Gap year student looks forward to 'doing something useful'

A British gap year traveller has said that she is looking forward to undertaking voluntary work while on a ten-week placement in Madagascar.

The Tottenham Journal reported that Raina vonAhn, 19, of Tottenham, will travel between villages in the country with anti-poverty charity and Year Out Group member Azafady, teaching communities about sustainable farming methods.

"I wanted to spend time doing something useful on my gap year. I looked at other schemes and they take you away for two weeks where you spend most of your time playing football," she told the source.

Specialising in beekeeping, Ms vonAhn was introduced to the skill four years ago, when her school asked her to look into career paths.

However, now she will have the chance work with farmers in Madagascar, passing on her knowledge of how bees should be looked after and how to farm honey.

Year Out Group has four other member organisations which arrange gap year placements in Madagascar, including Blue Ventures Expeditions and Changing Worlds.

Click here for gap year advice.

( Last Updated: 2010-02-25 16:54:43)