My work in Madagascar
Madagascar is home to some of the most unique plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, only a fraction of its original forest cover is left and this is a pity since this unique island is a rich source of biodiversity, and is listed as one of the world’s ten ‘Biodiversity Hotspots’.
Princess Vazaha
Vazaha means foreigner. That we were foreigners in Madagascar became clear after the first time a couple of kids jumped up and down, pointing at us, screaming “vazaha, vazaha!”, as if an UFO had just landed in their backyard and some green creatures from Mars had come out. And that was only the beginning!
Komba Tsara - Nice Lemur!
During our stay in Ambodihasina, Charlotte, Alicia and I invented a song called “Komba Tsara”. It plays to the tune of “Frère Jacques” and is therefore very easy for everyone to learn, as this song is very well known in Madagascar, too. As our Malagasy was still very limited at the time, the lyrics turned out to be rather simple – which was maybe one of the reasons for the success of the song:
The Rainforest - or the end of the world in Analila
Analila is a tiny little village and seems to be the end of the world. There are no vegetables, no fruit, only rice, beans and dried fish. Our task here is to found an association, which will be responsible for the sustainable use of the rainforest nearby. Up to now, there was a district officer responsible for giving out licenses to cut a tree. But because he is so far away from all the villages, hardly anyone ever did that – most trees were cut illegally. WWF visits small villages like Analila to empower them and teach them how to manage their own forest.
Olona Gasy
Frederik is a forest manager in Ambodihasina. He speaks a little French and even English, which makes him a preferred contact for us. Frederick has only two teeth left in his mouth and is therefore hard to understand.
Conservation and/or Development?
Hardly anyone is against conservation. Conservation is good and has to be done! No one would deny the importance of taking care of threatened flora and fauna, and the existence of big conservation organizations such as WWF and others prove that a lot of people are willing to support their goals.
Giving people the benefit of the doubt
When cultures clash, there are thousands of little communication problems. Starting with language barriers between a bunch of people who all do not use their mother tongue. It is mostly signs distorted by cultural differences. They are not received the way they were meant to be. A good example is the notion of time. In a country with no watches, you cannot expect people to be punctual, and you have to learn immediately that time is perceived in a totally different way to our western approach. So questions like “when”, “how long” or even “at what time” cannot be answered in the same way we would like them to be.
Perspectives of a 13 year old girl
Soafara Bienvenue Berthaline is a teenager at her best – her hands and feet are too big, her laughter too loud and her jokes are not funny – but she makes you laugh all the time. Not a child anymore, she is also not a women yet – boys do not interest her at all, but neither does loose elastic any more. It is a difficult age, but for Berthaline it must be even more difficult, because her older sister “failed”.
Staying with a Malagasy Family
The rooster cries as if stabbed in his tiny little heart, and shortly after I could swear it was slaughter day in the pigs hut. After having unsuccessfully tried to integrate the horrendous squealing and crying into my dreams, I decided to have a quick glance at my watch – 5 o’clock! Before getting angry – because it is still a good two hours before I usually get up – I count backwards. Ah, I have slept about 9 hours, so that is okay then, let us get up!
Merak
Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It’s completely dark. I need some seconds to realize that my alarm clock is wringing, that it is 4:30 in the morning and that I have to get up, because today we are leaving to Merak at 5:30. I feel very drowsy, it was a rough night, the rats have been celebrating family parties and braveness competitions in running over my pillow!