Volunteer / intern at Simabo

Hello! My name is Christina I am 23 years old and I come from Germany.

From 03/08/2014 to 06/02/2014 I volunteered as an intern at Simabo (“Just like you”) in Mindelo. Since I have just completed my bachelor’s degree and I am waiting for the results, I want to use my time wisely.

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How you can help

I happened to make ​​contact with Silvia, the director of Simabo. By the way, I live in “La Terrazza” (yes, it is what it is!)One of my tasks was to help Silvia in the office to create lists of travel agencies and animal welfare organizations and to get in contact with them later on; since the project aims to be financed through tourism (just donations are not enough to help the animals).

If I ever need a break, I just take the dogs for a walk by the sea (you can see the sea from the balcony of the office, as well as from our terrace).

In addition, I help to translate texts or even compose texts for the Simabo websites (like this one).

My friend Julia helps with the cats (she is an absolute cat fan, I tend to prefer dogs, she cleans the rooms of cats and feeds them.)
But the work continues to pile up , so they are in constant need of more helping hands, whether in the office, the “Dog-House” or “Cat-House”.

New people are always needed to walk the dogs, bathe them, feed them, care for the cats and I’m not just talking about veterinarians, animal caretakers or nurses and ordinary animal lovers who could give some attention and care to the animals. Apart from donations in the form of money or delivery of medicines, here a lot of time and attention is needed.

And why not? You get to work and learn, help out – whilst satisfying your general well being, and on top of it you get to experience it in a holiday-like climate and environment! In Mindelo you can enjoy the sun and the sea to the fullest, walking, water sports and you can get to know a new culture. This experience extends beyond just a “normal” holiday.

You get involved in the real live of Mindelo by the staff and colleagues immediately even though you may have some awkwardness – as a tourist you get noticed more often. From time to time you get invited to a cup of tea by your colleagues or even invited to join them for a party. Everybody is in.

What makes me most happy is that I have pets here that I was never allowed to have in Germany: large and small dogs of all kinds, playful and cuddly, cats and kittens that warm your back at work (whilst you sit in front of a notebook) or sometimes just sit on your lap – how much better can the work environment become if you  have a little fluffy, calming and relaxing being around you, it is said that cats have a smoothing effect on people – and it’s true.

If you’re interested or have questions any kind or you want to get in touch with Silvia or Paolo, then at [email protected].

Thank you for your perseverance to read my post!

At last: about 30 cats and 90 dogs in 3 different buildings await you in Mindelo.

They are waiting for a helping hand and someone for whom they can wag their tails for!

We are all waiting for someone:

Open and warm.

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