After a week of unbelievably intense campaigning and somewhat uncomfortably close competition between the finalists of the Vodafone World of Difference competition, Azafady has something to celebrate after a hugely successful win with nearly 4000 votes.

I feel utterly exhausted and elated in what we have accomplished today. This means I will be returning to Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, during the beginning of September for a year to set up a specialised HIV prevention project with young pregnant women.

The Azafady team in Fort Dauphin have been supporting and monitoring the progress of the competition, and have told us it has been even more exciting than the World Cup! Staff members have been voting on Facebook, promoting it in local internet cafes and even rented a computer to enable the people of Fort Dauphin to sign up.

Despite the painfully slow internet connection, which is still hooked up by satellite, they raised an impressive amount of votes and online support. Winning the World of Difference competition is a huge success for Azafady, which will bring immense benefits to the women and families of Fort Dauphin.

The campaign has also drawn much needed public attention to a country which the media largely ignores. With over 12,000 votes, this competition has certainly demonstrated the power of social networking and team efforts to achieve a shared goal.

Today feels like the start of a new Azafady chapter for which there is an air of excitement and anticipation to what prospects may follow. Thank you to all of those who voted and helped us achieve this hard-earned success, we hope you will continue to track our progress through this regular blog, our Facebook page www.facebook.com/azafadymadagascar and our website – www.madagascar.co.uk

Many thanks, Ailie