Volunteering in Venezuela

By Dan Green

The Association for the Rescue of Fauna (ARFA), an animal rescue center in Venezuela, offers an international volunteer program for veterinary majors, biology students, and anyone interested in helping wild animals. Its primary activity is the care and rehabilitation of wild animals with the aim of releasing them back into their natural habitats. In addition, ARFA promotes the preservation of native flora and fauna through educational programs at the center and in local schools.

Volunteers feed and take care of the animals, help with the observation of wild fauna, assist in the conservation programs, and help provide basic veterinary care to the animals.

In return, "we can offer birdwatching, horseriding, rafting, cycling," ARFA's founder, Lucy de Alió, told me, "and we take the volunteers on trips and invite them to participate on the farm and with cultural exchange."

To live at the finca is to immerse oneself in the rich cultural tradition of the Venezuelan farming community. A smattering of Spanish is definitely helpful, but some of the people at the farm speak good English, so it is not absolutely essential.

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ARFA offers food and lodging and transportation to the finca free of charge. The volunteer must pay for airfare to Venezuela and for living expenses. Living in Venezuela is relatively costly, but much less so in the interior of the country. On the finca, the estimated cost is between $100 and $300 per month. ARFA can only offer food and lodging for one volunteer at a time. There is enough space to house a couple, but one person would have to pay $100 per week to cover room and board.

Working hours are very flexible-roughly 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (with plenty of breaks, including breakfast and lunch). After 3 p.m., you are free to meet great people, be taken out, and have lots of fun.

For an application form, send an email to Lucy Alió with "Volunteer's Program" or "Programa de Voluntarios" as the subject. Include your name, age, nationality, and occupation along with suggested dates and brief reasons for your interest in volunteering for ARFA. Lucy speaks impeccable English, so the email does not need to be in Spanish.

Contact: Asociacion de Rescate de Fauna; 011-58-212-782-4182; valio1@cantv.net, www.geocities.com/arfavenezuela/index.html.