an update from South Africa
After my recent hike through Masoala Park, I was on my way to the capital for a conference with my group from training (we’re down to 18 now…. natural selection at it’s finest). But instead I’m in South Africa unexpectedly for a medical check-up. Apparently the doctors in Madagascar aren’t quite equipped with all the finest medical technology… imagine that. No need to worry, it’s a common and routine check-up and I should be back in Madagascar in no time.
I am dealing with a bit of culture shock being in a country where everyone speaks my language, the roads are paved, and people don’t freak out because I'm white. Today I'm going to a shopping mall with an actual movie theater. That probably wouldn't have been as exciting to me two years ago, but right now it's the most exciting thing ever.
Another perk of being in a developed country, the computers here work! I’m finally getting around to posting some photos online from the last few months (since December ‘07). I’ll post a few highlights here in the blog, but the rest are on my flickr account.
Back in December, after my trip to Morondava on the west coast, I visited another volunteer at her site in Ambinanitelo near Maroantsetra. Letti and I painted murals on the walls at the hospital in her village with nutrition, hygiene, and environmental themes. It was a fun project and has inspired me to do a mural in my village this coming July at the elementary school. In February, following the cyclone, I traveled to Fianarantsoa in the south central part of the island. Fianar is a beautiful historical town on the plateau where the Betsileo tribe live. Because of the cyclone, I wasn’t able to check out much of the surrounding parks and areas of Fianar, but I hope to make it back there again, maybe this August.
On March 8th we celebrated National Women’s Day here in Madagascar. Women’s cooperatives from around the Mananara region gathered together to march down the streets in honor of the power of women! It was great to see so many women organized together. I have a hard time imagining how life would go on in this country without the work of the women. Women are the strength of this country. They are the ones you’ll see most often planting, harvesting, and cooking rice. It’s too bad women only have the one day to gain some national recognition.
I marched with the fikambanana (cooperative) of women, named “Tsy Tonta”, that I helped organize in Soavinarivo on March 8th. They have been my biggest supporters in our stove building project around town and are also all hard working farmers.
Also in March, I spent a few days with the new Environment group training them on my stove building technique. As it turns out, after I left, the stoves we built were successfully installed in homes in their community with a few of their host families. One family was even using the chimney stove we built.
My stove building project in the Mananara region continues to be successful. I have a great team of people in my village to work with on building stoves, and we are spreading the word far and wide on all the benefits of using fuel efficient wood burning stoves. I’m most proud of our three pot stove with a chimney, although the idea has yet to take on popularity amongst the villagers. However the simple one pot design is being used by nearly every family in my village of Soavinarivo.
Now that the new Environment volunteers have finished their training and moved on to their new villages, the old environment volunteers are on their way back home. A few have decided to extend their time in Madagascar, but most have already said good bye. Bye Environment ’06! Good luck with everything!!
And last, but certainly not least, there’s my cat Ziggy who has a day job at the boutique next door to my house. When she’s not busy selling sugar and salt, she’s spitting up geckos on my floor and climbing coconut trees. She gives great massages at 5am as well.
That’s the update for now. I’ll be online off and on over the next couple of weeks… so send me an e-mail and say hello. Thanks for reading.
1 comment:
Helen! Your trip sounds scary and wonderful at the same time. I don't know if I could handle the leeches!! YIKES!
What do you need from home?! New Chacos? Snacks? What? Let us know!!!
Post a Comment