Max Horowitz
At all times, Africa was a mystery to a civilized European man, she beckoned and scared at the same time. Today, the black continent attracts more and more volunteers, but it is still shrouded in a veil of secrecy and lots of myths. Many of them no longer correspond to reality. I want to debunk the most typical misconceptions about Africa so that you finally decide on a volunteer experience on this beautiful continent with amazing nature and beauty.
The need for vaccinations is the first question that is usually asked by tourists who are going to visit Africa. Formally, they are still required in countries such as Tanzania and Rwanda, but in fact, no one has asked them on the border for a long time. And from January 31, 2015, even South Africa has officially excluded from the package of documents for a visa a mandatory confirmation of vaccination, if Zambia, which was part of the yellow fever belt, is also present on a trip other than South Africa. This means that the problem of yellow fever really sunk into oblivion, and you can safely fly to Africa without vaccination. It is enough to follow the standard recommendations: drink only bottled water, wash hands before eating, etc.
Since many countries in Africa are located close to the equator, tropical storms do occur in them. According to Wikipedia in East Africa, the rainy season lasts from April to June. In fact, they can begin closer to May. In November, rains are also possible, but this is not around-the-clock rainstorm, which can go on for several days in a row, and you can't even stick your nose out on the street - this never happens. As a rule, it starts to rain after five in the evening. It can be a quick heavy rain or a lingering drizzle that lasts all night. And from morning to evening, as a rule, the sun is shining, and there is a lot of this sun.
Locals very often call this time not the rainy season, but the green season, since there is a lot of moisture, everything blooms, and acacia begins to flourish in the savannah. And the animals at this time more increases the likelihood of meeting all their species during a safari, for which most travelers and go to Africa. So do not miss a great opportunity.
The main breeding ground for pirates - Somalia - is bordered by Kenya. In Kenya itself, a troubled place is the capital of Nairobi. However, we should not forget that this is a huge city with a population of more than 4 million people, and, as in any metropolis, there can be unpleasant incidents on the outskirts in residential areas, but this has nothing to do with the tourist center of the city.
But Rwanda is the safest country in Africa, where you can simply enjoy rest, cleanliness and comfort. By the way, the ideal purity here is elevated to the rank of a national idea.
As for Ebola, this story was greatly inflated by the media, and was actively exaggerated in the summer and autumn of last year; since then, no new cases of the disease have been noted. In addition, the epidemic developed only in the west of Africa, and in no way affected other territories. The distance between the African West and the South is huge, besides, different parts of the black continent are divided not only kilometers but also borders.
I advise you to use only trusted charities that provide the volunteer with medical insurance and a curator on site who can help solve any problem on time and with attention. But how to find such a volunteer organization? I recommend using trusted and responsible search portals for volunteer programs that register only certified and reputable non-commercial projects. Among these, I can list charitymark.org , idealist.org , volunteermatch.org
My name is Max, I try to be aware of every moment of life and help the people around me. It is important for me to improve myself as a competent doctor, my dream is to become one of the professiona...
