Advertisement
Up until the last entry I had been getting my sea legs and adjusting to life in Madagascar. As of right now, however, no more! I started work yesterday at the Ankoay project. They took no time in giving me plenty to do (including a few hours of work I had to get done at home after I had left the office. All the people working on the project are, as they say, "tres sympas." Dr. Fano is a really enthusiastic (but at the same time very realistic) guy who is managing the whole project. As busy as he is, he is really trying to get me involved and be part of the team (which is slightly hard for a vaza in an all-Malagasy office). He suggested that I take two weeks working on each of the three projects they have. Today I accompanied one of the project managers, Vololona, to a training which was a great thing for me to be a part of right off the bat.
As I mentioned, there are three projects being run by the group I am working for. The first is the Ankoay project. Ankoay is the name of a sacred eagle
in Madagascar, and also the word for champion. The project focuses on youth groups (scouts, school groups and athletic teams), and engages them in a program centering on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. These groups must complete a series of requirement and in return the kids receive badges based on what each individual does (i.e. badges for those who do acting to promote HIV/AIDS awareness...etc). Over the course of one year, the group finishes these requirements and if they do finish they are rewarded with a ceremony certifying them as Ankoay.
The second project is called "Carte Rouge" or "Red Card." This program is focused more on girls and young women. Exploiting a universal love for football (or soccer for all you Americans), this program distributes red cards to young girls along with teaching them to use them in situations where they feel they are being pressured in unsafe ways (i.e. sexually) By bringing out these red cards, the girls can open up a dialog with their peers about sexual health. This program is also an attempt to curb the high HIV/AIDS infection rate amongst youth.
The final project is called "Samia Mitondra Telo" or "Each Invites Three." This program focuses on promoting family planning by convincing someone who already uses family planning methods to give three invitation cards to people close to them who do not use family planning methods. It is extremely effective because those who do not know about family planning are more likely to respond if they are invited by someone close to them.
There are the basics of what I'll be doing here this summer. It is a great opportunity for me to try to make a difference in a place that I really love, and also to gain various experiences in working in the field of International Development.
In other news, I moved into my new place yesterday evening. I'm living in a small but gorgeous hotel attached to a Mexican restaurant called Indigo. The place is owned by a very very close family friend (who's son we hosted in DC for a while). The benefit of this is that the room I am living in, and the food I eat at the restaurant is free of charge. Makes life so much easier than if I were fending for myself in an apartment. What's even better is that the hotel is a 15 minute walk from my office and also very close to a bunch of other restaurants, along with the bars and clubs my friends like to go to.
Speaking of friends, I have been extremely lucky in that regard. I came here already with a few connections. Chelsea Combest-Friedman has been invaluable to me. She has introduced me to many people, as well as gotten me out and about. This past Saturday she took me to one of the favorite ex-pat hangouts called Mojo Bar. I had a wonderful time, and am starting to feel a lot more comfortable here.
The pictures I have attached are of the views outside my window (the view of the city) and the view outside the window of the lounge room (the gorgeous building).
Well, that's it for now. I think I am going to go take a nap before going out to dinner for a friend's birthday.
Best,
George
Advertisement
Tot: 0.093s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0525s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Susan Connell
non-member comment
Hey George! Hello from your cuz. Wow!
George, your blog is wonderful, so well written; full of information and insight. I have friends arriving Mad in early July. The Brooks family may contact you. They are from Austin and have traveled as a family all over the world. Hayden and Lynn Brooks, Huyler and sister Ginny, kids both in their teens. Hope you can at least get together for a cuppa. Big hugs. xxx Susan