P.A.W.S

So many words sprung to mind when I thought about writing this review of my time at PAWS. Amazing, inspiring, interesting, challenging, fantastic however for me the word that describes it best is BRILLIANT!
I arrived at the beginning of September for a 2 week stay at PAWS. What attracted me to the project was the variety of work and adventure that was offered. I really wanted to do something tangible to help the big cat’s conservation and this project definitely meets that objective.  Clive & Roma where the perfect hosts, bringing a great mix of knowledge, direction and comfort (especially when on the first night I reckon I got about 2 hours sleep in-between the roar of Lions and whooping of Hyena’s!) to a lone traveller.
Each day was an event and a trip into the unknown, some days we could be Hyena or Leopard tracking, others fence clearing and bone and poo collection. Whatever the activity, there was a real sense of expectation of what we would see or do next. I can truly say it was a pleasure to wake up early to a beautiful Africa morning sunrise and from Day 1 to the end, I enjoyed every single second.   In my group of 5 were people from very different backgrounds with some in the midst of 9 month world trips and others, like me, travelling alone. I think the rotation of roles to make breakfast; lunch and dinner (under the watchful eye of Roma & Clive!) really helped the team fuse together well.  If you ever want to feel like you have really made a difference whilst being rewarded by Leopards and Cheetahs prepared to allow you to watch and work with them then PAWS is the place for you. A return visit is a must on my list of the things to do and I will be watching with interest the internet updates on the progress being made at Okonjima (most importantly that MJ’s cub is a boy!!!)  Thank you Clive & Roma (and my favourite SKINNY BOY) for a ‘BRILLIANT’ experience.

Chris:3rd from left on top Siobhan:middle bottom

Last summer my daughter and I ventured to Namibia to do voluntary work on the PAWS project located on the Okonjima Game Reserve about 220km north of Windhoek. We also managed to work with the cheetahs at the Africat Centre, as seen on TV with Joanna Lumley, Catwoman. We were a little hesitant as we did not really know what to expect. What we got was an experience of a life time. Clive and Roma run the PAWS project and were absolutely wonderful. Clive oozed enthusiasm for the project and Africa and Roma just took care of everything else, from lost luggage to tuck shop supplies.  We had an early start to the day and worked in the morning either clearing old fencing, bush chopping, collecting firewood or cleaning out the cheetah pens, yes with the cheetahs still in there! To have a wild cheetah walk past you just 3m away is something that I will never forget. We then returned to camp for lunch and then had the afternoon free. In the evening, Clive would give us our treat which might include leopard tracking, bush walking or hyena tracking. Then we would all sit together for dinner and discuss the day or just play cards together. We slept out in the dry river bed which was an awesome experience to sleep under the stars, but still up at 6.30am to begin work. We all had to take it in turn to cook over the open fire and wash up as well. The facilities at camp were better than I expected. The tents were for two, but big enough to stand in. The toilets, yes there were real toilets, opened out to the bush as did the showers.  All through the experience Clive shared his knowledge of the animals and made it educational. Watch out for the quiz at the end of the week.  I would strongly recommend this experience to anyone of any age, minimum 18. If you want further details look at their web site, www.pawsnamibia.org and if you want to go, book direct with them for the best price. It is a marvelous way to experience a little part of Africa and to give a little back at the same time.

I was unfortunate to spend two weeks at the PAWS camp site in the middle of the Okonjima reserve. I wished I have been able to spend a lot longer, unfortunately a little thing called work simply got in the way, otherwise I would have been happy to spend at least another two weeks. I have to say that our two hosts, Clive and Roma were the most accommodating people I have had the pleasure of meeting. I am sure that the first few days they didn’t think I had actually brought any luggage with me, as the airline had accidentally ‘mislaid’ it, shall we say. I had no worries though once I made it to Camp, and Roma was amazing. She just happened to have most of the things that I would need until my luggage arrived. The rest I was able to purchase from a SPAR shop (yes, the appear to get around everywhere) which was enroute. Once my luggage arrived, I was like a new man, and my faith in humanity had been restored, as all of the volunteers rallied around to help me in an attempt to stop me smelling somewhat :-). It was all very much appreciated. The accommodation was above what I expected, and was equipped with Hot water, proper showers, and actual toilets. Trust me, these showers were the best invention ever after a mornings work. The work, although sometimes hard, was very rewarding, as you actually felt like you were making some kind of difference. I particularly enjoyed the chopping down of trees with an axe, one of the best feelings ever, mainly because it was hard work, but for a very good purpose….to clear an area for a new school. The many scars I received make it look like I spent two weeks in a self-harm camp, however, the photos have finally proved to friends that I was actually in Namibia, and I no longer fear being committed to a psychiatric ward….which is always a good thing. The near experiences we had with the Cheetah’s whilst cleaning out their enclosures of, well, lets just say stuff, will never leave my memory, it was one of the most amazing things to be so close (and Imean within 4 feet) of these amazing cats. We had many Leopard sightings, being very close to them, although I think that the Leopards were less than impressed as they simply ignored us, being more bothered about the Hyenas that might steal their food rather than very pasty Europeans watching them (ok, perhaps I am talking mainly about myself).

I would personally recommend PAWS to anyone, as the camp is situated in the most beautiful place, the facilities are great, the food amazing and the hosts exceptional, and the sights and activities are second to none.  Sign up, help out, experience things you will never experience again.

It was so much and fun everyone was full of energy and laughter. I never thought that I would do such intense work in the bush. Especially working with a panga. The bone picking up was so wonderful to be in the enclosures with wild cheetahs watching every move you make what an experience. The most glorious was that I got to clean out the wild dogs waterhole thanks Clive for showing me the wild dogs.  The afternoon treats after a mornings work were all fantastic. Never have I seen so many animals in one place, that was a view. 
Xanthea is on the left of the picture and is our FIRST Namibian volunteer, coming from Swakopmund!

I spent 2 wonderful weeks with Clive and Roma at PAWS, who are so welcoming, kind and patient! Their place is great, so cosy and personal, and what I loved was that the cheetahs & leopards are truly wild, yet Roma & Clive know them all individually (also the hyenas and porcupines!) and it’s so nice to share in that plus on the first afternoon at PAWS we saw more animals than I saw in Etosha in 3 days - and Etosha was bloody good! It was fantastic - indescribable - to brush this darted cheetah here in the photo, and many thanks to both of you for making such an effort for all volunteers to experience close contact with the animals at every available opportunity. We learned such a lot - Clive is a mine of fascinating information. We learned about the problems of interraction between big cats & humans, and the solutions, such as regular visits to Africat by local schoolchildren. All good stuff!

The design of the camp, out in the middle of the bush, is fantastic……I loved the ‘loo with a view’ and the lovely little waterhole where colourful tropical birds gathered……I could sit there for ages, mesmerised……Clive also told us about the history of the area & the skillful ways of the bushmen - he’s a great storyteller & really knows how to bring it all alive, plus we got to create fire from sticks and to make impressive rope out of a local plant.  Food cooked on the fire ! Wow, what recipes…..and lots of it ! I’m still trying to lose the kilos I put on at PAWS ! We were made to feel our daily work was really important to the project, and it was vital, of course, to work together as a group. As we were a mixture of ages, from various different countries & backgrounds, we had to learn to gel right from the start, and this was made easy by the fact that we worked in pairs, different ‘buddy’ pairs every morning, and then we had games, wildlife quizzes and football matches which really did the trick! I was so sad to leave my new friends! The football match against the local village was a great experience …….. I’m 55 and have never ever played football before……I loved it. We also played/chatted with the local kids & learned about the local families’ lives.

Then there was the exciting ‘feeding run’ of cheetahs, leopards and lions, the night-time game-drive, the sleep-out with fire & marshmallows, under the stars………wow, what a truly fantastic 2 weeks…….THANKYOU!!!!!!!!

Thanks for a fantastic 2 weeks in Namibia. We had a truly amazing time. Having never done anything like it before we didn’t know what to expect when we arrived. Right from the start you made us feel very welcome and as a result we settled in straight away. The camp site was fantastic and we were really impressed with the facilities. The balance of work in the morning and then a game drive around the reserve in the afternoon was great and we still can’t believe all the amazing things we got to see. We felt privileged to see so many wonderful animals close up and in their natural environment. The project was extremely well organised and we really enjoyed the time we spent with both yourselves and our fellow volunteers around the camp fire in the evenings enjoying a cold beer…;-) Good luck with the project in the future. We will try and raise as much money for you as possible in the Birmingham Half Marathon which takes place on the 11th of October.

A message to parents who envy the youngsters their opportunities and gap-year adventures - Go to P.A.W.S. with them! It’s brilliant to share the challenge of living in the bush, working for the welfare of the wildlife and enjoy the superb activities in the afternoon. It’s easy to be a guests on a safari vehicle but so much more of a personal experience to be part of the conservation project and give something back to Africa, your time and your enthusiasm. You even get to sleep under the stars…!  You will be assured of a warm welcome from Clive and Roma and will see and learn so much about the work of AfriCat. Go and you will have a great time!

When I decided that I wanted to do some volunteer work with the time away from work I had I wasn’t really sure where to start looking. To be honest I think I got really lucky as I didn’t do much research but knew I wanted to do a project involving big cats. When I found the PAWS project and looked at the photos, it all looked great but I was careful not to go expecting too much of my 4 week placement. I shouldn’t have worried though, I had only been there 5 minutes and I already knew that I would want to come back. Clive and Roma really made us feel welcome and the camp environment is a real home away from home, the best thing being the amazing showers with a view. Every evening dinner is cooked on the open fires and the variety of meals is fantastic, also everyone gets an opportunity to get involved so it’s a great time for socialising with the other volunteers. The mixture of work in the morning and activities in the afternoon provides just the right balance. You certainly feel that you are making a difference and that everything you do to help is extremely worthwhile. In the afternoon you get involved in a range of activities such as leopard tracking, hyena tracking or a game drive. The afternoons are brilliant, there are so many amazing animals to see and if you like to learn new stuff then spending time with Clive driving around is going to leave your head bursting full of facts! I certainly hope that I will get back to PAWS in the next few years, it’s a really special place and I can’t recommend this project enough. Not only will you realise how worthwhile the cause is but you will almost certainly have the time of your life.

An incredible experience. I had the time of my life at PAWS. Conservation volunteering in Africa has been something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time so my expectations were high; PAWS met and exceeded everything I’d hoped for. Prepare to work hard in the mornings, an array of spiky vegetation for you to get up close and personal with might seem a little daunting at first but as the afternoon rolls in you realise that this is a
project where you’re contributing to an amazing cause that will genuinely make a difference. And don’t doubt you will be very much rewarded for your efforts - along with the points on your eternal scorecard are the afternoon activities: game drives with Clive, his endless knowledge and crazy stories. Leopard tracking was my all time favourite seeing them in books and on TV, you don’t get a real idea of the incredible presence these guys have, you instantly feel privileged that they are willing to share the air with you, stunning creatures. The camp is beautiful, and the amenities are awesome best shower I’ve ever had, which was the last thing I was expecting!! PAWS really is the bomb, thank you Clive and Roma, it was life changing, I’ll see you next year..”

Having spent over 24 hours travelling via plane from the U.K. via Dubai to get to my destination I was exhausted. I found myself nodding off in the taxi despite great effort to make conversation with my driver. However on arriving at P.A.W.S I came to life again, it was amazing, immediately exceeding any expectations I had before arriving and I hadn’t even started the project yet! The first day I remember as being very tough just 3 of us attempting to remove some of the cattle fencing that litters the reserve. I made the mistake of not wearing trousers and came back to camp looking like I had spent the morning self harming. However this was a one off, the mornings were when we did our work and in the afternoon we were rewarded with game drives, leopard trekking, hyena trekking on foot and seeing the cheetahs. It didn’t seem like a fair exchange but I wasn’t complaining!! This became confusing though as when I was collecting donkey bones in one of the large cheetah enclosures and had 5 of them following me inquisitively it seemed like the best work in the world!!! My highlights were never ending, I got to fly in Africat’s small plane over the reserve, collect a leopard from a farmer with Africat, make loads of friends, participate in something truly worthwhile and special, get followed by cheetahs (at the time I thought they were going to eat me), see the beautiful sunset every night and occasionally sunrise, we went on a feeding run, saw a leopard hunting, baby giraffes and zebras, hyenas, and took some amazing photos. I have now been converted in to a wildlife and photography lover and without a doubt will be returning!! I just need to earn a bit of money for a better camera and the flights of course. I would definitely recommend doing the project to anyone it is the best thing I have ever done!!!!