Overview
Volunteer on Community Conservation Support in Madagascar - Improved Stoves

Madagascar is unique. Isolated for millions of years, the plants and animals of this ancient island are like nowhere else on earth. This project takes you to the heart of one of the major threats to Madagascar’s biodiversity, coming from the widespread clearance of land for firewood and charcoal production. Volunteers will work alongside an award-winning NGO implementing inventive ways to reduce pressure on forests while helping local people to live more sustainably. By assisting in the construction of "improved stoves" which use less firewood, volunteers will be helping to protect unique environments as well as helping to improve the health of village families. This is the ideal project for those looking for complete cultural immersion as it involves working closely with local people in rural communities in some of the most beautiful parts of south-east Madagascar.

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We are delighted to be launching our new Community Conservation Support program as there is a desperate need for fuel efficient stoves in our project zone. Our new stoves use two-thirds of the fuel wood of traditional methods and also help reduce the health problems associated with cooking. Volunteers working on this project will have a profound effect on both community health and deforestation.

Brett Massoud, Director General NGO

What Difference Does This Project Make?

Improved stoves use 60% less firewood than traditional cooking methods, having a significant positive impact on both forests and livelihoods. Traditional cooking methods also have health implications - typically Malagasy families cook indoors on an open fire, causing chronic chest problems amongst the very young and the elderly. By showing local communities how to build simple stoves using local materials, volunteers will be helping to protect the remaining forest fragments of this biologically rich area as well as helping to improve the health of the families with which they will work.

Highlights

The itinerary, while mainly hard work, also includes a visit to Nahampona Reserve for an up-close-and-personal experience with several species of lemur, and optional excursions to the stunning beaches and islands surrounding Sainte Luce. You will be immersed in the unique Malagasy culture for the entire visit and will see real traditional rural musicians and dancers playing handmade instruments

Location

Set just off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island and has a colourful and unique human culture as well as breathtaking natural scenery and flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. The area of Sainte Luce, where volunteers will be based, is a stunning coastal village on the edge of the Indian Ocean surrounded by littoral forests containing abundant wildlife and many unique endemic species.

Field Conditions

Living conditions during the project are simple. Volunteers camp for the duration of the scheme in some of the most beautiful camp-sites in the world. Food is simple, but tasty and nutritionally balanced. Whilst working in Sainte Luce, toilets are 'long drop' and showers are cold; while at the camp-site in Fort Dauphin, conditions are less basic and electricity is available.