Volunteering
OPPORTUNITIES IN 2008 FOR INTERNATIONAL SHORT TERM VOLUNTEERS & RESEARCHERS
CCB is offering limited, short term volunteering opportunities to non-residents of Botswana in 2008. We are currently only inviting applications from individuals who possess administrative skills, with qualifications and/or proven experience, to assist the project for a period of 1 - 2 months (2 months is the maximum duration). Monthly volunteering fees apply and the positions are office-based. Successful applicants will operate from our facilities at Mokolodi Nature Reserve.
CCB is also offering opportunities to MSc and PhD students interested in conducting research into the cheetah population of Botswana. Field research placements will be for a maximum of 12 months for MSc or PhD candidates only. Candidates should have a good academic record, hold a BSc or MSc degree, have a particular interest in cheetah related research and be able to obtain enough financial support to conduct and adequately complete the field research component in Botswana. Details of both opportunities are below.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT VOLUNTEER
You will be primarily supporting Rebecca, Kyle and Brian in tasks which require a good level of English and computer literacy (PC - Microsoft Office range). Experience in charity/NGO office administration, including formal document preparation, funding proposal writing, database maintenance, etc, would be a particular advantage. We are also interested in offering short term placements to those with a background in charity/NGO management and policy/procedural development, but who would also be happy to apply themselves to some of the more basic day-to-day administrative tasks as they arise.
APPLICATION PROCESS
If you are a mature individual of open mind, over the age of 21 and possess the necessary skills and experience, have an interest in wildlife, can cope with living and working in basic facilities, and wish to experience Africa by volunteering in support of our cheetah conservation efforts in Botswana, then we would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete the e-Application Form to be found on our Downloads page on this web site, and return it to us at info@cheetahbotswana.com. Applicants should also attach their CV, ensuring that any e-mail to us does not exceed 700KB in total.
CURRENT AVAILABILITY FOR 2008
We currently have capacity for only one short term international volunteer per month, commencing in March 2008 until the end of November 2008. As placements are extremely limited, we recommend that your Application be submitted to us as soon as possible. Please read the Terms & Conditions at the bottom of this page before submitting your completed Application. Please note that we are currently reviewing our requirements for 2009. This page will be updated in November 2008.
MOKOLODI NATURE RESERVE
The Reserve is situated close to the city of Gaborone, in south-east Botswana. Covering an area of over 5,500 hectares, it is located amongst rolling hills overlaid with acacia bush and is home to a variety of game. Species include impala, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra, as well as white rhinoceros and hippopotamus. Also known to be in the area, but rarely seen, are brown hyenas and leopards. A number of primate and reptile species, including snakes, also live in the park and the area is rich in birdlife.
Mokolodi is also home to two resident cheetah ambassadors, Duma and Letoatse. Hand-reared and habituated to humans, they live in a 4 hectare enclosure within the park and fulfil an important educational purpose for the many school groups and paying guests who visit the park each year. Our short term volunteers will have the chance to meet and spend a little time with the cheetah brothers during their time with us. The opportunity to take part in numerous fee-paying activities provided by the nature reserve, during weekends, will also be available. Visit the Mokolodi web site (from our links page)for more information.
CCB FACILITIES
The project operates from modest facilities within the Reserve, with CCB staff accomodation, bathroom and kitchen located close to the office. CCB volunteers will stay in a small wooden house identical to those provided to our permanent staff and will be able to shop for supplies in Gaborone, on a weekly basis.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
A fee of $2,500(USD) per month is applicable to international volunteers, payable to CCB prior to the start of a placement. Fees help CCB to cover accommodation, utility, administration and transport costs. Applicants will be notified by e-mail as to the outcome of their Application and those selected will receive more detailed information, prior to comencement. Volunteer Fees are payable to CCB via electronic bank transfer, to be received no later than 28 days prior to the agreed start of the proposed placement. All volunteers will be responsible for covering the costs of money transfers to Botswana, their return flights/travel expenses from their country of origin to Gaborone and for providing adequate medical insurance cover for the duration of their stay with us.
PLEASE NOTE: While, for these particular placements, we also welcome Applications from non-citizens who may currently be based or working in Botswana, such applicants will be required to supply certified copies of valid Work/Residency permits issued by the Departments of Labour/Immigration. It should be noted that, in these circumstances and as an 'International Short Term Volunteer', the fee of $2,500 U.S. will apply and be payable to CCB prior to the start of a placement with us.
We are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity and look forward to receiving applications. Hope to see you here soon!
MSc & PhD STUDENT RESEARCH
Research applications are welcomed from students studying for an MSc or PhD qualification and who would be interested in conducting a project in the following areas of cheetah research here in Botswana:
home range behaviour and movement pattern studies by district or region;
population assessment by district or region;
effects of translocation on trans-located cheetahs;
human attitudes in rural communities towards predators;
human interaction between rural communities and predators;
effective farm management techniques to promote coexistence with predators;
effectiveness and use of livestock guarding animals as a predator deterrent;
effectiveness of predator education programmes, and;
related veterinary projects.
Application Process
If you are a mature individual of open mind and over the age of 21 and interested in carrying out cheetah related postgraduate research in Botswana, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete the appropriate Research Application Form available in the Downloads section of this web site and return it by e-mail. Please make sure that you indicate the college/university to which you will be affiliated and whether or not that institution will provide support funding for your reseach. You should also provide a copy of your CV and an overview of your area of study and field research initiatives to research@cheetahbotswana.com. We will also require notification of any college/university reporting requirements. Please ensure that e-mail attachements are no larger than 700Kb.
Costs & Funding
Students will be responsible for finding their own funding for a chosen research project, for meeting travel costs to/from Botswana and for providing adequate medical insurance cover for the duration of their placement. CCB will levy a fee of $300(U.S.) per month on all students, for the use of facilities such as accommodation, utilities, transportation and administration services. Funding and bursaries may be available from a home college/university or global conservation organizations. CCB can assist with formal proposals by endorsing an application. Research Councils, overseas universities and charitable foundations are also potential sources of student research funding.
Terms & Conditions
It is important that applicants allow sufficient timeto conduct field research, as longer term placements (up to one year) are more likely to deliver results. Each student must have an academic supervisor for the proposed research project at their affiliate college/university. Students will be expected to enter into a formal agreement with CCB, established by written Contract which will clearly identify mutual terms and those relating to data ownership, as well as any use of CCB facilities or resources. A formal Research Permit issued, in the student's name, by the Department of Wildlife & National Parks, will be required prior to commencement. CCB can assist in arranging Research Permit application documentation, for completion and submission.
CCB Facilities & Equipment
Students can expect to establish themselves at modest CCB facilities at Jwana Game Park in southern Botswana and at Ghanzi, in the west. These facilities include accommodation, an office, bathroom and kitchen. Should a student wish to conduct a research project elsewhere in Botswana, CCB can assist in identifying placement at a relevant facility. It should be noted that a vehicle is perhaps the most essential piece of equipment to consider for the successful completion of field research in Botswana. Allowance should, therefore, be made by the student to provide adequate funds to purchase, operate and maintain a suitable 4X4 vehicle for the duration of a field research project.
Current Availability for Students in 2008/2009
We currently have the capacity only for two researchers in 2008 and 2009. As placements are extremely limited, we recommend that applications from interested MSc and PhD candidates be submitted to us as soon as possible, using the downloadable form on this site. Thank you for your interest.
Success for Unadvertised MSc and PhD studentships!
1. Make sure you have the right qualifications - A BSc degree (upper second or first) in biology or closely related subject is the basic requirement for MSc candidates in the programme. For PhD students, we would expect qualification at MSc level already. Research undertaken for MSc qualification instils the appropriate disciplines and provides the necessary experience required to achieve success in research at PhD level. Applicants to funding bodies and institutions are also often required to have proven research experience, such as an MSc, otherwise limited at the undergraduate degree level.
2. Fully develop ideas and plan the research - A PhD qualification requires three years of dedicated study in a single topic. Therefore, it is important that students take on a subject in which they are especially interested. Given the level of competition for obtaining studentships at this level, some experience in your area of interest should be apparent and plans for further relevant research should be clearly formulated.
3. Identify costs and sources of funding - Funds are always limited and money is often the restraining factor in research. If already successful in attracting funding for your research, you will attract a lotmore interest from potential supervisors than if you have not. If you have yet to attract funding, first identify all the potential costs involved in conducting field research, before approaching funders. A willingness to take a leading role in applying for those funds will be advantageous. Bear in mind that funding should be adequate to cover both living and research costs for the full three years of the studentship. If you have a good academic record, a sound cheetah research case and have the right background, you will be ideally suitedto this opportunity. If you have also identified or obtained your funding, then the chances are that you will be successful.
We look forward to receiving research applications!
short-term volunteers with Duma & Letoatse
rhinos visiting CCB accommodation at Mokolodi
volunteer accommodation at Jwaneng
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Opportunities
