Meet Our Madagascar Volunteering Team

Tsina Endor

Head of Volunteering

Tsina has worked for Azafady since 2005. She started as Secretary to the Director General and took on the role as the Head of Volunteering in 2007. Tsina is responsible for looking after all the volunteers that come to Madagascar on Azafady's Pioneer and ACP schemes. She organises the work schedules and support needed for both programmes. Tsina's job is very varied – the thing she likes most about it is meeting and looking after people, and making friends from all over the world.

Megan Shrum

ACP Coordinator

Megan has always been fascinated by primates but fell in love with lemurs and Madagascar after a visit to the Duke Lemur Centre as a teenager. She volunteered and was later employed by the Centre for many years before deciding to do an MSc in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University. For her thesis she worked in north west Madagascar to determine the habitat preferences and population status of mongoose lemurs as well as collect census data for all lemurs in the region. She then conducted a follow-up conservation project there called ‘Lambas for Lemurs’ where local residents received lemur sarongs in exchange for participation in an environmental education program. Megan has been working for Azafady as the ACP Coordinator since October 2010 and is excited to be continuing to help conserve Madagascar's unique biodiversity.

Sheila Funnell

ACP Research Assistant

Sheila grew up in Kenya where she developed a keen interest in wildlife ecology. She studied Conservation Biology at Bournemouth University and developed a particular interest in herpetology while working with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. She pursued this interest by focusing her dissertation on the critically endangered Sardinian Brook Salamander (Euproctus platycephalus) in Italy and went on to co-author the World Association of Zoos and Aquarium husbandry guidelines for the species. Sheila has always wanted to come to Madagascar to conduct research on the unique herpetofauna of the island and has enjoyed fulfilling the role of ACP Research Assistant since July 2010. She particularly likes carrying out research on amphibians and reptiles, with a special focus on the endemic and critically endangered Phelsuma antanosy gecko.

Forrest Hogg

ACP Research Assistant

Forrest came to Madagascar to join ACP as a Research Assistant in March 2011 after completing a degree in Biological Sciences at Bristol University. With a keen interest in botany and a background in tree surgery he is relishing the opportunity to expand Azafady's flora research in Sainte Luce, with a particular focus on the exceptional palm species of the area including Dypsis saintelucei. Alongside this research he has been working to develop the community conservation aspects of ACP – helping to organise the World Environment Day festival, setting up a conservation club for the local children and establishing a community garden project.

Hoby

ACP Team Leader

Hoby started to work with Azafady in July 2008 as a guide for Lemur Venture and continued in this role when ACP was introduced. He first became interested in Malagasy wildlife when a friend of his worked as a guide at Andohahela National Park and Hoby visited him every weekend to learn about conservation. Hoby enjoys working with the volunteers in Sainte Luce, sharing experiences with them and explaining about Malagasy biodiversity, traditions and his culture. He can often be seen around camp playing music when the team have a break from exploring the forest.

Andreas

ACP Guide

Andreas originally trained as a guide and worked at the Berenty Reserve in spiny forest for 13 years alongside researchers and students. He then spent some time working for SIT (School for International Training) at their centre in Fort Dauphin before joining Azafady in July 2010 as a guide for ACP. Andreas thinks ACP is a good programme to work for or volunteer with because someone needs to look after the remaining littoral forest habitats. He is passionate about lemurs and birds, and particularly enjoys inspiring the children and community to take care of the animals and plants found in Sainte Luce.

Aimé

ACP Guide

Aimé was born and raised in Mahatalaky, one of the main rural areas where Azafady works. Aimé cares about the local region and wants to help Azafady achieve its goals. Before joining the NGO team he worked in several different jobs but mainly as a tourist guide, taking groups around southern Madagascar for the past 18 years. He started working for Azafady as an ACP guide in July 2011 and thoroughly enjoys this job which combines his passions; supporting his local region, caring for the environment and working with people.

Jonathan Coxall (Jo)

Pioneer Coordinator

Jo studied International Development at Leeds University and then taught English in the UK and Vietnam prior to volunteering with Azafady. He joined the Pioneer scheme in January 2011 and during his time in Fort Dauphin got the chance to help out in the office a bit. He jumped at the opportunity to come back as a long-term volunteer to support Azafady's projects, assisting local staff with the evaluation of construction initiatives, enjoying being able to put what he learnt at university into practice. Jo was then offered the position of Pioneer Coordinator and is excited to be taking on this role from January 2012.

Claude

Pioneer Team Leader

Claude was recruited as a guide by the Madagascar National Parks in 2000 through which he was first introduced and learnt about ecotourism, biodiversity, medicinal plants, first aid and guiding techniques. In 2002 he applied for a job with Azafady but was told he needed to improve his English. Driven by his determination to work for a local NGO, Claude taught himself English from books, conversations with native speakers, television and radio. Claude was then taken on as a Pioneer guide and in 2008 he was promoted to Pioneer team leader. In his spare time Claude practices Kung Fu and is passionate about sustainable development and ecotourism.

Yvon

Pioneer Guide

Yvon trained as a guide with Madagascar National Parks before joining Azafady. He spent some time working at Andohahela National Park, taking tourists to all 3 zones; rainforest, transitional and spiny. In July 2005 he started working for Azafady as a Pioneer guide. The work he does with Azafady is different to the training he received with Madagascar National Parks but Yvon enjoys the work with the Pioneers because he builds a better relationship with the volunteers than he would with tourists – at camp it is like being with family.

Eric

Pioneer Guide

Eric worked as a construction site storeman for Kentz (one of the many sub-contractors helping with a big mining project just north of Fort Dauphin) before joining Azafady as a Pioneer guide in 2008. He enjoys working with international volunteers and learning from them. In his free time Eric plays the guitar and does traditional capoeira.