I'd already seen a Malagasy rat in the lodgings in Tana, but it didn't surprise me any less when I opened the bathroom door to see one scampering between the shower and toilet room. I am the sort of person who screams in that specific high-pitch so often seen in cartoons, and, like the elephant also in cartoons, I leap up onto the nearest chair for fear of the rodent climbing up my leg. It had come through the drain from the shower, a small hole just the right size for a Malagasy rat, which are much smaller than I've seen in Aus and the UK and they actually look friendly and kind - it must be a Malagasy thing. So Hary checked again and said the rat had gone, so I stuck a stick in the hole to prevent it coming back.
3 days later I opened the toilet door, to see the rat again but this time, quite dead! I had squashed him somehow in the door and I wont go into detail but I think it must have been painful...so there was the poor rat, probably half starved as I must have locked him in the bathroom with no way out for 3 days, I know this as his droppings were everywhere - why I hadn't noticed this before...
So, half disgusted that I had to pick a dead body up and half guilty for taking the friendly-looking rat's life, I did the minimum burial service possible and chucked him in the garden with the rubbish. He was gone the next day.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Ambatolampy, teaching and the friendly Malagasy people
I've now moved to Ambatolampy, my placement for 2 months. I taught my first lessons this morning at the primary school across the road from the little house I am staying in. There is no guard, no need for any worry, I feel safer here than in London, although I wouldn't walk in the village by myself at night. I'm by myself for the first 2 weeks and then will be joined by 2 other volunteers.
Tina and Hary of The Dodwell Trust settled me in for the first 3 days and introduced me to the primary school and high school. I will teach 5 primary classes 2-3 times a week, 20 minutes per class. It doesn't sound like much, but they children take in a lot in that time and at that age, they can only do short lessons. At the Cathlolic high school I will take a 2 hour English club once a week and may also be asked to help out in advanced English classes as well.
Getting used to the slow pace, especially the internet! Constant power failures and dial up speed I remember from 12 years ago. The internet is in the Catholic school across the road, so there is constant "Sssssss" from the librarian.
A busy main road runs through the village, cars and taxi-brousses don't slow down for pedestrians, there was child hit by a car recently, that's how ruthlessly they drive through here. I have struggled my way through buying food at the market, a combination of hand signals, very bad French and Malagasy combinations on my part and my new Malagasy friends helping me when I run into them at the market. Mango yesterday was 30p - very expensive because 1. I am VAZAHA (European) and 2. they are almost out of season. I don't mind being ripped off really, but I am inclined to go back to the stall holders who seem the most honest.
Yesterday (Sunday) I had said goodbye to the lovely teenagers of my host family after they had stopped by for lunch, and there was a knock at the door. 3 girls, 11 and 12, started asking me questions in good English. They wanted something but I couldn't work out what. When they asked to come inside and I siad no, there seemed nothing left to say, so I said goodbye and thought that would be that. But no - I was haunted by these children for the next hour, knocking on the doors, front and back, peering through the windows and generally making a bit of a nuisance of themselves. I really just wanted to read, but as soon as it started to get annoying, I noticed they had left me bright flowers on my front door. I opened the window, said thanks and left them a banana each. That still wasn't enough attention for them, so they covered my door in flowers of all colours, it was beautiful! I couldn't resist, I had excess rice left over from lunch anyway, so gave them a little bag of rice each. They were finally satisfied and went home in the pouring rain.
Tina and Hary, my faithful Dodwell Trust agents, they did an amazing job of settling me in here.
Tina and Hary of The Dodwell Trust settled me in for the first 3 days and introduced me to the primary school and high school. I will teach 5 primary classes 2-3 times a week, 20 minutes per class. It doesn't sound like much, but they children take in a lot in that time and at that age, they can only do short lessons. At the Cathlolic high school I will take a 2 hour English club once a week and may also be asked to help out in advanced English classes as well.
Getting used to the slow pace, especially the internet! Constant power failures and dial up speed I remember from 12 years ago. The internet is in the Catholic school across the road, so there is constant "Sssssss" from the librarian.
A busy main road runs through the village, cars and taxi-brousses don't slow down for pedestrians, there was child hit by a car recently, that's how ruthlessly they drive through here. I have struggled my way through buying food at the market, a combination of hand signals, very bad French and Malagasy combinations on my part and my new Malagasy friends helping me when I run into them at the market. Mango yesterday was 30p - very expensive because 1. I am VAZAHA (European) and 2. they are almost out of season. I don't mind being ripped off really, but I am inclined to go back to the stall holders who seem the most honest.
Yesterday (Sunday) I had said goodbye to the lovely teenagers of my host family after they had stopped by for lunch, and there was a knock at the door. 3 girls, 11 and 12, started asking me questions in good English. They wanted something but I couldn't work out what. When they asked to come inside and I siad no, there seemed nothing left to say, so I said goodbye and thought that would be that. But no - I was haunted by these children for the next hour, knocking on the doors, front and back, peering through the windows and generally making a bit of a nuisance of themselves. I really just wanted to read, but as soon as it started to get annoying, I noticed they had left me bright flowers on my front door. I opened the window, said thanks and left them a banana each. That still wasn't enough attention for them, so they covered my door in flowers of all colours, it was beautiful! I couldn't resist, I had excess rice left over from lunch anyway, so gave them a little bag of rice each. They were finally satisfied and went home in the pouring rain.
Monday, 24 January 2011
Antananarivo
I landed safely yesterday and was picked up by a Dodwell Trust rep Tina. The airport was teeming with porters trying to take my luggage to the car to earn an easy coin but since I hadn't yet got any money, I didn't want them to bother as I simply couldn't pay them!
Tina told me in the car that the local rice farmers have a taboo about growing green onions. They say the onions bring hail storms and ruin their rice crops, although opinions are changing and more modern thinking farmers don't think this. Taboos are common in Madagascar and they are often localised with tradtions changing from village to village.
I stayed in the flats below the Dodwell office last night, there was music until about 8pm, with the Presbyterian church next door, the songs never seemed to endm instead going seamlessly from one tune to the next. After they retired for the day, Dolly Parton followed, which made me happy!
I will be moving tomorrow by taxi brousse to Ambatolampy, 2 hours south of Tana. I'm not sure there is internet there so it may be a while until I get back on here. I can be contacted on +261346889664. Please text, I'd love to hear from you!
Tina told me in the car that the local rice farmers have a taboo about growing green onions. They say the onions bring hail storms and ruin their rice crops, although opinions are changing and more modern thinking farmers don't think this. Taboos are common in Madagascar and they are often localised with tradtions changing from village to village.
I stayed in the flats below the Dodwell office last night, there was music until about 8pm, with the Presbyterian church next door, the songs never seemed to endm instead going seamlessly from one tune to the next. After they retired for the day, Dolly Parton followed, which made me happy!
I will be moving tomorrow by taxi brousse to Ambatolampy, 2 hours south of Tana. I'm not sure there is internet there so it may be a while until I get back on here. I can be contacted on +261346889664. Please text, I'd love to hear from you!
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Donations and how they are being spent
Donations
Steve Winter: £50
Andy White: £50
Tony Llewellyn: £50
Paul Lewis: £20
Ali MacKenzie: £5
Elsie Mae Pearson: £20
Tamara Justice: £20
Vera Hartmuth: £10
The Kirby's (family) Christmas money: AUS$200
Jill Tipping: £20
Jess Power: £20
Karen Conway: £20
Jo Van Der Linde: £5
Louise Barth: £20
Phil O'Connor: £20
Paul Farey: £20
David Rees: £10
Stuart Bartlett: £10
Tim Jackson 20 pounds
Total donations as at 11/1/11 = £390+AUS$200
Spent
Cheap footballs x 4 (eBay): £20
Mitre Calcio training footballs x 10: £61.50
10 x children's books from charity shop: £5
Football pump needles x 2: £1.50
Mitre Calcio training footballs x 10
- sent to Yuji Lloyd (volunteer) to take to Mada in Feb: £61.50
Mitre Calcio footballs x 30 sent to Christina Dodwell to take to Mada: £160
Total spent as at 11/1/11 = £309.50
Left to spend: £80.50+AUS$200
80.50 pounds = approx 261,000 Ariary
200 AUS dollars = approx 407,500 Ariary
TOTAL = 668,500 Ariary
Madagascar spending:
2 x locally crafted guitars and carry bags for the children of Akany Avoko: 380,000 Ariary
Spare guitar strings: 95,000 Ariary
TOTAL LEFT TO SPEND = 193,500 Ariary
Non-monetary donations
Louise Barth: Children's books x 8: Given to Akany Avoko's library
Jane Elsmore: Football x 1
2 x disused cameras from Davis Langdon: Given to the Social Work team at Akany Avoko to take record photos on home visits
Steve Winter: £50
Andy White: £50
Tony Llewellyn: £50
Paul Lewis: £20
Ali MacKenzie: £5
Elsie Mae Pearson: £20
Tamara Justice: £20
Vera Hartmuth: £10
The Kirby's (family) Christmas money: AUS$200
Jill Tipping: £20
Jess Power: £20
Karen Conway: £20
Jo Van Der Linde: £5
Louise Barth: £20
Phil O'Connor: £20
Paul Farey: £20
David Rees: £10
Stuart Bartlett: £10
Tim Jackson 20 pounds
Total donations as at 11/1/11 = £390+AUS$200
Spent
Cheap footballs x 4 (eBay): £20
Mitre Calcio training footballs x 10: £61.50
10 x children's books from charity shop: £5
Football pump needles x 2: £1.50
Mitre Calcio training footballs x 10
- sent to Yuji Lloyd (volunteer) to take to Mada in Feb: £61.50
Mitre Calcio footballs x 30 sent to Christina Dodwell to take to Mada: £160
Total spent as at 11/1/11 = £309.50
Left to spend: £80.50+AUS$200
80.50 pounds = approx 261,000 Ariary
200 AUS dollars = approx 407,500 Ariary
TOTAL = 668,500 Ariary
Madagascar spending:
2 x locally crafted guitars and carry bags for the children of Akany Avoko: 380,000 Ariary
Spare guitar strings: 95,000 Ariary
TOTAL LEFT TO SPEND = 193,500 Ariary
Non-monetary donations
Louise Barth: Children's books x 8: Given to Akany Avoko's library
Jane Elsmore: Football x 1
2 x disused cameras from Davis Langdon: Given to the Social Work team at Akany Avoko to take record photos on home visits
How Dodwell Trust volunteers can help Madagascar
The most recent statistics from the World Bank say that 68.7% of the population is below the national poverty line. Literacy rate in the adult population is just 71%. http://data.worldbank.org/country/madagascar
With the assistance of the local Dodwell Trust volunteer co-ordinators, I hope to find the best way to spend the money I have fundraised in the community I will be working in. My initial idea is to use it to create or enhance sports facilities.
English is the third national language, after French and Malagasy. Lack of English reduces options to trade with other countries; by enhancing the English language in the country, we can bring indirect benefits to Madagascar's economy. Also considering how much Madagagascar relies on tourism and eco-tourism, the learning of English is vital to nature guides since it is the major international language. Since few teachers speak much English, it is difficult for the next generation to learn. Dodwell Trust volunteers help teachers in classes and hold English clubs in the community.
The Trust set up a radio project in the country some years ago with a network of collaborating radio stations. Volunteers can do radio shows, to further increase the spread of the English language. I plan on taking Beatles songs to play over the radio and discussing the lyrics.
The Trust set up a radio project in the country some years ago with a network of collaborating radio stations. Volunteers can do radio shows, to further increase the spread of the English language. I plan on taking Beatles songs to play over the radio and discussing the lyrics.
With the assistance of the local Dodwell Trust volunteer co-ordinators, I hope to find the best way to spend the money I have fundraised in the community I will be working in. My initial idea is to use it to create or enhance sports facilities.
Leaving the UK!
17 days til I leave the UK! Packing my backpack with footballs and children's books. I've had some amazingly generous donations. I have spent some of this money on footballs and books, and will take what's left over to my posting in Ambatolampy to find the best way to use it to assist with improvement. My initial thought is to use the money for sports facilities, sticking with the football theme. But until I get there, I wont know what is most needed, perhaps a radio project might require improvement.
What I'll be doing:
This wont be fully established until I arrive in Antananarivo (Tana - the capital) at the head office for The Dodwell Trust. Teaching English will be first and foremost, but I also hope to get involved with the radio programs the charity has previously set up, now run by the locals. There is also an option to volunteer at the zoo in Tana, so my extensive pooper scooping experience will come in handy!
What I'll be doing:
This wont be fully established until I arrive in Antananarivo (Tana - the capital) at the head office for The Dodwell Trust. Teaching English will be first and foremost, but I also hope to get involved with the radio programs the charity has previously set up, now run by the locals. There is also an option to volunteer at the zoo in Tana, so my extensive pooper scooping experience will come in handy!
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