A Q & A session with Azafady's first-ever Short Term Volunteer, 31-year-old German Nina Zetsche. She reveals how her fornight's placement in Madagascar proved to be so enriching that the toughest challenge was having to leave.

What were you doing before you volunteered for Azafady?
I was a project manager at a company called EcoSecurities in Oxford, where I focused on the monitoring and verification of greenhouse gas reduction projects in developing countries.

How did you hear of Azafady?
I read about the Azafady Pioneer scheme in a Lonely Planet guide book. I really liked the sound of it, but I didn't have 10 weeks. However, I went on their website and saw they had two- or three-week placements. I was pleased. I applied at the end of August and within a week I heard I'd got a place. I went out in October for two weeks to work on a school-building project. I wanted to do something physical that involved working outside.

Why did you want to volunteer?
It was something I had been meaning to do for a while and never had the opportunity to do. I thought it was a means of spending time in and getting to know a country a little, at the same time as doing something useful. * What did you know about Madagascar before you volunteered? I'd heard about Madagascar from friends and ex-colleagues and was under the impression that it was a very unique place in terms of its people, flora and fauna. Also I once saw a Malagasy band at a music festival in Swaziland and it was so different to anything I had heard before that I was even more intrigued to go.

What were your first impressions of the country when you arrived?
I arrived in Antananarivo and stayed there one night before flying to Fort Dauphin the next day. My first impressions were that it was colourful and truly African, while at the same time being quite poor. It has an unexplored feel to it and great energy.

Tell us about your project and what a typical day was like.
I helped to build a school for the village of Beandry and joined a group of 16 other long-term volunteers. We stayed in tents in an open field and our daily routine would be to wake up just before 5am, have breakfast and start working around 6am. We chiselled holes, did a lot of digging, put in beams and helped to make benches. We worked til about 1030/11am depending how hot it was, and then had a Malagasy lesson if we were up to it before lunch. After lunch, we would rest/read/chat/write in journals till about 2-2:30pm, and then, depending on the heat, work 'til about 5pm when we would all have bucket showers before dinner around 6pm. After dinner we would sit around, discuss the day and what was to be done the next day and listen to some guitar playing before heading to bed quite early.

What were the other volunteers like?
They were great. It was a really nice, mixed group - there were three guys and the rest were girls, all aged between 18-37. There were many nationalities - British, Colombian, America, Canadian and Irish.

What were the main highlights and challenges?
The highlights were working outside in such a beautiful landscape, being away from Blackberries and email, waking up with the sun and going to bed when the sun went down. The physical work was challenging at the beginning but one got used to that quickly and it was great to see the school building advancing so quickly. It was fun. The toughest thing was having to leave the project early.

What did you learn about the country and the people?
Were their opportunities to meet locals?
I learnt a lot about the daily life of local people and the challenges facing them. At the same time, I gained a great appreciation for the beauty of nature and the simplicity of life. I wish I could have stayed longer. The people were very sweet and would come and see what we were doing and help out. They were very engaged. One evening, they organised some musicians to come and everyone ended up dancing. I really enjoyed it, especially dancing with the kids. The next day, we took a trip to the market in Mahatalaky where we were greeted by many people who we danced with the night before. What was also very special for me was my last night when the guides organised a small bonfire. Sitting around it with the entire group under the stars, while listening to the rythms of Africa, after progressing well on the school during the day, made it hard to say good-bye.

Was there any free time?
During the day, we had some free hours. For me, I had one day in Fort Dauphin before I had to leave which I spent at the beach and hanging out with other long-term volunteers - it was very chilled and great to meet interesting people.

What did you personally gain by the end of your volunteering experience?
It enriched me. I gained a great appreciation for the beauty of simplicity and a realisation of how far a little money that we easily spend in Europe can go in a place like Madagascar. I am definitely planning on returning and doing some form of voluntary work in the future,

What do you think about Azafady and its overall efforts in Madagascar?
I really liked their very locally-based approach. They seem to understand local needs very well and integrate them in their decision-making. The work that is being done seems to reach the right people in a cost-effective and efficient fashion. I also think that they take really good care of the volunteers - I felt very well looked after - everything was very uncomplicated and flexible. Also it seems that the local people greatly appreciate Azafady's work as I was always received very well and helped by locals if I mentioned I was there with Azafady.

What tips or advice would you give to other people considering volunteering?
Definitely go for it, even if you don't have a lot of time. I was unsure about how just two weeks would work out but it was utterly amazing - probably the best two weeks I have spent in a long, long time. And if you do go, take a solar charger for music - it was nice to have music to work with! * Are you planning to do any more volunteering? I will stay in touch with Azafady, and hope to develop a volunteering project of my own that I can carry out in Madagascar. Otherwise in 18 months or so, I would be interested in staying in Madagascar a bit longer to assist Azafady's existing projects.