SAM Parkes is preparing to spend six months helping underprivileged communities in Madagascar.

The Spa 20-year-old heads off on October 4 bound for the exotic island, which is off the south east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.

Sam is heading for the island to take part in a ten week charity expedition. He has secured one of only 50 places on four annual Pioneer schemes which are run by the charity Azafady, which supports environmental, humanitarian and sustainable development projects.

As part of the scheme, Sam needs to raise a minimum donation of £2,000 to support the charity's work and to cover a proportion of the volunteers' food, training and travel costs.

Sam will be living and working alongside remote village communities, mostly under canvas, helping them build a better future for themselves.

Other projects that the charity undertakes on the island include building wells to provide clean water, protecting villagers from the spread of cholera and other infections, monitoring endemic and endangered lemur species and establishing market gardens and beehives to improve nutrition and provide villagers with an alternative income.

"I saw an advertisement for the Pioneer schemes in the Big Issue and decided this was what I wanted to do," said Sam.

"I had previously spent six months in South Africa and was looking for a new challenge that would allow me to help people and get involved in conservation. This seemed the ideal opportunity to me and I wrote off immediately in the hopes that I might get one of the places.

"I was overjoyed to hear my application had been successful and I've managed to get about half the sponsorship I need already," he said.

For further information on Azafady and the Pioneer scheme, visit www.madagascar.co.uk. To make a donation on behalf of Sam call 02089606629.