Oasis Overland launches volunteering programme

Oasis Overland has devised a range of volunteering projects lasting 7, 14, or 28 days which you can add on, either before or after your trip.

The company specialises in long, low-impact, expedition-style trips of between 15 days and 40 weeks, in Africa, the Middle East and South America. Many of the 12 new projects are based in South Africa, including the unusual Bokamoso Bicycle Volunteer Project, where cyclers can spend a week sharing their passion with the people of an impoverished town, training them in bicycle maintenance and road safety, and helping in the running of a cycle shop.

There is also a Life Skills project, which calls for volunteers to share skills ranging from plastering, carpentry and cooking to computer science, hospitality and library services in a developing, semi-rural South African community. Though Oasis has supported community projects in the countries in which it offers trips for many years, it has not until now offered punters the chance to get hands-on.

Director Chris Wrede says he got lots of requests from Oasis clients to start a volunteering programme, and that clients had been shocked to find companies charging the same for a two week 'voluntourism' project as Oasis charged for a 10-week trip.

"We were very careful about selecting our projects as we wanted to ensure that our travellers would really benefit the projects, as opposed to the project being tailored to benefit the volunteer," says Chris.

He stresses that the projects are run by local people, and that volunteers will be very much immersed in the local community.

"The programmes are not largely suitable for young 18-year-olds on their first overseas experience without mum or dad," he explains.

Another option in the new programme is a dolphin, whale and seal project in South Africa where you can spend a full month helping with educational and conservation activities, including the use of a fin-matching computer programme to monitor dolphin populations.

www.oasisoverland.co.uk