Madagascar

DO NOT USE FRONTIER - UNETHICAL SCAM

I worked for Frontier as a staff member on the Madagascar project until evacuating under the advice of the UK embassy in April due to Covid-19. Frontier then refused to pay mine or my colleagues contractual wages and flight contributions once we had got back to the UK. I had worked for them in-field for 4 months and had received less than 1 month's pay. We each also had to cover the high cost of the evacuation ourselves.
Furthermore, mine and one of my colleagues' personal camera equipment was stolen in-field by one of the camp security guards hired by Frontier, for which I received no sympathy, support or compensation from Frontier.
This supposedly-paying job, which I had hoped would kick-start my career in marine biology and diving, has instead left me severely out of pocket and feeling taken advantage of by Frontier.
I urge all prospective employees and volunteers to avoid this unethical company. Do not fall for the marketing, Frontier is a scam!

Having just returned from Madagascar for 3 weeks with the Projects Abroad Team, I could recommend anyone wanting to do a project with them. You will be supported through the entire process.

When you register for the program and even before hand should you have any questions about registration or fees.

Upon registering, depending on how far away your program is, you will be briefed about what is expected and how the placement will go. This is normally done about 6 weeks before after final payment has been completed.

If you need assistance with fund raising PA will be able to assist with great ideas.

Upon arrival you will be meet at the airport and you will be guided about money exchange or any other questions that you might have. In Madagascar you will be given a few snacks for the long journey to Andasibe as well as a bottle of water as you no doubt will be parched from the flight.

The staff will be welcoming and you will feel right at home in no time at all. A Welcome lunch and then straight to work..... You will have no time for the "Mora Mora" (slow and steady pace) that you will have .

This program is very supportive, if you are interested in travel and the staff will help you with arrangements to various other locations in Madagascar. I highly recommend using this service.

Zu the chef at the hotel is a wonderful chef we all enjoyed the cultural cooking evening when we made Casava Tempura... YUM...

The town is charming and you will feel right at home...within a week you will recognize the kind inhabitants and they will greet you with open arms at every turn, and will help you when and if you require assistance.

Take a chance, volunteer, make a change within yourself, and assist many others in need. You will be forever changed...

Had such a wonderful time in Madagascar. The surveys and data collection carried out in the forest was really interesting and no walk would be the same. I saw so many animals I never thought I'd get to see in the wild and developed a new found love for the birds of the island. When I was not in the forest, camp life was simple and relaxing. Whether we were listening to lectures, watching documentaries or playing the occasional game of frisbee and volleyball.

The collections from the airport was well arranged, and very helpful in showing me where to exchange currency, having booked me a hotel room, and showing me around town. The project briefing was informative and clearly explained the main objectives of the project and how surveys were carried out.

The food and living conditions were much better than I expected and overall I had a brilliant time and thoroughly enjoyed my time on project.

I really enjoyed camp, the food and the relaxed lifestyle. The staff are great -
very friendly and helpful as are all the other volunteers. It has been great to mix with such a variety of different people.

The Orphanage for me was very rewarding I made a real connection with the kids and was really sad to leave. Hell-Ville is a lovely town and all the people are so welcoming I didn’t feel unsafe once throughout my whole time on project.

The entire project for me was an experience I will never forget I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t tell you the best aspect as it was all amazing.

My initial impressions and thoughts of this trip have been surpassed by what I have experienced in these past six weeks. As soon as I arrived at the Madagascar base camp I felt a warm welcome, with my fellow travellers, friendly staff and an impressive beach camp. The camp is well segregated into sleeping areas, science space and communal, relaxing area – and in all has a homely feeling.

I was impressed by the organisation of the marine project, and straight away I was involved in the day to day conservation activities (Advanced Open Water course, fish/coral/invertebrate lectures). Thanks to the Marine PI, I managed to go on satellite camp which was the highlight of the trip – amazing diving, great food, great company and a good atmosphere.

The diving in general is great and there is a good variation in marine life in all the sites that we survey which is good in comparatively understanding the degradation of the local coral reefs. I have thoroughly enjoyed my six weeks here and will come back for another frontier trip in marine conservation.

I spent four weeks on the Frontier Madagascar Forest Program and had one of the best times of my life! The people I met there, both staff and volunteers, were super friendly and helpful in answering all my questions. The social side of the program was a lot of fun and I know I have made friends for life! The diet and living situation took a bit of getting used to, as I am definitely a city girl at heart, but in the end I really enjoyed the simple way of life. The best part though, by far, was the animals! The species I saw on the island of Nosy-Be really ignited my passion for conservation. I hope one day to return to Madagascar and I recommend anyone looking for a good experience to get on board with Frontier!

Here in Madagascar I've been so privileged to be involved in Frontier's community projects in Hellville. I've spent most of my time in a local primary school giving English lessons and the occasional sports lesson. That we teach English here is such an amazing opportunity for the students to learn direct from native speakers, and it's literally Frontier that single-handedly provides this. School sports lessons here tend to be a low priority and are desperately in need of a little extra energy and enthusiasm, which it has been my pleasure to help to provide! Outside of school, Frontier runs a course of English lessons at a local 'youth club', for students of really any age to genuinely improve their life-prospects by improving their English. One of my favourite experiences here, though, has been visiting a local orphanage where a large number of the children are very sadly suffering from disabilities. We go there whenever we get a chance to provide fun and stimulating play opportunities to these extremely cute and extremely deserving children. Basically, Frontier community projects searches out the areas of need here in Hellville and the surrounding area and tries to help fill those gaps with young and enthusiastic volunteers who are so welcomed and appreciated by the local community for all that they give. Everyone here is so happy to see a blue t-shirt coming their way, and we're proud to wear them. Offering my time to the people here has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

I spent 6 months in Madagascar on the marine project and can honestly say it was one of the best times of my life. The diving was good, the project was fun, and the I meet many people I won't soon forget. Highlights include the social life on Fridays to wind down after a busy week and playing frisbee with the locals every week. Don't forget the other things to do around Nosy be like visiting the Marine Park Tanikely and swimming with whale sharks.