. One of my great friends is Zimbabwean, and I had always heard from him about how amazing and unique the country is. After the disappointment of being unable to complete the cookery course, I decided to fly from London to Victoria Falls, in the north-west of the country, and complete two weeks of volunteer work with the Nakavango Conservation Programme (NCP). The NCP is an affiliate of travel company International Volunteer HQ, and is based on the Victoria Falls private game reserve. It is an amazing initiative that takes in volunteers from across the world and all year round to assist in the conservation of the game reserve. Perhaps most importantly, the programme helps to protect the endangered black rhinos that live on the reserve.
During my two weeks with the NCP, myself and my fellow volunteers worked on a variety of projects. First, we helped remove an invasive non-native, or ‘alien’ plant species called lantana; it can be extremely harmful to the animals if ingested. It was tough work, however necessary in order to prevent the plant from overgrowing. We were also lucky enough to be able to visit a local primary school and spend the morning helping the children clear a field for agricultural purposes. In addition to the volunteering work, we were able to experience the amazing animals within the reserve during daily game drives. I was fortunate enough to see three of the ‘Big Five’ – elephants, buffalos and rhinos – alongside giraffes, zebras and elands (antelopes). Seeing these animals interacting in their natural habitat brought home the importance of the work of the NCP. The Alumni Grant provided me with a life-changing opportunity to embark on an incredible and educational experience. Planning the trip improved my independence skills, and the volunteering work allowed me to build upon my resilience and work ethic. I know that all these skills, along with many others I acquired, will be extremely important for the rest of my life. I would recommend applying for the Alumni Grant to anyone who is looking for an adventure that allows them to grow as a person and learn something new.”
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