Schoolhouse Completion

It's been over half a year since I posted a new blog entry, and quite a bit has happened in that time. Far too much to cover in one short blog entry! However, there is one exciting development that I'd like to focus on: the long-awaited completion of the school reconstruction project we launched last year.

In my May 2nd, 2015 entry I wrote that "if all goes well we'll be finished with construction by the end of this month." Since it's now January 8th, 2016, you can probably guess that all did not, in fact, go well. Delays, insufficient materials, cost overruns, disagreements, and various other issues all conspired to slow construction to a crawl. Luckily my fantastic counterpart Josoah and other community leaders took it upon themselves to resolve the problems and get the project back on track, albeit several months behind schedule. I'm now happy to announce that reconstruction of Ambondro Elementary School's (EPP Ambondro) schoolhouse has finally been completed.

Here are some images of the schoolhouse before rehabilitation:

Destroyed roof, damaged roof supports, broken windows, no doors.

Broken windows in one of the classrooms.

The interior of one of the classrooms.

And here are some images of it now, post-rehabilitation:

Completed front of the building. The doors and paint were contributed by the Regional Education Director and the community.

Improved roof supports to withstand future cyclones.

New windows donated by the Regional Education Director.

Peace Corps counterpart Josoah standing next to the completed schoolhouse.

This newly rehabilitated schoolhouse will service around 150 elementary school students from all around the rural commune of Ambondro. In a place where everyone values education as their greatest hope for a better future, this new building should be a great asset to the community.

I can't express my gratitude enough to everyone who contributed to this project. Thanks to your support children in Ambondro will have a wonderful place to learn for years to come.

Once school starts up again I will post some more pictures of students using the new classrooms!

Girls Leading Our World

Last week seven Peace Corps Volunteers from the Androy and Anôsy regions of Madagascar came together to hold a 'Girls Leading Our World' (GLOW) camp in Fort-Dauphin. Twenty-three girls participated in the camp, which was facilitated by the PCVs with the support of six Malagasy chaperones. The five-day camp provided these promising young girls with the opportunity to learn about leadership and gender equality, as well as develop the skills they will need to become leaders and role models in their communities.

Day One

The first day of camp opened with a walking tour of Fort-Dauphin led by some of our friends from the English Center of Fort-Dauphin. Many of the girls from the remote Androy region had never visited the city before, so for them the tour was an eye-opening experience. The tour ended at the Fasamainty cultural center, where the girls learned about QMM's famous ilmenite mine just north of the city.

Campers during the walking tour of Fort-Dauphin

In the afternoon PCVs and chaperones led sessions about gender equality and self-esteem. The campers learned about the difference between biological sex and culturally-defined gender roles, and that they should feel confident in themselves and their skills. These sessions set the stage for the central message of the camp: that women can and should be successful, active members of their communities.

Day Two

Our second day of GLOW camp began with a tour of the QMM mine and the Mandena Nature Reserve, which was set up by QMM/Rio Tinto. After lunch the girls met with a career panel featuring successful Malagasy women working in the fields of government, development, health, and business. These women told their stories and gave the girls advice about how to pursue their dreams.

GLOW campers meet the career panel

Day Three

Day three focused on health. In the morning a group of trainers from Population Services International (PSI) gave a presentation on HIV/AIDS, STIs, and birth control. In the afternoon the girls met with our chaperones and the female PCVs for a frank discussion about sex and relationships, something which is often a taboo subject in Malagasy society. Our last session of the day featured a presentation from the local organization Trano Aro Zo on the rights of women and children.

After a long day of rather serious discussions, the girls were ready for a break. That evening we organized an American-style slumber party, complete with soda, popcorn, and a movie.

PSI trainers teach the girls about HIV/AIDS

Day Four

The penultimate day of GLOW camp focused on giving the girls useful life skills. A representative from PACT gave a presentation on leadership, and another woman from the micro-finance organization FIVOY taught the campers about financial management.

Financial Management: a camper presents her team's proposed budget for the months of April and May

Day Five

The final day of GLOW camp began with a trip to the English Center of Fort-Dauphin, where the girls met with students and teachers and learned about the English language resources available in the city. This was followed by a trip to the famous Libanona beach. After a quick trip to the market to buy gifts for their families (giving away gifts after a trip is a Malagasy tradition), the girls met with a representative from Peace Corps, who explained the organization's history, goals, and methods.

After this came our closing ceremony, where the girls received their completion certificates and gave brief speeches about what they learned at camp. The PCVs were also presented with a gift of traditional Tandroy wicker hats. Several girls from the village of Ambanisarika then performed the traditional Tandroy dance. After this things quickly escalated, and soon everyone was dancing. The dance party continued well into the evening, as the girls celebrated the successful completion of camp with their new friends.

GLOW girls dancing on the last night

May Update

World Malaria Day

April 25^th was world Malaria day. For this occasion many volunteers in our region headed to Fort-Dauphin, where another volunteer was organizing the city's second annual World Malaria Day festival. The two-day event was a huge success, reaching around 900 people with education about how to prevent and treat this terrible disease.

The first day's event took place at the Fort-Dauphin town hall and was attended by hundreds of students from local schools. In addition to information stands set up by various local health organizations, two PCVs helped a local soccer coach lead a 'grassroots soccer' activity, which uses soccer to teach children about malaria. In the evening we screened a movie about malaria prevention (from USAID and PSI) for the public.

The next day we headed to the rural town of Ampasy Nahampoana. In addition to more education about malaria prevention and treatment, free malaria tests were made available to any interested community members. Thirty people tested positive for malaria, and were provided with free treatment.

For more information about this event, check out the organizing volunteer's blog:

https://malagasymusings.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/miady-aminny-tazo-moka-fighting-against-malaria/

Schoolhouse Reconstruction

With all of the materials now purchased, we've finally begun construction on the schoolhouse here in Ambondro! The laborers have been hard at work tearing down the old, damaged parts of the building and preparing it for construction. They've also begun using the cement we purchased to make bricks. Things are well ahead of schedule, and if all goes well we'll be finished with construction by the end of this month!

For your viewing pleasure, I've included a few pictures of the work we've completed so far:

The Schoolhouse

Bricks being prepared for the schoolhouse.

Sand provided by the community. Cactus is used for security.

Tearing out old support bars.

School Project Begins

Thanks to the many generous people and organizations that donated to my classroom rehabilitation project, we were able to get full funding well before we'd anticipated!

During the month of March the community was busy getting all of their contributions to the project ready – sand, wood, water, etc. They also tore down the remnants of the old roof and got the site ready for construction.

I spent last weekend in Ambovombe (the regional capital) running around with my counterpart Josoah trying to organize the purchase and transport of all of the construction materials. It was no small order: 156 sheets of metal roofing, 57 iron bars, 44 wooden planks, and 92 sacks of cement, 6 metal sheets, and 20 kilos of nails. The purchase of all the materials went smoothly, but the transportation proved to be a much more complicated issue.

The transport of the materials was being provided for free – the Chef CISCO (the head of the school district) just needed to provide the gasoline for the truck. There were some issues at first with the cost of gas and finding a driver, but with the help of the CISCO we were able to work it out. After two days of delays, we were back at the hardware store loading up all of the materials. Me, Josoah, and the Chef CISCO were all very excited to see the project that we'd been preparing for so long coming to fruition! It was already night by the time we made it to Ambondro, but a bunch of local guys were waiting to help us unload everything.

Now we're almost ready to begin construction. The last few items – some local wood and gravel – are still being collected. Hopefully by next week we'll be able to start!

Materials loaded up and ready to go

Future Plans, Present Projects

Hey there internets!

Extension

After months of weighing my options, applications, and interviews, it's finally official - I'm going to be extending my service here in Madagascar for a third year!I've been selected to work as the Peace Corps Volunteer Leader (PCVL) in Diego Suarez (or Antsiranana in Malagasy). I should start my work there in August or September, and I'll remain there until the following September.

So what exactly will I be doing up there? Diego is home to a Peace Corps regional office as well as a meva, our name for small transit houses that Peace Corps operates throughout the country. My job will be to assist with the operations of the meva and the regional office, as well as to help out the other volunteers working in the north of the country. When I'm not doing Peace Corps work, I'll also be doing projects in the community. Diego is a wonderful city, and the north is one of my favorite regions of the country. I'm very lucky that I will be spending my third year up there.

For all my friends/family stateside, this doesn't mean that I'm going to go another year without seeing any of you! Volunteers who extend for a third year get one month of leave stateside. While my plans are still not concrete, I'm hoping to take my leave this November!

School Rehabilitation

Future plans aside, I've still got a lot of work to do here in Ambondro. I've just heard from the parent's association that the community has already raised the funds for their contribution to the project. In a country where getting things done on time is often a very difficult proposition, it's great to be working with such an enthusiastic and motivated community. As soon as the Peace Corps grant is fully funded, we'll be able to get to work!

We've already received a lot of funding for our contribution to the project. I'm especially thankful for the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison, who provided a generous donation to the project. That said, we still need about $2,500 to fully fund the project, so if you can help us out, please check out: https://beta.peacecorps.gov/donate/project/rural-classroom-rehabilitation/

School n'Such

We've almost finished the second trimester of school. It's amazing how time just flies by - come April, I'll only have one more trimester of English classes left here in Ambondro! While teaching comes with both rewards and frustrations, lately I've been seeing real improvement in my students, especially their willingness to use English outside the classroom. 

Before, many of my students wouldn't speak English to me outside of class unless I really pressed them to. Getting them to respond to "how are you?" was like pulling teeth. It wasn't that they didn't understand - they were just too shy and too afraid of making a mistake to say anything. How things have changed. When I walk around town now, I hear "hello!", "how are you?", or "what's up?" more often than "Salama", "Akore kahy" or "Ino vaovao". I'm happy to see my students feeling confident and ready to use the knowledge that they've gained in the classroom.

Until next time!

New Year, New Challenges, and Old Projects

Hey everyone! It’s time for an update on the goings-on here in the south of Madagascar.

Mbe tsy avy ty orañe

The new year has just begun, and from the snow-covered streets of New York to the tragic deaths of many Malagasy people during the recent cyclone, the weather is proving to be no one’s friend. That’s just as true here in the southern Androy Region, where we’re several months into what should be the wet season, and mbe tsy avy ty orañe (it’s still not raining).

 Androy naturally has a dry climate, but people here can normally count on the months of December through March to bring heavy rains. This rainy season provides the region with enough water to farm, which helps the Tandroy people to make it through the long dry season. However, while the rest of the island has been suffering through cyclones and torrential rains, Androy has remained exceptionally dry. Instead of rain, we’ve been treated to day after endless day of heat, sun, and heavy winds. The latter is the most destructive – it creates dust that carries away soil and kills plants. Many crops have already died (including most of our permagarden), and if the rains don’t come soon then the whole rainy season might prove a loss for Tandroy farmers. Everyone is talking about the possibility of a kere (famine) this year.

There’s still time to prevent that, and if we see some rain in February people will be able to plant their bageda (sweet potatoes) and everything will be ok. If not, then 2015 may prove to be a very difficult year for the Tandroy people. Life remains hard here in the south of Madagascar.

School Rehabilitation Project

                Rain or no rain, life goes on. I’ve heard back about the primary school rehabilitation project, and we've gotten the green light! If all goes well, then we should be able to begin fundraising soon!

Journées des Écoles

                From February 18^th to the 20^th all of the schools in Madagascar will celebrate Journées des Écoles (School Days). This celebration usually features speeches (obligatory at all events in Madagascar) about the importance of education, games, and dancing.

The Ministry of Education has declared that the theme of this year’s event will be “Un élève, un arbre” (one student, one tree). All the schools will receive a bit of money that they can use to buy trees. It looks like most of the schools here in Androy are looking to buy Moringa trees – a great opportunity to reinforce and expand the Moringa-planting project that we carried out last June!

To prepare for the planting, my counterpart Josoah and I collaborated with the midwife who runs the local health center to hold a training session for all the school principals in my commune. They learned more about the nutritional and health benefits of Moringa trees, as well as some easy ways to integrate Moringa into traditional dishes. There was a lot of enthusiasm among the principals – all of whom received Moringa trees last year, and will receive even more in a few weeks. We’re hoping to do more Moringa-related activities during Journées des Écoles!

Until the next time!  

Desert Gardens

The past month has been a very exciting (and busy) time for me here in Ambondro. I have officially started two of the main projects that I am hoping to carry out over the next year: a permagarden and a rural classroom rehabilitation. Both are still in the early stages, but it is very exciting to have finally begun working on them!

Permagarden

As I mentioned in my last post, my counterpart Josoah and I attended a training session in October about how to build a ‘permagarden.’ This style of garden uses a carefully arranged series of berms and holes to catch and hold rainwater, which combined with ‘double-dug’ garden beds helps to provide the plants with water even during the dry season. After a few weeks of preparation, we finally began work on our first permagarden last weekend. The garden is located in Association Tinoñe’s (Josoah’s village association) larger community garden, just a few feet from my house. We were able to complete all of the berms and garden beds, although we are waiting for more rainfall before we begin planting.

People in Ambondro are very interested in the permagarden. In fact, several community members have already asked us to help them set up permagardens of their own. The Androy Region is one of the driest in Madagascar, and access to fresh fruits and vegetables is very limited. Many families subsist primarily on cassava and sweet potatoes due to a lack of nutrition education and a lack of access to healthy foods. If our permagarden is successful, then we might be able to help address the latter issue.  Beginning the garden has been both exciting and somewhat nerve-racking, because there is always the possibility that the garden will fail. However, if it is successful it could really make a difference in the lives of people here!

 

Working on a garden bed

Working in the garden

Completed layout

Rural Classroom Rehabilitation

I have already talked a bit about my classroom rehabilitation project in previous posts. Well, after many meetings with parent’s groups, school officials, and local government offices, I have finally completed the grant application and submitted it to Peace Corps for evaluation. I am hoping to hear back from them sometime in January, which would mean that, if approved, we could begin fundraising in February.

People here are excited about the project, and we have secured a significant contribution from the community. Parents’ groups have agreed to pay for basic construction materials such as sand, rock, and water. The regional director of education has promised to purchase new windows and doors for the school. The regional government will provide a truck to transport all of the materials to Ambondro from the regional capital, and the district education director will pay for the gasoline. We have even talked with the local UNICEF office, and they might be able to provide us with desks for the new classrooms. We are still in the planning stages, and there is always the possibility that Peace Corps will not approve the project, but it is still very exciting to have completed the first step!