This edition is slightly different from our usual newsletter. We thought it would be nice to have a mini newsletter alternate months in addition to our main newsletter. This edition will include more about volunteers, fundraising activities, donations and an article Lisa wrote about music therapy for monkeys. Our next edition will update you on the enclosures and progress as usual.

We saw the return of Vicky & Ryan in January, it seems they just couldn’t stay away! There's definitely something about this place and the monkeys that encourages volunteers to return time and time again. Vicky is back working in Goliath and has already done a great job with the firebreaks as well as taking monitoring back on and Ryan is now concentrating on the construction side once again. The timing was good as Angela's visa ran out and the end of Michelle's time came to an end. Liz also returned home for a long awaited appointment but I'm sure she'll be back sometime soon.

Hilde Olbrechts has returned for a year and has written a wonderful article about her return so far. She has been helping Lisa and Arthur in sickbay and has been a great help especially after Katie's stay has finished.

We have been busy turning the cottage into a volunteer area where people can eat, socialise and generally have fun outside of working hours which leaves myself and Dave to do the much needed decorating in our now private house. Jackson has added a touch of her own to the cottage to make it look more homely!

In the next edition we will introduce you to our new Volunteer Supervisor - Deb Simpson from Canada who will be arriving with us on the 28th February.

Welcome to:
Veronique Jarrell King, Alyssa Erickson, Mary Ellen Blinn, Cameron Groombridge, Chris Osborne, Jessica Tennison, Lloyd Glater, Hayley Galvin.

Welcome back:
Hilde Olbrechts, Vicky Ogilvie, Ryan Keers, Hollie Vercoe.

Who would ever have thought that after my first visit in October 2006, the VMF would change my life so drastically. The first time I came to the VMF, I stayed for only 3 weeks, 3 weeks for just a “different” holiday. A period short enough for when I wouldn’t really like the project, a period much too short if I actually would like the project. For me it was definitely the second possibility. Already then it felt like the VMF changed me and my life completely, and that, all for the better.

The place, the people, but especially of course the wonderful monkeys affected me so much that, not even left, I started making plans for my return. At home, the VMF was constantly on my mind, I would get up and go to sleep with the VMF. And so, I came back for about 8 weeks last year march-may, to find out if I would still love the monkeys and the way of life after a longer period of stay. Normally after those weeks I would go home, put it all out of my mind and go on with my life, back to work as usual. But that was not how it was meant to be. This place had such an attraction on me that I took the chance and took a year off from work and made my way back here beginning of January to stay for a year and who knows what next. I’ve been here now for about 3 weeks and haven’t regretted my decision for a second.

I feel like “I’m back where I belong”.  I’m 43 years old, soon 44, and for the first time in my life I can actually say that I feel useful and that I finally make a difference. For me this is like a dream come true.

I don’t know if it will last, I don’t have a crystal ball, but for the moment I’m one of the luckiest and happiest people in the world and no one can take that away from me!

In our last newsletter, some of you will remember that we are trying to raise money to build a special cage for James. Great news - with your help, we have succeeded in having enough funds to start purchasing the materials needed! R2000 has been raised by the following:

Ingrid & Gavin contributed R300 before leaving

Michelle Cox raised R300 by holding a Sports day at the VMF (see article below)

A DVD night with popcorn and ice-cream was held in Dave & Josie's lounge with the film of choice being 'Madagascar' which raised R200.

Lisa has done lots of filming once again of volunteers, babies and entertainment and has already had 10 requests for the DVD which contributes nearly R1000.

Kim Rooney (an i-to-i volunteer coming out this year) has been busy raising funds for her stay, she has more than succeeeded and has donated more than R400 which was the amount leftover.

Some of the ideas Kim had was to hold a coffee morning and raffled off a 'knit a doll' with lollypops, ice cream and sweets attached to it. Kim also went to a childrens group and did a vervet monkey quiz and a help and hassards game where you lose a banana or gain a banana depending on whether the statement is a help or hazzard to the monkeys as well as writing a fantastic story using information from our website.

Here is just one example of a help and a hassards where you will lose a banana or gain one in Kim's game:

• A tourist starts to feed the monkeys encouraging them to cause havoc in her room – loose a banana. (hassard)
  
  
• A family realise that monkeys do not make good pets and hand their monkey into the sanctuary so it can be looked after properly – take a banana. (help)
  

If anyone would like me to send some of Kim's fundraising ideas for use with children, please contact me josie@vervet.za.org and I'm sure Kim won't mind sharing. We will keep you updated with the progress on James cage and would like to thank each and every one of you who contributed / raised funds or attended the fundraisng events. It really has made a difference and we hope the enthusiasm will continue.

There were a few people that paid directly into our account last year that were missed off the thank you list so although delayed, we would like to thank the people below.

There are still a couple of people we would like to thank but don't know who the money is from.

Remember to e-mail us if you pay any money into our account so we can thank you.

Sept 07 – Kaz Simmons 25 pounds

Oct 07 - Alan Hughes 50 pounds

Oct 07 - Ruth Huntington – 25 pounds

Sept 17th 07 – 50 pounds (unknown, email us if this was you)

Dec 20th 07 – 100 pounds(unknown, email us if this was you)

Thank you to Sonia & Dean for bringing the soft toy monkeys with them from UK to help raise the funds. There are lots of other projects in need of your help including vervet forest which we hope to raise enough funds for this year as well as our monkey patrol and census. Here's Michelle's article of how she set up a fundraiser - 'Sports Day' for the volunteers at VMF.

On January 10, 2008, we had a sports day fundraiser. It was to raise money to build James a new cage. There were many games to be played and prizes to be won. The games included a relay race which involved various things from stepping through multiple tires, to skipping, zig-zagging through coke bottles and tossing marulas into a tire. 

There was also a 3-legged race and a marula & spoon race. These 3 games made up the winner. Last, volunteers had a water balloon toss, which turned into more of a free-forall so it was great fun to cool everyone off after working so hard at the other events. Dean and Sonia won first prize which was 2 t-shirts. Everyone else received prizes of lots of candy. All in all, everyone that came out had a wonderful time and lots of fun, but best of all we raised 300 rand!

Since early 2005, I have realised my simple but wonderful mission in life is to care, love and empathize with anything that is a baby. I love most things that are 'baby'. In particular I absolutely love those babies that are sick, injured, dying, orphaned, lost, stressed or just in need of some warmth and extra care. I gravitate to these little animals and I have found that there is really nothing I can do to resist. There is nothing better for me then spending the day with the baby monkeys at the VMF, followed by the night. I love sleeping with the tiny vulnerable ones, as they snuggle into your neck, cling to your hair, and suck on your earlobes. My favourite thing is to hear them breathing softly as they safely sleep. These little monkeys have changed my life and I have visited the VMF 5 times since 2005 for varying periods of time ranging from 10 days to 3 months. I call this my "BABY MONKEY THERAPY" and would rather spend many dollars coming to the VMF, then giving it to a psychologist back home!

My time this last baby season was spent with many wonderful little ones and I have tried to give them some recognizable characteristics for you to remember them.

Jack - jumping jack...sooki - blanket boy....one of the big boys who played rough. Ritchie - bites..bounces, jumps, plays rough and can also come and just 'flake out' on you. Not very friendly [after you find out his past you can understand why]. Madam - sooki..can get very jealous of the tiny monkeys, real little smoochy and kisser. the tongue is not far behind...pretty. Makuzi - handbag..wont let go of your hand when he is asleep.[like 'Pedro' from a few years ago] golden coat.

Sabi - loves everyone but can give the occasional bite... golden coat. One of the 'first of the seasons' babies..much loved..always hugged other monkeys who were upset and or crying. Holly - throws tantrums... sooki..loves nursing on your earlobes...always settled well at night...smelt like 'malt' biscuits.. ..loved playing. Letzi - wins the award for the 'fattest baby tummy' as she loved her milk...big eyes open mouth..hide and seek girl... gets scared easily..sooki. Lionel - very sensitive monkey who cried so much all the time for his mother..looked like a little duck...always needed the love and support of Sabi..needed much love warmth and care. Lastly, in remembrance of Little Zazoo & Jonti who sadly passed away: Little Zazoo - loved to hang onto Holly at night..made tiny bubble sounds during her sleep..precious soul. Jonti - sooki... clung to the back of your hair and neck.

As I write this I have many memories flooding back about the little monkeys. During baby season, it is a time of joy and deep grief. We as humans should never underestimate the value of their real mother’s - monkeys, as without their mothers they are so sensitive and vulnerable to everything in this world. Just when you think these little monkeys are fit and strong they suddenly give up the 'will' to live exhausted emotionally and physically from living without their mums. Sometimes I cry when I think of what they must go through, when they first lose their mothers. I guess this is why I let them suck on my earlobes when ever I’m in the baby enclosure, let them eat the pieces of banana and mango I sneak them at night in my tent and allow to climb and rip my hair out while using me as a piece of play equipment! I also know that I can’t live with an annual dose of baby monkeys

....Just cant wait until December when I finish work and head back to South Africa again...

We will be starting up adoptions soon. In order to do this, we need your help in choosing your favourite monkeys who you think should be on our adoptions list, e-mail Lisa at lisa@vervet.za.org When we have the list of names, we will be able to finish the stories and photos and get them completed. We have already a few requests, so keep them coming.

“Music therapy with monkeys?” My friend in England said to me the other day! “Are you mad?” were her thoughts! I laughed but managed to tell her how much we believe that it helps some of the vervet monkeys at our foundation.

Since becoming a long term volunteer at the foundation in the past year I have started to use music with some of the monkeys that I have been working with and believe that they benefit from it. Arthur has always told me that he has always played music to the monkeys over the years and what a calming effect it can have on them and now I am privileged and very honored to be able to experience this first hand. So if you are skeptical imagine your life without music – hard isn’t it? We all come home at the end of the day and whatever mood we are in we match the music to suit us. 

Music has been proven to be a very powerful tool used in places such as hospitals and hospices. Having worked with children in a hospice setting and seen the benefits it can have on them I eagerly got out my keyboard and guitar in sickbay! Some of you may know a monkey named Engeltjie, who I believe benefited well from music. Engeltjie’s old age made it difficult for her sometimes so I would play music to her. She began to react well to certain songs that were played to her. If she appeared to be having a quiet day then I would sit and play the guitar to her – and immediately she would begin to chatter to me and make quiet friendly calls. I discovered that this could be a great benefit to her and I would make time every day to sing and play to her on the keyboard and the guitar.

After time, Engeltjie would let me know songs that she would react more to than others, and I took this as her telling me she enjoyed these songs. Another enclosure I have taken to playing in is the blind enclosure and for me this has been very interesting. Gedafie is completely blind and very dependant on us. She enjoys the company of people and feels safe around them. I soon discovered she liked to feel the vibrations of the guitar with her head as when I play she will sit on my lap and rest her head on the guitar., she has recently started feeling the strings with her fingers as I strum them. When I stop strumming she will pull them with her finger so she can feel the sensation. When I sing she will sometimes put her ear up close to my mouth and keep her hands on the guitar. Another very interesting monkey in this enclosure is Margo. Margo is a very nervous Blind adult monkey. She is very scared to go near humans and backs away from them even when we are spending time with her in the enclosure. However, whenever the guitar is played in there, she will come and sit near to the music and has occasionally sat on my lap when I am singing to her.

The keyboard gets played in sickbay most days, we are continually encouraging volunteers to use their musical skills. So for now we use music with the monkeys as a therapeutic influence with them and their special individual needs. Music is something that we know can effect us and our moods, can trigger emotions and could maybe be having deeper beneficial effects on us and animals that we are sometimes unaware of.

Goodbye & thank you to:

Tobin Krieg, Craig Freedman, Tiffany Myers, Sarah Westie, Michelle Nadeau, Isabelle Duquette, Robyn Stoward (return), Angela Bonato (return), Jack Rambaldi, Joshua Vaughan, Sonia Halliday, Dean Smith, Amanda Bond, Michelle Cox, Loraine Stotter, Katie Hobbs, Neil Wilson (return), Cyd Rosen-Hermann, Jill Holden, Dave Higginson, Natalie Rykers (return).