When most students want to volunteer their time, they work in the local soup kitchen, help out at an animal shelter, or join a volunteer organization. Grand Valley State University senior Kim Gibson is not just joining a volunteer organization: she’s traveling to Africa to take part in the International Student Volunteers, Inc., this July for a four-week volunteer program in South Africa.

Gibson, majoring in biology, heard about the program when ISV visited campus during the fall and thought that it sounded like a great experience.

“This gives me hands-on experience doing conservation work and if I do get the opportunity to work in close proximity with the animals, I will get to see first-hand how they interact with each other and everything about them,” Gibson said. “It gives you the experience of learning about these animals and I don’t think that you can really do work on anything like this without learning about it.”

According to the ISV website, www.isvonline.org, Gibson will play a significant role in research and maintenance in some of South Africa’s best-known game reserves and wildlife refuges.

“Volunteers will help with the daily care of many animals such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena and vultures,” the website reads. “Groups are also heavily involved in monitoring animal populations and maintaining the flora and fauna within expansive wildlife reserves.”

Gibson said that she might either be at a safari park during her trip, or at an animal conservatory. She is particularly excited to work with the large cats that are native to Africa.

“I love big cats,” Gibson said. “They’re interesting. They’re unlike any other animals. You always hear that there are conservation efforts going on with lions and cheetahs, and it’s going to be really cool to learn about, hands-on, what they’re actually doing and being part of it.”

South Africa has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, according to the website, which makes it an ideal place for a biology student like Gibson to volunteer. After spending weeks volunteering, Gibson will participate in an educational tour of Southern Africa, during which time she will be fully immersed in the local culture of South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique. She will be able to take part in several unique activities, including caving in Swaziland, snorkeling with whale sharks and manta rays in Mozambique, and visiting the Cradle of Mankind.

“The highlight of the tour will be a wildlife safari in South Africa, staying overnight on the edge of the game reserve filled with lions, giraffes, rhinos, hippos and other African wildlife,” according to ISV.

Making plans to travel abroad always has difficulties, Gibson said, and this trip would be no exception.

“I’m definitely nervous about all of the political unrest that’s going on in the Middle East, especially because if it continues to get worse, then I won’t be going in the trip because it will be too dangerous,” Gibson said. “I’m monitoring those situations.”

In addition, Gibson is facing the full expense of the trip.

“Because this program isn’t an academic study abroad program, it’s just me and sponsorship,” Gibson said.

The organization encourages that individuals help these volunteers pay for the trip expenses through sponsorship. According to the ISV website, donations made by sponsors who file taxes with the United States federal government are eligible for tax deductions within the limits of the law.

To sponsor Gibson, contact her at [email protected].

Despite the dangers and expensive of the trip, Gibson is very excited to be able to take part in this program.

“It’s nerve-wracking going away by myself,” Gibson said. “But I’m really excited. I’ve never been to Africa and it would be really awesome to know that I’m helping out.”

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