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PortuguêsReady to join our protection teams?
The participation of international volunteers is extremely important for the success of our conservation work. They help us with the protection of local fauna, specially nesting turtles in the beaches, and bring even more respect to our protection activities.
International volunteers usually stimulate the curiosity and increase the interest of local youth in the project. The program also generates jobs for local host families. By hosting volunteers, the local families receive an important income that provides food and accommodation – an alternative to the consumption and trade of turtle meat and eggs.
The community as a whole gets the chance to meet new cultures and ideas and, most importantly, to see the turtle conservation from a different perspective.
The Volunteer's work
Protection work is mainly a night time team work as the loggerhead normally nest at night…
Team work consists in protecting the nesting females, which include night patrols as well as daily surveys.
The team goes to the nesting beaches to ensure the protection and monitoring of nesting sea turtles. Volunteers will join the teams in the village and help in all aspects of the conservation work. Their duties may vary according to the different villages and will generally include:
- Patrol the nesting beaches every night
- Monitoring of nests, studies of hatchlings and their release
- Camouflage freshly laid nests to prevent egg predation
- Collect daily data of all nesting events in all covered beaches
- Conduct turtle walks for the community members and visitors
- Promote educational activities especially developed for children, youth and fishermen
- Participate in beach clean-ups
- Recruit local volunteers to help patrol the beaches
- Give talks, presentations and general awareness activities at schools and community centres
Download the “International Volunteer Program” document.
Homestay hosting tourist and volunteers
Our Homestay Program allows you to live and work in the local villages together with the protection teams.
Please bear in mind that you will need to be very flexible in your housing and living expectations!
Your allocation in the local communities will be according to the project’s needs. If possible, we will consider your preferences and/or specific needs. But don’t worry: we are always open to discuss alternatives if any change in the program is necessary. Please keep in mind we are, together with several partners, running community development programs targeting households receiving volunteers. Your stay not only benefits them financially, it also aims at building new capacities for host families, and assessing the houses and families’ conditions.
Volunteers have the unique opportunity of closely experiencing the Cabo Verdean lifestyle and culture, while spending the nights walking along stunning beaches under the stars in company of a great team of nature lovers. It is a great chance to learn about sea turtles and see for yourself all the nesting phases under the moon light (or red head torch!).
Despite the intense night work, there will be enough free time to rest during the day. You can also walk around and visit villages and beaches, read a book, climb mountains, go for a swim in the turquoise sea, listen to music and play football with your neighbours – or just chill at the beach or under the fresh shade of a tree.
Download the “Villages and teams” document.
Volunteering Costs
The volunteers’ financial contribution towards the project is critical for its success.
Volunteer fees will contribute to cover their stay (food, accommodation and related expenses), the expenses of the volunteer program, plus a contribution that is a 100% dedicated to conservation activities. The minimum participation period is 1 week, and the maximum the whole season, approximately 5 months (June to November).
The fees will ensure your participation in the project activities and your stay with the host family, and will also include:
- Assistance to organise, if needed, your stay in Praia and the trip to Maio
- Transportation to and from the airport/port in Maio
- Introduction to FMB and to the community-based sea turtle conservation project
- Guided tour in Cidade do Porto Inglês
- Fieldwork training on sea turtle monitoring, tagging and sampling
- Participation in educational community events during your stay
- 24 hours phone assistance
- Possibility of experience other activities (snorkeling, excursions within protected areas, birdwatch, cultural events).
- FMB T-shirt
- Participation certificate
Practical Tips
To enter Cabo Verde you need a passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of entering the country. Pleast click here for more detailed information about VISA.
If you stay less than a month in the country, you can purchase your tourist visa upon your arrival at the airport. If you stay longer, you can ask for a visa in the Cabo Verdean embassy in your country.
FMB would provide you with the support letter for your application.
Travel/Health insurance is compulsory for all volunteers prior arrival.
We recommend insurances with good medical coverage and, if you bring expensive things (photography or video cameras, etc.) we recommend additional insurance for those.
If you need some advice don’t hesitate in asking us!
There are no compulsory vaccinations to enter Cabo Verde except if you come from areas where there is yellow fever.
However, please check with your doctor before coming to Maio. If you take medication on a regular basis, please make sure you bring enough with you, since some drugs can be hard to get locally.
There is a very basic hospital here where most medical procedures are quite limited. In case of emergency, transfer to Praia may be necessary.
Bring all the medicine you think you could need for little things you are prone to.
There are four international airports in Cabo Verde, which are Praia, Mindelo, Boavista and Sal with connections to the main international hubs.
Internal flights between islands are done exclusively with Binter airline (https://www.binter.cv/). Connections can be expensive, so please check the overall cost of the trip before you purchase your tickets!
Once you get to Praia you have two options to get to Maio, by plane or by boat. This is a passenger and cargo boat, so facilities are of a low standard, but absolutely recommended!
You will spend some time in Praia during your travel so please, take into account the following recommendations:
Accommodation: While you are waiting in Praia for your flight or boat to Maio, we recommend that you stay at either:
- “Pet Shop” in Plateau, next to Pão Quente (+238 9966797).
- Residencial Lidia, Rua Serpa Pinto No. 130, in “Plateau.” (+238 261 50 66).
These are simple places but clean and cheap. Call them well in advance to book a room. If you have problems with this let us know. There are also several and expensive hotels in Praia.
Safety: Praia is the capital of Cabo Verde and as any other capitals you should avoid walking in dodgy places, particularly at night. Please take advice from local people about your intended trip before going to certain areas, especially after dark. Additionally, you should be wary of showing off expensive material.
Transport: Taxis have regular fares depending on your journey, ask for the cost beforehand.
Internet: There is free internet on all main squares with slow connection. Some bars have Wi-Fi and there are internet cafes in all main areas
You should bring some cash, preferably in Euros.
Exchange into local currency (fixed exchange 1 EUR = 110 CVE) will be possible on Maio or Praia upon your arrival.
Credit cards should work normally. The existing banking entities in the island are BCA ( Banco Comercial do Atlântico), Caixa Económica and BCN (Banco Cabo-Verdiano de Negócios).
With a hot, arid and windy climate, modest cotton clothing is usually a good choice. Swimming suit is essential, a hat and sunglasses are important for sun protection. A sweater, long-sleeved shirt and light trousers for cool evenings and during the boat trip can be useful.
Other important things to bring are your personal computer, snorkeling equipment, mosquito net, camera, binoculars, batteries, books and also a backpack for day trips.
We would be grateful if you could bring and donate educational material for community activities like books and manuals, pencils and pens, notebooks, etc.
Phone and Internet:
FMB has free internet access in the office, and it is good enough to use skype most of the time. Also, there is free wireless internet in some spots in Vila, the main town.
Within Cabo Verde calling with a mobile phone is expensive, you can buy an internet dongle and SIM card from one of the national communication networks (500-1000 cve for 5 GB monthly internet plan).
If you want to travel across Maio don’t worry, there are several options available:
The hiaces, privately owned mini-vans, provide transportation within Maio. It is available Monday to Friday in the morning, and return in early afternoon.
FMB has its own pick-up truck, used for airport/port pick-up and drop-off, transport to the communities, emergencies and in all field work.
Please download the “Practical tips” document for more detailed information.
Ready? Fill the form and come with us to live the adventure of your life!