Egypt is located in Africa and Asia. Geographically the Sinai Peninsula belongs to Asia’s portion of Egypt, between the Mediterranean Sea to the North and the Red Sea to its South.
Volunteer activities in the area for the most part are quite informal. Joining a formal or informal group of volunteers offers a fantastic way to meet a diverse group of people of all ages and from many places around the world (exciting!!!).
There are a few places that offer volunteers work that I can’t endorse here. A few places charge you funds, sometimes way too much, to participate in the activity which defeats any definition of what a “volunteer” is supposed to be. In Egypt you have to make sure beforehand to clarify any money exchange, there are a lot of expectations regarding money from us foreigners…
Stray dogs taking a break from the hot summer in the wonderful crystal clear seawater in Dahab. Temps can get to the upper 40’s Celsius (in the 100s in Fahrenheit) in the summer months.
Volunteering
Making sure they are hydrated by providing fresh water to drink is a must and something needed all year round. I collect big water bottles, cut the bottom, and place them in strategic places within the animal’s reach. It is important to do rounds to make sure there is water; sometimes folks just empty water containers for no reason (other than being lower bad human beings), or the animals themselves drink it all.
ANIMAL RESCUE
There are a few animal rescues that are in great need of help in any way possible. There is a large population of stray dogs and cats that need great care. The reason why animals need rescue and care is due to animal abuse by humans. Unfortunately, for cultural reasons, some locals do not see animals as we do in the Western region of the world. One of the consequences of that behavior is that animals suffer greatly. Needless to say, great help is needed!
Helping do what you can for animals is a must. Volunteering at an Animal Rights organization with their social media, fundraising, cleaning, and on-site animal care are some of the most important ways one can help. Camels, donkeys, goats, sheep, horses, cats, and dogs are all waiting to have the chance to live a better life here.
While living in Dahab, I was committed to helping animals as much as possible. On one side, it is very difficult because you see a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering. However, volunteering with animals is healing because it is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and see positive changes along the way.
I found a kitten I named Vida lifeless, bleeding, and gasping for air on the street. Before and after. Vida is now at a great forever home thanks to the transit provided by Michael and Shima who decided to provide a forever home. THANK YOU!!! (Update she was poisoned…. a sad reality in some places but we never give up!)
I used to meet like-minded folks at Dr.Amira’s Vet practice. Dr. Amira is one of the most committed vets I have ever met. I love working with her and seeing how much she loves all animals!
Animal Welfare Dahab
Finding funds for organizations that help animals is a struggle. The locals don’t see much point in helping these animals, and foreigners, for the most part, come and go without enough time to get things done. The foreigners who live here are spread way too thin for resources and any type of help.
Animal Welfare Dahab is a volunteer initiative that aims to improve the lives of animals in Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt
PLEASE click the orange link below and see how you can help! DONATE, DONATE, DONATE
One of the wonderful ways to participate in animal care is volunteering at fundraising events and at a TNR (trap-neuter and return) program. A TNR is a humane way to deal with feral and stray cats.
A TNR OFFERS
- overpopulation control
- control of feline nuisance behavior
- prevents euthanasia
- happy cats!
Adopting one of the many cats and dogs here is of great help. The animal organizations will assist anyone, whether local or foreigner, in walking through the necessary steps to bring one of the local cuties back home with you 🙂
Dahab Cats
is an amazing organization based in Dahab that obviously works with Cats. It has a Cat shelter and does daily animal care, emergency calls, etc.
BEACH CLEANUPS
This is one of the ongoing volunteer activities throughout the coast. Beach cleanups are aimed at mitigating the damage we are causing to marine life.
The cleanups are organized by businesses, hotels, and or individuals who care about the environment. It is so important to keep the beaches clean and safe for us humans and the ecosystem.
The cleanups are organized by businesses, hotels, and individuals who care about the environment. It is important to keep the beaches clean and safe for humans and the ecosystem. Dahab is a great place and it is very unique in this world. However, people toss tons of trash everywhere, especially at the beach! Bottles, cigarettes, facemasks, tires, plastic bags, and whatever you can think of can be found at the beach.
It was incredibly frustrating for me to watch such little regard for such an amazing place. No matter how much I complained about it, every early morning I cleaned up the beach.
All of this waste enters the water and it literally kills…it kills marine life and our lives too! Just think about this…
Beach cleanups not only help prevent debris and garbage from reaching the ocean/sea and humans but also help with beach restoration
I participated in a few beach cleanups in Dahab. One of the cleanups was organized by a vegan restaurant that invited all kids from the community to participate. The restaurant offered a small snack and beverage as an incentive to participate in the cleanup. It was a wonderful educational opportunity for the kids, and for the ones picking up garbage…you never knew what you could find!! Unfortunately, the vegan restaurant is closed now.
Beach cleanups are an opportunity to bring learning to life, empowering all people involved. At times, some communities do not fully understand the importance of their environment and how they can contribute to the well-being of their surroundings.
They collected an enormous amount of garbage, mostly plastic bottles cigarette buds and lighters
FREE ART FOR KIDS
Art is a wonderful way to connect with yourself, others, and the host culture. Many children don’t have the opportunity to express themselves creatively and an art project is something that definitely engages kids from the host community. These opportunities are usually organized by individuals with the permission of the community. I participated in a drawing contest where children taught others about their ecosystem. It was fabulous!
Coming up more about Art in Sinai by my good friend Masha!
TEACHING FOR FREE
Poverty cannot break its cycle alone, and education is a great tool to improve economic situations. People volunteer to teach languages, computer skills, how to do things, and other activity-based skills. These types of skills are highly valued, especially in tourist-driven areas of poor countries. An example of an activity-based approach is teaching a language to a group of waiters so that they can secure better waitressing positions. I love doing this when I travel; it does not take much to schedule volunteer time while traveling.
.DISCLAIMER: I do not endorse teaching by non-qualified professionals. Anyone who volunteers to teach needs to be at least prepared, do research on materials needed, how to organize a class, etc. There is an obvious reason why folks go to university to earn those skills. However, in many places, there is a great need for free education or instruction, and if someone takes it seriously, they can be of great help to a community.
There is always an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, and it is the right thing to do. If someone does not feel a sense of altruism (a genuine concern for others), it can be thought of in a practical way. Poverty is expensive, a great contradiction! Now I let you think about why poverty will cost you…this is how I teach 😉
