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 This volunteer project supports an award-winning local NGO building rural schools in isolated and beautiful remote Malagasy villages. This is the scheme for people looking for a fitness-building outdoors experience that really makes a difference to the lives of those less fortunate. You will join a small group of like-minded volunteers, working alongside community members, camping in a stunning rural environment, engaging in hands-on construction of a 6 meter by 12 meter two-room, stone floored, tin roofed, wooden school house, equipped with tables and chairs, blackboard, shelving and water and sanitation infrastructure on site.
In rural areas of Madagascar the majority of the population has little or no access to basic levels of formal education. Volunteers on this project assist a local NGO in the hands on construction of school buildings in remote village areas. The communities in which volunteers work are some of the poorest in the country and therefore improving access to education is an invaluable step in the fight against poverty. All schools are built at the request of the community and with community involvement.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Fort Dauphin. Situated at the beautiful lake-side camp of Lanirano in Fort Dauphin, you will receive a detailed orientation about Madagascar, the Anosy region and local customs. This will be followed by a tour of Fort Dauphin and welcome drinks to allow volunteers and staff to get to know each other.
Day 2: A visit to Nahampona Reserve will allow you to get up close to several species of lemur including Verreaux's sifaka, ring tailed lemurs, and brown lemurs. This will be followed by a brief of the project you will be working on for the duration of your time in Madagascar.
Day 3: Travel to bush site. Set up camp.
Day 4-7: Working alongside like-minded volunteers and community members, you will help in all aspects of building a school – engaging in hands on construction of a 6 x 12 meter two-room, stone floored, tin roofed, wooden school house, equipped with tables and chairs, blackboard and shelving.
Day 8: Day off to relax and enjoy an excursion to a local market, forest or beach depending on project location
Day 9-12: School building: continuing with school building - from digging the foundations, constructing the walls and laying the floors, to painting and furnishing the classrooms.
Day 13: Return to Fort Dauphin
Day 14: A day at leisure to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Fort Dauphin before catching your flight home. Alternatively, arrangements for upgrades
 
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PROJECT OUTLINE
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Project
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Madagascar Volunteer School Build
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Location
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Fort Dauphin, Madagascar
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Province
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Fort Dauphin
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Country
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Madagascar
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Closest City
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Fort Dauphin
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Closest airport
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Tolagnaro / Fort Dauphin
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Malaria-free area
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No. Volunteers are required to take an appropriate malarial prophylaxis.
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Vaccinations
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Tetanus required. TB, Hepatitis A and B, Polio recommended. Contact your local travel clinic for advice.
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Duration
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Minimum: 2 weeks
Maximum: 3 weeks
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Combination
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This project can be combined with any other project
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Requirements
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Minimum age 18 years old, maximum age decided depending on participant’s health.
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Skills needed
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- Flexibility, adaptability
- Practical hands-on ability / construction
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Dates
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Programmes runs four times a year. Starting in January, April, July and October.
2011:
12 January – 2 February (ends 26 January for the 2 week option)
6 April – 27 April (ends 20 April for the 2 week option)
6 July - 27 July (ends 20 July for the 2 week option)
12 October - 2 Novemebr (ends 26 November for 2 week option)
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Hours
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8.30 – 17:00
Schedule can vary
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Costs*
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Costs
*(based on a conversion rate of 12.0 GBP to S A Rand)
2 Week Programme:
- £595 charitable donation (UK costs)
3 Week Programme:
The minimum donation is a donation to support the charitable work of the charity. Funds generated by the program support projects in Madagascar, with some 90% of all donations to being spent in direct pursuit of our charitable aims.
Don't let the size of the required donation put you off! The charity has an office to directly support volunteers in raising this donation, with a wealth of fundraising experience and resources available to volunteers including manuals, raffle tickets, posters, sponsor forms, online donation facilities, collection boxes etc!
The fee will also cover you for all in-country travel costs (excluding flights), project costs, training, meals and plenty of safe water, use of campsite facilities, orientation and language classes upon arrival and a dedicated team to guide you in Madagascar.
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Inclusions
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- A dedicated volunteer coordinator based in London to help you prepare for your trip
- Airport transfer from Fort Dauphin to the project site
- Orientation program about Madagascar and the work of the charity and all in-country project training
- Any daily transport that might be required as part of the project during your stay
- Use of campsite facilities and 3 meals a day and plenty of safe drinking water at project base
- A dedicated team of Malagasy staff to guide you in Madagascar as well as an international coordinator who is themselves an ex-volunteer.
- A visit to Nahampoana Reserve for an up close experience with several species of Lemur
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Exclusions
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- Transport to Fort Dauphin in Madagascar
- Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement
- All visa costs
- Personal equipment
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Accommodation
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Volunteers will camp for the duration of their placement, camping facilities are provided and a personal tent can be provided for volunteers. You will camp in some of the most beautiful sites in the world and wake up to deserted beaches and forests teeming with wildlife on your doorstep!
When in Fort Dauphin, volunteers camp at the stunning lake-side site of Lanirano, which is fully equipped with flush toilets and showers as well as electricity for charging cameras, ipods, mobile phones etc. Laundry services are also available locally.
Whilst working in the more rural areas facilities will be more basic but there will always be latrine and private washing amenities. Water will be collected (and treated) from nearby rivers and wells. Although conditions here will be more basic than you are used to we can assure you that you will be surrounded by some of the mostlush and remote places in the world!
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Daily Transport on project
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Be prepared for adventurous road journeys, physical work and long walks to reach remote and beautiful project sites. The work is challenging but incomparably rewarding.
Volunteers will spend the majority of their time working on projects in the rural villages surrounding Fort Dauphin. Before and after these projects in the bush volunteers will have a few days back in town to catch up with banking and emailing, and enjoy a well-deserved rest and a meal in a restaurant! Transport to the rural villages will usually be by ‘camion’ also transporting project material, possibly followed by a walk from the road to the village, and once there the group will generally camp within walking distance of the project site.
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Meals
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A resident cook travels with the team and is responsible for preparing meals for Pioneers each day. Food is simple, but tasty, nutritionally balanced and locally sourced. Meals mainly consist of rice and beans, supplemented with fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and eggs when available, and there should always be enough honey or condensed milk to satisfy a sweet tooth. Chocolate, crisps, croissants and ice-cream are all available for sale in Fort Dauphin and there are some excellent restaurants serving well cooked Western and Malagasy dishes at reasonable prices – think zebu steak and chips, fresh seafood and even pizza! A plentiful supply of treated drinking water will always be available however it is often possible to purchase soft drinks, bottled water, beer and rum from local stores, even in the remoter locations.
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Host Resources
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Orientation provided
Training provided
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Possible Exposure to / activities
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School building: Volunteers are helping this NGO address the high demand for schools in the rural areas of the southeast. The majority of Madagascar’s population live in isolated rural communities and have little or no access to even basic levels of formal education, often children are forced to walk up to 20km per day to attend schools in other communities. The government’s action plan aims to construct at least 3,000 classrooms by 2012 to enable children, aged 6-14, to be taught for at least a half-day, every day and, through assisting with the building of schools, volunteers are contributing to the success of this aim. Volunteers help in all aspects from building the actual school to supplying books and constructing furniture.
Well Construction: Clean water is of course vital to human life and a necessity to prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera that are present in Madagascar. The project is assisting the government of Madagascar to reach the goal of clean water for 80% of rural people by 2015. Volunteers will work with the experienced Project construction team to build new wells requested by villagers and repair or improve existing ones alongside the school-building. As a volunteer you may dig the well, mix the cement, construct the iron foundations or even construct and decorate the base! We aim that all groups will complete at least one water point during their time in Madagascar.
Construction of Latrines: This will be for the local school and links well with Health Education lessons provided for school children by the Project. Again volunteers will be involved in all aspects of the construction process guided by the experienced Project construction team, including foundation laying, mixing cement, brick laying & brick making, and painting.
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Recommended Tours
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Please consult us further
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* Prices subject to change without prior notice
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