Page 124 iStudy Guide 2019/20
P. 124
124
iStudy
2019/20
The spirit of the camp was all about living communally
with each other and the wildlife, embracing the
natural beauty of the reserve’s surroundings. With a
focus on sustainability and eco-tourism, the camp
accommodation was basic, yet essentials were provided.
Volunteers shared double rooms with twin beds in
simplistic wooden outhouses, with en suite toilets and
showers inside. A communal kitchen and open veranda
seating area formed the heart of the camp, where
volunteers would participate in the creation of menus
and the preparations of meals together. The camp also
had a pit for relaxing weekend evenings spent around
the fire, listening to music and sharing stories, and not
forgetting the makeshift volleyball court for evening
tournaments.
Set within the heart of the reserve, the camp was
surrounded on one side by dense vegetation, and the
other was open-fronted and overlooking grassland. With
no fences or barriers except for an elephant protection
wire, you were well and truly submerged into the South
African bush, with
duiker
(antelope) being frequent
visitors. All supplies would be bought at the start of the
week from the nearest town, Hoedspruit, which was
a 45-minute drive away and would not be restocked
until the following week so we had to be resourceful
and conscious about our food intake. For a volunteer
experience, the accommodation was affordable and
comfortable despite its simplicity, providing the ideal
base for the daily outings into the savannah.
ACCOMMODATION
One of the highlights of volunteering with Siyafunda
was their inclusion of local guides and families – some
of them descendants of actual tribal members. One
of the head guides would often tell us stories of his
ancestry and educate us about South Africa’s history.
One evening, we had a big barbeque and all the
staff came along, some bringing their partners. We
sat around the campfire, sharing stories, listening to
music, and embracing all our cultural backgrounds.
The food was a cultural experience in itself. We were
introduced to the traditional
Braai
(barbeque), which
is a social custom in South Africa where meats are
grilled over wood or charcoal fires, and typically
served alongside pap – a maize-based polenta dish, a
bit like porridge. Our Braai evening did not disappoint,
we enjoyed a variety of tasty meats with
chakalaka
(vegetable relish). Only after finishing were we told
that one of the meats we’d eaten was wildebeest – a
traditional game meat apparently!
CULTURE
iStudy
2019/20
The spirit of the camp was all about living communally
with each other and the wildlife, embracing the
natural beauty of the reserve’s surroundings. With a
focus on sustainability and eco-tourism, the camp
accommodation was basic, yet essentials were provided.
Volunteers shared double rooms with twin beds in
simplistic wooden outhouses, with en suite toilets and
showers inside. A communal kitchen and open veranda
seating area formed the heart of the camp, where
volunteers would participate in the creation of menus
and the preparations of meals together. The camp also
had a pit for relaxing weekend evenings spent around
the fire, listening to music and sharing stories, and not
forgetting the makeshift volleyball court for evening
tournaments.
Set within the heart of the reserve, the camp was
surrounded on one side by dense vegetation, and the
other was open-fronted and overlooking grassland. With
no fences or barriers except for an elephant protection
wire, you were well and truly submerged into the South
African bush, with
duiker
(antelope) being frequent
visitors. All supplies would be bought at the start of the
week from the nearest town, Hoedspruit, which was
a 45-minute drive away and would not be restocked
until the following week so we had to be resourceful
and conscious about our food intake. For a volunteer
experience, the accommodation was affordable and
comfortable despite its simplicity, providing the ideal
base for the daily outings into the savannah.
ACCOMMODATION
One of the highlights of volunteering with Siyafunda
was their inclusion of local guides and families – some
of them descendants of actual tribal members. One
of the head guides would often tell us stories of his
ancestry and educate us about South Africa’s history.
One evening, we had a big barbeque and all the
staff came along, some bringing their partners. We
sat around the campfire, sharing stories, listening to
music, and embracing all our cultural backgrounds.
The food was a cultural experience in itself. We were
introduced to the traditional
Braai
(barbeque), which
is a social custom in South Africa where meats are
grilled over wood or charcoal fires, and typically
served alongside pap – a maize-based polenta dish, a
bit like porridge. Our Braai evening did not disappoint,
we enjoyed a variety of tasty meats with
chakalaka
(vegetable relish). Only after finishing were we told
that one of the meats we’d eaten was wildebeest – a
traditional game meat apparently!
CULTURE
