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Updates on COVID-19
Health and safety are our priority.
The global outbreak of COVID-19 has brought unpredictable circumstances. As a multicultural organisation, we are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our staff, collaborators and communities we are part of.
As we adjust to these changes, we are doing everything we can to keep our staff and communities safe while continuing to carry out our mission.
For updates on our programs, volunteering and on the current situation in Cabo Verde as it related to COVID-19, read more below.
COVID-19 in Cabo Verde
Here you will find the official measures currently in place in Cabo Verde such as travel restrictions, closures, and social distancing measures. The information comes from the Government of Cabo Verde and/or from competent authorities.
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In 2021 our international volunteering programmes resumed at full capacity and we have been welcoming volunteers from all over the world.
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As of August 2021, 70% of Sal Island population has been vaccinated with at least the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
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Sal Island is now open to tourism and regular flights. There are weekly flights arriving in Sal from Portugal, Luxembourg, Poland, and Italy. Other flights connect Cabo Verde to other countries via the capital, Praia, such as the USA, Guinea and other African countries.
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To enter Cabo Verde, travellers must present either the certificate of vaccination, a negative PCR test or antigen test 48 hours before departure.
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Two medical centres in Sal, including its hospital, have been certified by an independent auditing company on the prevention of the spread of infection diseases (POSI-Check).
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The connection between islands is guaranteed, with 4 weekly flights from Praia to Sal and 2 from São Vicente.
For more information on this news, visit the website from the Government of Cabo Verde as well as its official Facebook profile.
The Cabo Verde Government has a live counter of reported cases in the country.
The Government has created a hotline (called "Linha Verde") for any situation related to COVID-19. If you have symptoms, came from a country with COVID-19 cases or have been in contact with an infected person, you must call the following number:
Volunteering Programmes
2021 Volunteering Programmes are open and welcoming volunteers!!
2020 sea turtle nesting season was a record one. We registered a record number of nests, with 7 hatcheries in place and thousands of nests protected. Now we are looking for volunteers to help with the 2021 nesting season and the monitoring of seabirds.
Given the current situation with the crisis of the epidemic of COVID-19, we have decided to adapt our policy regarding our international volunteering programmes. We understand that the duration of this world crisis is unknown, and nobody can predict what the development may be. This is why we have made the following amendments to our current policies:
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Zero-cost cancellation policy. When the reason for cancellation is based on official recommendations and/or due to the impossibility of travelling as a result of bans or/and closure of borders.
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100% reimbursement of the fees for those who have already paid, in case that the programme is cancelled. This will be assessed and decided 3 weeks before the participation of the volunteer. The cancellation for reasons different from the ones mentioned in the first point will follow normal cancellation fees.
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Fully vaccinated volunteers will only be required to present a negative antigen test done at least 48 hours before departure. Volunteers that are not fully vaccinated must present a negative PCR test done at least 72 hours before departure.
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The strong recommendation of booking flight with cancellation option when possible. Some volunteers may prefer to book the flight early to avoid high fares. In this case, we recommend they do that with the cancellation insurance in case the programme is cancelled.
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Volunteers must arrive with an insurance policy with COVID-19 coverage that includes accommodation and transportation in case quarantine is required, among others.
These new policies are adopted in an extraordinary situation and will revert back to normal once the international situation allows. With this policy, we want to ensure and transmit our confidence that, aside from the global situation, our volunteer programmes are still open and planning to continue as normally as possible, welcoming volunteers as the situation allows.
Our Activities
We are assessing all the activities of each programme and adapting them to the current situation on Sal Island. Our decisions will follow official recommendations and restrictions from the Cabo Verde government, the local authorities of Sal and the recommendations from WHO.
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Our office will remain closed to visitors and will only be used by staff.
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Fieldwork activities resumed after the state of emergency was lifted in Sal Island. Fieldwork does not entail contact with communities or other groups of people, and the field team are normally of 2-4 people. This is why we believe it does not pose any threat to our staff or to the communities.
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We resumed public activities, although we keep social distancing measures.
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Educational and Awareness programme activities finally started at the end of 2020!
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Other activities that do not require public gatherings and close contact with other people will be assessed specifically. This may include one-to-one meetings, visits to the communities and others. In all cases, we will follow the official guidelines and recommendations to avoid possible infections. Masks will be used in those cases.
The current world crisis may have a severe impact on our capacity and, consequently, on our Sea Turtle Conservation Campaign. As the crisis develops, we are assessing its impacts on our NGO in terms of funding and logistical capacity, as well as on the turtle campaign strategy, considering all possible socioeconomic impacts on the local population.
Impacts on Funding
We predict that we will not be able to fundraise 39% of the total budget.
As much as 39% of our annual budget is related, directly or indirectly, to the tourism industry in Sal Island. These funds come from the contributions of international volunteers, personal donations from visitors, support from hotels, companies donating part of their profits made from turtle watching excursions and government funds.
This prediction is based on the worst-case scenario, where borders remain closed until summer, the tourism industry is not reactivated and thousands of jobs are lost. The sooner this crisis ends, the smaller the impacts will be.
To minimise the impact, we are rethinking our strategy, halting the purchase of new equipment and seeking new funding sources.
Visit the Support Us page or contact us if you want to help us.