Environment Day! June 6th

I awoke to the sound of a car engine slowing as it pulled off the road into my neighbor’s dirt yard….I thought to myself  ”already!?”, after a long night of tossing and turning due to chills, fever, and upset stomach I was not feeling at my best and yet my supervisor, the director of one of the local NGOs (non governmental organization, aka non profit) had just arrived to pick me up.

I luckily had thrown together most of my things the night before, however 7am seemed early to start our journey. Pulling my mosquito bed net up from under my mattress, creating a hole just big enough for me to duck through, I flung open my door and shutters so as not to appear lazy, and to have been awake for longer than the last 5 minutes. Little did I know, but the neighbor’s wife and daughter were catching a lift to the large town we were passing through, so we piled into his car that so closely resembles a life sized Jeep Barbie car. We stopped at the NGO’s office (more like a complex of 3 concrete buildings and yard with small houses clustered down a path) beforehand to eat breakfast of rice and beans followed by sweet fried bread balls with coffee.

The president of this NGO, who had come down from Tana for the weekend’s events, joined us. He has spent several years doing research in the special reserve close to my town and has several projects going on in Madagascar. Besides teaching at the University in Tana, he works closely with an American university to promote environmental education and conservation, and used to live in the US as well. I tried my best to only use Malagasy to express myself, but it was just too easy to find the words in English.  It was also refreshing to see his familiar face, from my swearing in ceremony where we first met, affirming I had indeed survived my first 3 weeks at site.

The drive to the nearest large town- a nice trip in comparison for what was in store-followed a smoothly paved road which helped my stomach stay settled. Here we stopped to buy soccer cleats for a coworker (unfortunately they only had men’s sizes-not shocking in this country-and they were all too big for me) and he joined us on our drive to the event. I had heard that this road was bad, but I had no idea just how bad it really was. The dirt road began with small pot holes, followed by large chunks of earth that had broken away from the side of the road. Rocks and compact clay made up the path, wide enough for barely 2 cars width, for the entire 3 ½ hour drive. With no seatbelt to hold me in my seat, and the afternoon heat reaching it’s peak, my initial excitement and joy melted into stomach pain and headache. Thankfully we stopped for lunch, where I forced myself to eat pork and rice, that was actually quite good but I instantly regretted it once we got back into the car. The breeze at least somewhat helped but the road only got worse! A few steep hills with protruding boulders didn’t prove to be too challenging for our Barbie- car stead, but I maintained my tight grip on the side bar to somewhat steady myself from the bouncing and jostling inside the vehicle.

Finally arriving in Vondrozo were the celebration would be held the next day, we met fellow NGO colleagues at the high school’s outdoor basket ball game, women then men teams. This was the largest crowd I had been around yet, being the only white person. I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious but nevertheless tried to make small talk with the leaders of the local NGOs who were present.

We ate dinner, as it was getting dark, at a “hotely” aka restaurant. Afterwards, I went straight to bed but not before stuffing cotton into my ears which only partially blocked out the blaring music from the restaurant directly on the other side of the window above my head.

ENVIRONMENT DAY-some breakfast (soup again) and then set up of our stand. Reminded me of setting up for events when I worked at the chiro’s office in Colorado, except these stands were bright blue plastic for roof and walls, only 10 in total, 5 booths facing each other in front of an official building. All day event: 9am-9pm

A caravan started off the event, which I learned is very common in Madagascar. First motorcycles and cars, then groups on foot carrying banners and wearing special dress followed. Our procession ended at the booths, where at least 150 school kids had crowded around holding signs of their schools.

The officials of the region, district and town gave speeches over a loud speaker system, which I’m also learning is popular for events here. Some of the men gave very long and drawn out speeches and with some political highlights too (paraphrased translations were supplied by the supervisor and president I was with). After this, each booth was introduced to the officials. I walked around to meet people and even given some food by the Red Cross booth promoting better nutrition. I explained some posters of animals to the children, ages ranging from 7-teenager years. Some talked with me, others just stared and laughed, which I thought was odd because this larger town must get at least some foreigner traffic, plus there is a volunteer lives here (unfortunately out on vacation).

HOT HOT HOT The sun beat down and the booth didn’t provide much relief.

We were done by 3pm; I rested then walked down to the soccer match with the president, dancing down the road with a women’s group that happened to be walking by so I decided to join them. I already stand out so, hey, why not add to the spectacle!

As darkness neared we drove into the main area of town again & attended a debate, I snacked on the oven-baked mini pizzas and cream puffs, understanding little about the Q & A session. By 9pm, we were all tired, the president went to bed & my supervisor and some other younger NGO leaders attended the “Bally” aka dance party. Although I was asked to dance several times, and by what I assumed were officials, I danced little. Not wanted to send the wrong signals about why I was there.  My colleagues danced some and I was surprised with their enthusiasm when an Elvis song was played (that people started swing dancing to). I had anticipated on only making an appearance but as more beers joined us at the table (a 1 ½ liter bottle of Coca Cola was designated to me) we watched a cooked and fried chicken be auctioned off and by 1am I was ready for bed.

Up early, and it was a cooler –albeit bumpy and jostling -ride. I joked with my fellow passengers that this was the same as a rollercoaster, and tried to describe an amusement park.

This trip was a much-needed change of scenery, and I was so appreciative of my Malagasy supervisor for taking me with them. Making myself seen and being present at such events I feel is important, but in this larger town that doesn’t know me….it was also frustrating. Most people assumed I am French and would speak French to me. Or, pull out the few broken phrases they knew in English then ask when I could teach them, or better yet a random relative of theirs, English. This was then followed by a request for my phone number (not just males but females too), and a very quick excuse from me with a soon end to the conversation. I will undoubtedly run into these stereotypes again and again during my service. Needless to say, the return to my house was a welcomed sight, and I was ever more appreciative of my village where the kids know my name and I’m greeted with friendly smiles.

Swearing In! May 10th

Swearing in!

May 10^th, 2013

I woke up to the vibration of my phone alarm, 5am. Breakfast was quiet, due to the volunteers still being asleep or solemn as the realization that it was our last day as trainees, enjoying the amenities of the Peace Corps Training Center set in.

We had sent our luggage ahead, and the 37 trainees pilled into a bus to become volunteers. We practiced the Malagasy song we would be performing during the swearing in ceremony, as we drove the 3 hours to Tana, the capital city.

At an US Embassy official’s extravagant house and yard we listened to a few short speeches, one by a fellow volunteer, in Malagasy, and took the oath to become official Peace Corps volunteers. It was quite a short event for the build up of the last year and a half (i.e. lengthy application process and 2 months of training) but I met the president of the NGO I would be working closely with at my site. The realization that my Peace Corps experience was only beginning was starting to set in. After a reception we said goodbye to our ever patient and helpful language instructors, who’s last “lesson” was to help us buy a majority of our supplies (ie. gas stove, blankets, plastic buckets, and food) in the bustling-and overwhelming-city of Tana. We couldn’t help but be in awe of the amenities available at our fingertips, and welcomed a thai food and hookah restaurant outing.

Up at 6am to voices of other volunteers already awake & realized this would be the last morning their voices would permeate my subconscious in the moments before I awoke. My roommate and I started packing our backpacks with surprising energy for only getting 5 hours of sleep. Peace Corps cars greeted us as we brought bags down to the concrete lobby. I teared up as Briana, my roomate throughout training, left. We hugged and said our goodbyes but knew we would see each other soon because both of our sites are in the south eastern region of the country. It was surreal leaving the capital city, knowing it was the end of a chapter-pre-service training-but the start of a much larger one-my Peace Corps service.

The crowded city began to thin and countryside began to fill in the spaces between the houses. Two volunteers living in my region and I  napped off and on until we unexpectedly met another car of volunteers! We learned that our PC ceremony the day prior made it into 2 local newspapers. As we continued on the road I tried to sleep but I was too excited, nervous or excited for what lay ahead these next few days. I watched the landscape roll by, it gradually changed from terraced rice fields to brown grass and rocky hills that reminded me of Colorado’s landscape. Then rolling hills and bamboo layered on itself intermingled with bananas as we entered the rainforest and Ranomafauna, where we met 2 PCVs and stayed the night.

We took a dip in the natural hot springs the next morning, the rainforest mountain backdrop with low hanging clouds was just beyond the river we crossed to get to the pool area. The smell of sulphur reminded me of hot springs in Idaho: rustic and rural. Continuing on the road we passed through clouds of locust, these insects have crippled many rice crops in throughout Madagascar. At one point, I recall looking into a valley and seeing what I thought were clouds of smoke but were actually the swarm of insects.

Only six more hours to what would be my banking town, we stopped to meet several volunteers living in the region, who welcomed us with cards and signs for each of us. We finally arrived in Farafangana and met our “zokys” meaning “older siblings” but is what more experienced volunteers are referred to as. At the first sight of the ocean, the three of us had our faces pressed against the windows. Palm trees lined the dirt road that took us to the volunteers’ house who lives here. We were treated to drinks, pizza, and some second hand blazers, hand picked for us by the volunteers. Our nighttime bonfire was a great way to start my familiarization with the area.

I wrote a brief speech, filled with thank you’s and expressing my happiness and hopes of becoming family with the village. My excitement built as we stopped at my counterparts “camp” an office with a large grassy field and some cement buildings and then continued onto my town. Pulling off to the side of the road we walked down a small slope and my two bedroom house appeared, the town was expecting us that day, and many people gathered as I greeted the important people of the town and gave my speech with many “ums”. We started moving things into the house, and the items the previous volunteer left for me appeared carried by men, women and children. As most large items made it inside, the men gathered outside and presented us with a traditional drink and soda, with folded banana leaf cups, and toasted with us to my arrival.

This warm welcome left me elated, stressed and comforted all at the same time. I tried to keep the thought that I was only hours from being completely on my own at bay. Me, my 2 fellow stage mates and my installers went to the neighboring town for lunch and in this time the roof and floor of my pit toilet was repaired. A volunteer in this town was kind enough to give me one of her cat’s 2 month old kittens, to address the rat issue I had been warned of earlier. The thought ran through my mind “I’m being dropped off, alone in rural Madagascar with no electricity or running water, and not only am I suppose to somehow take care of myself, but now a kitten!?” I was comforted though at the fact that I had a friend and companion from the start.

Returning to my new site, my installers arranged for me to eat with my neighbors for the next few days, because there had been no gas tanks (and therefore no gas to cook with) in the entire town of Farafangana. After the checklist of safety and security questions and measures was complete, my installation was complete and I hugged my companions and waved goodbye. I stood inside my house as dusk set in, simply exchanging stares with the 10+ kids who stood in my doorway. With all my possessions in boxes or bags on the floor in heaps I didn’t quite know what to do with myself, but Uno, the card game came to my rescue. I explained the game by candlelight, and the kids caught on quickly. I was thrilled with how friendly they were.  After at least an hour of the game I was invited to dinner at my neighbors, and I tried to speak as much as possible, however awkward silences were inevitable. Back at home, I unrolled my sleeping bag on my foam mattress, said goodnight to my cat, whose bed I constructed in a cardboard box cushioned with clothes and went to sleep. The first day of my 2 year service!