That's what Melbourne based Natasha Anderson has found during her Australian Volunteer assignment in Africa. Natasha studied at Melbourne University for her Masters in Environmental Studies. Along the way, she also studied engineering - one of the many skills she's using as an Australian Volunteer ecologist working with the Namande community in Zimbabwe. Natasha is working on several environmental activities, including two damn projects which are crucial considering the region receives only about 400mls of rain annually. Because water is like gold, the damns must be efficient.
Communication is a test.
It's not a matter of picking up the mobile phone and calling for advice. Phone company workers have been on strike recently, so sometimes the phone exchange won't be working for five days. Communication is a matter of driving everywhere to get advice and supplies. That's when you face real local issues in a real way. Natasha believes that knowing your own boundaries is crucial to whether or not people will enjoy volunteer work overseas.