1 – Activities

    The volunteers are allocated specific duties dependent upon their individual experience, skills, interests and openings in the organization, however, all volunteers should be willing to help out in any aspect of the organization’s work when required and change topics if necessary. Volunteers should also be able to undertake strenuous and sometimes tedious work in a hot tropical climate under primitive living conditions. Some of the volunteer activities include:

  1. Desnaring and Conservation Campaigns: Desnaring is the removal of snares or traps that are set by poachers to kill animals for bush meat in and outside wildlife areas. It involves carrying out anti-snaring patrols. ANAW works closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service rangers who provide security for our teams, during anti-snaring patrols. Volunteers may accompany desnaring teams and help in the removal of snares, collection and documentation of data from the field and in report writing. Desnaring projects are funding dependent and volunteer participation will depend on whether we have the projects on schedule at the time of visit.
  2. Research on Wildlife and Community Issues: Research projects include forest surveys, human wildlife conflict, hyacinth study and desnaring. The research projects change regularly due to the prevailing needs of the organization. Volunteers will be assigned projects according to their individual skills, experience and interest. The volunteers on research should expect to spend full days in the field. Volunteers are also encouraged to develop their own personal projects that they can work on.

  3. Community Education and Conservation: Through the partnership between ANAW, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service, volunteers can spend scheduled days giving talks to the public on elephant baby orphans at the Trust and on various other conservation issues at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and at The Nairobi Safari Walk.

    Volunteers can also visit academic and non-academic institutions giving animal welfare and awareness talks in the company of ANAW members. They can also come up with artwork conveying relevant animal welfare messages to the public Volunteers can also participate in community conservation education programs and also participate in community conservation education talks.

  4. Fundraising:

    ANAW is a not-for-profit organization and fundraising activities are crucial in view of the animal welfare work we carry out. Each year ANAW carries out a number of fundraising activities and writes proposals to raise funds. Volunteers may help with the writing of proposals and organization of the fundraising events.

  5. Publicity and Marketing: ANAW produces a newsletter every six months. Volunteers can help in producing the newsletter by contributing articles, editing, photographs, designing and production of the newsletter on computers. They can also contribute articles on our work in the local media in addition to participating in exhibitions, talks and local conservation events.

    Volunteers can also help in posting updates and in the maintenance of our website.

  6. Eco-Tourism: Through this program, the ANAW trained guides take visitors both local and international to eco-friendly sites and places in protected such as Nairobi National Park and non-protected areas. Volunteers after some training can take part in this program.
  7. Children’s Vocational Program During the months of April, August and December Africa Network for Animal Welfare involves volunteers to run a vocational program for the local children from around Nairobi. This will include theatre, arts, music, sports, etc. around the theme “humane and environmental education”.
  8. General Program Volunteers are welcome to assist in routine office work such as website maintainace, correspondence to the organization’s members, donors and supporters.