Plot 35 California Tarentaalrand, Tzaneen, 0850, SA+27 83 454 5381

Lorina Schön

I´ve spent 3 months as a volunteer at the VMF during my gap year and I can say I made endless experiences. Coming to the Vervet Monkey Foundation is a huge change when you´re departing from home but a lovely change. These three months opened my eyes in many ways: Learning about the background why all the monkeys live at the VMF and how easy it can be to live a little less materialistic changes your whole mind. You´re surrounded by plenty of loving and caring people who try to make your stay unforgettable. After being introduced to the sanctuary, I started learning to do Top Section and the milk shifts where you´re supposed to make the milks for the little and very adorable babies. Because the three Samangos at the VMF where about to have a new enclosure, I helped to build one with many other volunteers and I can proudly say I got the chance to see them being happily released in their new enclosure made with our own hands. Other than that I cleaned and rebuilt introcages to make the everyday life of the Vervets even nicer. I also got the chance to have a couple of shifts with the little blind baby Bell which wasn´t released yet when I arrived at the end of march. Being a mom for an orphan fills your heart with a lot of love and joy as well as seeing monkeys getting stronger while you´re monitoring them. All in all I can say I had a wonderful stay at the VMF and learned lots of lessons for life even cooking for 30 people and trying to come up with creative ideas when ingredients were missing. I´d recommend to help at the Foundation at least for 3 months, so you´ll get to know everyone more than just slightly and also to work in some shifts you usually don´t get I  the beginning like I de-wormed troops with lovely staff member Aisa from bottom section.

Thank you for three months I will never regret!