Volunteer Profile: Jessica Shouse
Handshake Team: Photography and Journalism – Uganda ‘09
Age: 25
Current location: Birmingham, Alabama.
Profession: I am a freelance photographer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Reasons for joining the Handshake: I joined the handshake so that I could volunteer my skills, time, talent and energy to help raise awareness about the plight of Great Apes.
Views post-Handshake: I think that the idea behind the Handshake is fantastic and that digital media will play a huge role in the fate of primates in the future. There is potential for the Handshake to expand and change the circumstances for primates worldwide. I hope that I can continue to be a a part of such a great organisation.
Volunteer Profile: Leslie Bratton
Handshake Team: Anthropology – Uganda ‘09
Age: 27
Current location: I’m originally from Kansas City, MO but currently living in Columbia, MO. But I have lived in various places and countries due to college and internships, such as Toronto, Canada, Oxford, England, Washington DC, St. Louis, MO and Tyler, TX.
Profession: I am currently looking for a position in environmental conservation. My education background is in primate conservation. I have a variety of work experiences including being a monkey and big cat zoo keeper, a great ape zoo keeper and a internship at the Jane Goodall Institute working in their Africa programs department.
Reasons for joining the Handshake: I joined the handshake because I thought it would be a great opportunity to travel to Africa, which has been a life long dream of mine, while also helping primates in an unique and important way.
Views post-Handshake: The Handshake expedition has enabled me to learn and make use of a variety of new skills, such as video production and web development. I was also able to fulfill a life long dream by working as an anthropological researcher in the field.
No matter how much education a person has acquired, I feel it can’t compare to the actual day to day hands on experiences I encountered while traveling through Uganda. Last but not least I have additionally gained many wonderful new friends whilst on the Handshake expedition.
Volunteer Profile: Ashley Williams
Handshake Team: Education – Kenya ‘09
Age: 22
Current Location: Greens Norton, Northamptonshire.
Profession: I graduated from the university of Wales Lampeter with a BA First in Media Production in 2008. I now work as an animator and 3D designer. I run my own company teaching keystage 3 students animation as part of an alternative curriculum projects. I am also soon to be employed at Northampton football club, teaching animation.
Reasons for joining the Handshake: After winning the ffresh film festival ‘pitch to win’ competition, I was a awarded a free place on one of the 2009 expeditions. Experiencing the Handshake, I have become an avid supporter of its aims and opportunities.
Views post-Handshake: I have gained a greater understanding of primates, sanctuaries and African life, including the ability and confidence to create media content within the most difficult and bizarre situations. Seriously – once you’ve made an animation in a Kakamegan rainforest gift-shop, you can make one anywhere. I think the Handshake is an amazing opportunity for anyone interested in conservation or international media work. The tour and work carried out on the expedition was challenging, sometimes difficult but always rewarding and amusing. I will definitely do it again.
Volunteer Profile: Naomi Peters
Handshake Team: Anthropology – South Africa ‘08
Age: 28
Current location: London.
Profession: I am a script writer, I have worked as a screen writer for Planet of People and written voice over scripts for SABC2 for a series of documentaries. I have also finished 2nd drafts for a feature length script, based on Human Trafficking.
Reasons for joining the Handshake: It looked like something i’d be interested in doing, a place opened up last minute due to someone not being able to make it, so I grab’d the opportunity with both hands.
Views post-Handshake: Loved it… I’ve never spent so much time around so many people like that before. Thought I might not be able to handle it but the peeps were super cool and every one had things to be getting on with. I loved my team as it was a small group and we did great field work/research.
I gained new friends, a greater understanding of what’s going on between humans and the other primate species. I met fantastic people who dedicate their lives to trying to educate and make things better for all.
It was all very serious at the time and it was only after it was all over that I had time to sit and reflect on my experience… Which was a fantastic one. I saw and done things that Would have been less likely to have happened in my life if I did not join the Shake. Great way to celebrate mine and my twin sisters birthday also. Good times.
Definitely up there as one of my best experiences so far in my life. You cannot imagine it… You just got to go out there and join the Handshake. Do it.
