Homestay

March 15, 2012

Manahoana daholo! (Hello all!)

So much has happened in the last few weeks I do not even know where to start, so if you have questions, please post them to the comments section!

I have been at my homestay for about 2 weeks now.  I live with a family in a small village near the training center called Mantasoa, about 2 hours from the capital of Tana.   The environment volunteers (15 of the 29 vols) live in the neighboring village of Anjojoro.  There are a few small shops that sell various food and household items.  We are given about $15 weekly to spend on snacks and phone credit and things, but none of us go through it.  Things are very cheap here.  To give you a comparison a bottle of coke is 700 Ariary, which is about 35 cents American.  Fresh produce is readily available because so many people in the area are farmers.

My dad (Liva) is a butcher in town, so we have more meat than most families.  My mom (Vero) is an adorable little woman and takes care of our 5 cows, 1 pig, and a whole bunch of chickens, as well as the 4 kids and housework.

I have 4 siblings.  Lanja is the oldest, and I actually have now developed my Malagasy enough to find out that she is actually the daughter of my mom’s sister but she lives with us during the week because she goes to school close to our house.  Oly is my oldest brother at 11.  He likes to sit in on our language classes, which is really great because he makes me practice what he knows I learned later.  Rajo is my 9-year-old brother and my official photographer.  He has taken over 200 pictures with my camera.  I love this because that means not only is it pictures of Madagascar by a Malagasy, but I am also in a lot of this pictures.  I am planning to print a bunch in the capital to give to them at the end of my training.  Ialison is the youngest brother at 5 and probably the most adorable thing in the entire world.  He just walks around giggling and making weird noises and singing.  He just makes me giggle all the time.  He is also my little duckling, just following me around and demanding my attention.  I have made a ton of bracelets with all of them and we play with the bouncy balls and coloring books I brought.

They have electricity but it sometimes goes out at night when everyone is trying to use it in town.  They have a TV and DVD player, which they use to watch poorly dubbed American movies in Malagasy, as well as bootleg movies in French.  We have watched Commando with Arnold Schwarzeneagger, as well as RETURN OF JAFAR AND MADAGASCAR 2!!! I got really excited about those.  They were in French, but still exciting.

I try and spend as much time with my family as I can.  I get up around 5:30 am and we eat breakfast around 6.  The kids go off to school and I have language class at 8 am with 3 other trainees at my house because we have room.  Then everyone comes home for lunch at noon and then I go to the commune in town for classes in English, such as tech training, cross cultural, ect.  I get home around 5:30 pm and help with dinner and maybe play some games with the kids.  We have dinner around 6:30 or 7 and then I go in my room to study or write things like this haha.  Usually asleep before 9, and I am definitely the last one awake in my house.  They all sleep in the same room because Peace Corps requires that I have my own lockable room.  I think my room is the kids’ room when I am not here.

Nicole-rabies shots are not that bad, you baby :P but that is compared directly to the intramuscular typhoid shot which is evil.

Dad-food section just for you

Breakfast—at the beginning it was what we had for dinner the night before with the “wet” rice.  Pretty much really soggy rice.  I think they realized that I wasn’t a fan so we mostly have bread and butter and boiled milk with sugar.

Lunch and Dinner—rice.  It is always rice and…And a whole lot of it.  They eat mounds.  It is the main course, and everything else is a “laoka,” or side dish.  Sometimes we have beef or pork at lunch, and we usually do at dinner.  This is usually cooked with beans or greens in a broth.  There is a salad type dish that is usually carrots, cucumbers, or tomatoes always with onions, vinegar, oil, and a little salt.  Today we had potatoes for the first time and I got ridiculously excited.

For desert after lunch and dinner there is always fruit.  We have had apples, the best pineapple in the world, oranges, bananas and a fruit called “kaky” that I don’t think we have an equivalent of.  It looks kind of like an orange tomato with a thin skin.  It is very pulpy and sweet and has no pit.  No idea though haha.

I stay here for another 2 weeks and then I am back at the training center for 6 weeks.  We should find out where we will be placed in the country when we get back to the training center so just a couple weeks! Then we go on a “tech trip” to visit current volunteers and start learning regional dialects applicable to our service.

That’s all for now! Actually kind of a lot haha.  Let me know if you have questions.  Also I have a phone now and my parents know how to contact me, so get in touch with them if you need/want to.

Tiako ianao! (I love you!)

-Sarah

Flight Recap

March 2, 2012

Manahoana (ma-na-o-na) blog followers!

I don’t know when I will get to post this, but I figured I would write it now while my computer is fully charged.  After several in-flight movies (the Descendants is pretty good, but not Oscar worthy, In Time with Justin Timberlake was rad, and the invention of lying with Ricky Gervais was alright), a lengthy nap, an overnight stay in Johannesburg, South Africa at a very nice hotel, another plane ride, and a two-hour van ride, we finally arrived at our training center in Mantasoa (man-ta-soo-a).  And it actually kind of feels like America! A lot like summer camp, complete with a lot of pine trees haha.  Not like my previous trip to Kenya.  This part of Madagascar has a very Up North feel to it.  Speaking of Michigan things, people in my group don’t know Euchre!! Such a shame. I may be doing some teaching of that, although my Malagasy will have to be really good to teach it to the locals, it is hard enough in English.

The training center is large compound on a lake complete with dorms, a dining hall, and small classrooms.  This is the second night we have stayed here. Today (Day 2) we went through a welcome and a bunch of health information.  We also had a language session.  Sadly it was only an hour, so when I move in with my host family tomorrow I will pretty much only be able to tell them hello, thank you, and my name haha.

It has been raining a lot but that is to be expected this time of year. We did get a chance to enjoy the sun earlier today.  The rainy season (summer) is on its way out and we are moving in to fall here, where it should dry up.

Like I said before, I move in with my host family tomorrow.  Then training takes place in the village with 3-4 people in each class.  This is really helpful when trying to learn a brand new language haha.  I will stay with this family for 4 weeks until I move back into the training center.  6 weeks after that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will be sworn in as a volunteer!

I should know the region where I will be stationed around the 5^th or 6^th week of training.  That will be useful considering there are 18 different dialects.  Also, my attempting to learn French was not a total bust, as many of the signs are in French.

That’s all for now, I will post this as soon as I can.  Hope you all are well!

Love,

-Sarah

A Few Final Notes

Hi All!

So I leave early tomorrow morning and I could not be more excited.  Thank you to everyone for the well wishes!

Just a few short notes.

These are my addresses for training, about 10 weeks or so.  This will probably change come May.

Postage for a letter is $1.05.  REMEMBER TO NUMBER YOUR LETTERS! That way I know if I have missed one.

Also, some of my information says write "air mail" and "por avion" on the letters.

As far as packages they recommend padded envelopes to boxes because they are treated like letters that way.  My mom and I are going to experiment with that.  Will keep you updated.

I will update as soon as I can!

Love,
Sarah

Sarah Fowlkes PCV
Bureau du Corps de la Paix
B.P. 12091
Poste Zoom Ankorondrano
Antananarivo 101
Madagascar

For lightweight, but important or time sensitive items (e.g. airline tickets), we would recommend using an express mail service. Fedex is one possibility and other courier services may operate in Antananarivo. We would advise you to shop around to find the best prices and service options.

If you choose to send items through Fedex, you must address the package to:

Sarah Fowlkes PCV
c/o U.S. Peace Corps Madagascar
Villa les Lierres
Lot IIk76, Lot Bonnet Invandry
Antananarivo
Madagascar

PC Mada Site Update

Hello!

Just 3 more days!  So the Peace Corps updated the Madagascar site http://madagascar.peacecorps.gov if you are interested in learning a little more.

Here is what they say about my program-Small Enterprise Development

Projects: Small Enterprise Development

Project Goals:

• Volunteers will develop the institutional capacities of their counterpart agencies and assist in their efforts to start, manage, and expand microfinance institutions that support income-generating activities at the community level.
• Volunteers will work with potential entrepreneurs to develop their capacities in accounting, organization, and basic management, as well as providing higher-level technical assistance to existing entrepreneurs in areas such as inventory management, cost control, and distribution systems.
• The program will offer a sustainable form of development, building on existing local and national initiatives to strengthen the business environment.

Work of the SED Volunteer:

A SED Volunteer is an advisor assigned to a Malagasy government agency, a microfinance institution, a village association, or a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) where an agency representative will be his/her counterpart. In short, the role of the Volunteer is to concentrate in SED assistance to Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs). Youth and women are two important target groups for SED Volunteers, although SED activities are not limited to these groups. As we look toward the future, SED projects will involve more and more assistance to counterparts in agribusiness, communication and information technology as well as the development of more dynamic artisan sectors.

The major tasks of the job include the following:

• Conduct community resource and needs assessments;
• Facilitate accounting and basic business skills trainings;
• Assist in the development and implementation of feasibility studies for new business activities;
• Work with entrepreneurs to increase the efficiency and profitability of existing small businesses;
• Help small businesses expand by adding new products, entering new markets, and improving production processes.
• Collaborate with host country agencies to increase their impact in providing support to small businesses.
• Provide technical assistance to beneficiaries of small loans.
• Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of the SED program.
In each of these areas of technical intervention, the emphasis is on technology and skills transfer so that Malagasy can determine and respond to their own development needs. Examples of the techniques a PCV might be called on to provide include advice on management techniques, feasibility studies or market analyses. A significant portion of their training will be devoted to gaining the skills necessary to effectively transmit business skills to the Malagasy counterpart as well as the broader public in general. To do this Peace Corps-Madagascar trains its Volunteers to use and promote a systematic approach to project planning, implementation and evaluation. This community-based project management is an important skill that can be used by local communities to accomplish the long-range goal of improving the quality of life in Madagascar.

I hope this gives you a little more insight into what I will be doing.

Love,

-Sarah

ONE WEEK!!!

Hi all!

Just one more week until I head to DC to meet up with my fellow trainees.  I stay there for a day and a half and then head around the world!

I am pretty much packed.  I look ridiculous in my backpack, it is so huge! Just ask my parents haha.

In communication news, I jail broke my iPhone so I should be able to purchase some internet in Mada.  That will hopefully allow me to update this and facebook more to keep you all posted on my travels.

I also wanted to thank everyone who came to my going away party.  It was a ton of fun.

Love,
-Sarah

Family Information Letter

Hi All!!

So I am finalizing my preparations to leave.  I will be in Washington DC for staging for 2 days (Feb 27-28) then flying to Johannesburg on the 29th and finally arriving in Mada March 1.

The following is a letter sent by my peace corps desk that I am suppose to give my family.  I am printing out copies for my immediate family, but I would like to share all of this with you as well.  There are some useful websites for learning more, as well as mail advice.

Less than 3 weeks!

Love,
-Sarah

Dear Madagascar Trainee:  Please give this letter to your family and ask them to hold on to it for as long as you are in Madagascar.

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Madagascar Desk in Washington, DC!  It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the Peace Corps/Madagascar training program.  During the past year we have received many questions from Volunteers and family members regarding communication, mail, and travel plans.  As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest you handle them.  Peace Corps service certainly impacts more than just the trainee and we hope that this information will help ease some of the uncertainty which affects the families of volunteers.

The Country Director has asked for us to emphasize the importance of communicating your concerns with us, the Madagascar Desk at Peace Corps/Washington, rather than with staff in Madagascar.  This is critically important for a host of reasons.  Madagascar currently has approximately 128 volunteers.  The in-country staff’s primary responsibility is the care and well being of your family member.  However, the Peace Corps/Madagascar office does not have the capacity to assist family members who call seeking information.  The Peace Corps/Madagascar office is in direct and frequent contact with the Madagascar Desk, especially during emergency situations such as cyclones.  We, the Madagascar Desk, are well equipped to take your questions and talk about your concerns. 

The Peace Corps experience can be an exciting, intimidating, and amazing experience for both the volunteer and family.  The Volunteers will learn a lot about Madagascar during their preparation for service and throughout their service of two years.   This is also a great time for you to learn more about Madagascar, which may alleviate some of your concerns.  For instance, Madagascar is a huge country (the fourth largest island in the world).

Below are a few links to get you started in your discovery:

·    The Peace Corps Madagacar website - http://madagascar-dev.peacecorps.gov/

·    Peace Corps Madagascar Volunteer Website  - http://pcmada.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

·    The World Factbook – Madagascar: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ma.html

·    Embassy of Madagascar: http://www.madagascar-embassy.org/embassy/index.html

·    The Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/madagascar/

·    Cortez Travel and Expeditions: http://www.air-mad.com/

·    The Living Edens –Madagascar: http://www.pbs.org/edens/madagascar/ 

·    Wild Madagascar- http://www.wildmadagascar.org/

1.  Irregular Communication.   (Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar)  The mail service in Madagascar is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service; thus, it is important to be patient and understanding.  It can take three to four weeks for mail coming from Antananarivo to arrive in the United States via the Malagasy postal system.  From a volunteer's site, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States.  Sometimes mail is hand carried to the United States by a traveler and mailed through the U.S. postal system.  This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.  There is a truism that you may wish to embrace as uncomfortable as it is, “No news is good news!”

On average, it takes approximately four weeks for letters mailed from the United States to reach Antananarivo, and may take an additional six weeks to reach the Volunteer’s site.  We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. 

Also, try numbering your letters so that the volunteer knows they have missed one.  Postcards should be sent in envelopes – otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!  Ironically, mail service can speed up a bit once a volunteer is at site and they will be sending you their specific site address after six weeks of training. 

Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home.  Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc.  While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front.  Further, given the lag time in communication by the time you receive certain news, weeks if not months have passed and the volunteer has moved past a particularly sad moment when they miss you or that specific illness and don’t understand why it is that you are so concerned anymore! 

There are two Peace Corps medical officers at the Peace Corps office in Antananarivo.  In the event of a serious illness, the volunteer is sent to Antananarivo and cared for by our medical staff.  If the volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Madagascar he/she will be medically evacuated to Pretoria, South Africa or the United States.  Fortunately, these are rare circumstances. 

If for some reason your normal communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for an abnormal amount of time, you may want to contact the Counseling and Outreach Unit (COU) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470.  The Counseling and Outreach Unit will then contact the Peace Corps Director in Antananarivo and ask him to check up on the volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, critical illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately, so that we can inform the volunteer. Use the above number during regular business hours (9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday).  After hours, or during weekends, the Peace Corps Duty Officer may be reached at the same number, (202) 692-1470. Tell the operator your name, telephone number, and the nature of the emergency and the Duty Officer will call you back.

2.              Telephone Calls.  The telephone system in Madagascar is relatively good and service in and out of Antananarivo to the United States is fairly reliable.  In the interior of the country, where most of the volunteers are located, service is sometimes sporadic.  Typically, volunteers plan to be in larger towns on a certain date to receive calls from home. This can usually work, but there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart. 

Please be aware that the Peace Corps staff in Antananarivo and Washington are not able to assist in arranging these calls. Your family member will be able to inform you of the actual telephone numbers once they arrive in-country and to their site.  The Madagascar Desk is in regular communication with the Peace Corps office in Antananarivo. However, this communication is reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages.  All communication between family members and the volunteer should be done via international mail, e-mail, or phone calls.

3.  Sending packages.  Family members and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail.  Please be advised that packages can take at a minimum 1-2 months, but sometimes as long as 4-6 months.  Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes.  You may want to try sending inexpensive items through the mail, though there is no guarantee that these items will arrive.  We do not recommend sending costly items through the mail.  It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more heavily.  Even though many Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:

           

                                                “Name,” PCV

                                                Bureau du Corps de la Paix

                                                B.P. 12091

                                                Poste Zoom Ankorondrano

                                                Antananarivo 101

                                                Madagascar

For lightweight, but important or time sensitive items (e.g. airline tickets), we would recommend using an express mail service.  Fedex is one possibility and other courier services may operate in Antananarivo.  We would advise you to shop around to find the best prices and service options.

If you choose to send items through Fedex, you must address the package to:

“Name,” PCV

c/o U.S. Peace Corps Madagascar

Villa les Lierres

Lot IIk76, Lot Bonnet Invandry

Antananarivo

Madagascar

(You’ll also need to include the Peace Corps/Madagascar phone number: 261-20-224-3820).

Trying to send cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged.  If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange receipt of it. Western Union may be a better option for sending money.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar. We understand how frustrating it can be to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. 

Please feel free to contact us at the Madagascar Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions.  You may reach us at 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2326 or ext. 2366, or locally at 202-692-2326 or 202-692-2366.

Sincerely,

           

Kelly Daly

Country Desk Officer

1-800-424-8580, ext. 2326 or 202-692-2326

MadagascarDesk@peacecorps.gov

Peace Corps

Madagascar Country Desk

1111 20th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20526

Fax (202) 692-2301

VACATION UPDATE

Hi friends!

So I received a whole lot of information all at once that I am attempting to wade through.  My country desk manager sent out a bunch of emails with updated packing information, discounts, and facebook info.

There is a facebook site for my group, so I am now connected with people who will be training with me.

I have been reading the posts and the packing list to reevaluate my packing.  There are a lot of people with differing opinions, but mostly they say not to stress, people can send you things.

THE BEST NEWS, however, is that people in the group have posted blogs from current volunteers that answers questions.  This includes packing and electronic information.

THEREFORE, I have learned that I can take vacation days that I have not yet accrued.

MEANING, I WILL BE BACK IN MICHIGAN TO SEE MY BEST FRIEND CHRISTINA BERTRAND GET MARRIED SEPTEMBER 9, 2012.

So happy, in case you can't tell.

Also, I learned that most people take computers now, and there is increasing internet access.  Also, they recommend you buy a cell phone in country, rather than bringing an unlocked phone and buying a sim card.  Therefore, my number will change, so keep looking for that update.

Love,
-Sarah