A fantastic experience

I choose to do the ACP program on a whim after finIshing unIversity so I could put off getting a job and it was one of the best decisions I have made. The people, environment and azafady staff that I encountered during my time with azafady made the experience one I won't forget in a hurry and my only regret was I didn't go for longer than 4 weeks. So if you want to do some worth while conservation work and don't mind rice & beans, drop toilets and bucket showers this is the place for you.

The initial contact with azafady and the sorting out of your volunteering stuff before you leave is pretty good, they can book you hotels in mada and help with flights and so on. I was never left wanting more information.

Once your in Fort Dauphin (actually a pretty cool town with a decent night life) your shown around and the whisked of to the bush for all the fun stuff. The conservation work up there was fantastic and I actually learnt some worth while ecology skills doing which was convinient. Basically the work revolved around lemur behaviour, HERPs (reptiles and amphibians (so much more fun than lemurs)), endemic palms and conservation education with the locals.

Life in camp was a ball, you've got the local madagash staff who keep the place running, the local guides which keep you from getting lost in the bush, the azafady guides whom are experts on everything wild in mada and really amazing people and then you have the ACP research assistants whom are responsible for your well being and were beyond amazing and really made my time there fun and worth while. There are also other volunteers. And while much is made of the rice and beans you have the opertunity to by fruit, fish and lobster at redicously low prices and the local shop is more often than not stocked with beer (warm but still good). The work can wear on you at times I guess but I found my self often wanting to do more.

But basically this is an amazinging program done by amazing people and unless there is something wrong with you you will have a fantastic time.