I have been in Madagascar for nearly a month now. The days have been flying by. Peace Corps keeps us very busy with training 6 days a week, including 4 hours of Malagasy language training in the mornings and a combination of technical, cultural and administrative trainings in the afternoons. This schedule leaves very little time to think about and process all of the changes and adjustments happening in life at the moment. Overall though, things are incredible. The landscape of the country is absolutely beautiful, dotted by forests, rice fields, colorful houses, mountains and plateaus. We are currently living in the highlands a few hours east of the capital in a town called Mantasoa where most individuals make their living rice farming or fishing. The town is located on the largest man-made lake in Madagascar, Lac Mantasoa. Malagasy people are incredibly friendly and curious, but also come across as very relaxed and low key – just my type of people. Though the language barrier is still pretty significant, I feel very at home and comfortable within the culture and with the people I interact with on a daily basis.
About a week ago all of the Peace Corps trainees moved back to the training center after living with host families in the town of Mantasoa for the past month. I absolutely loved my host family and had a great time getting to know them as well as learning about Malagasy language and culture. I spent much of my time at home with my host mother Eliane, chatting and cooking Malagasy food which always consists of rice and a side dish of vegetables, pasta, beans or meat. I also played a lot of Go Fish and dominoes with my host siblings Haingo (10) and Kelly (6), while the youngest Christianon (2) generally wreaked havoc around the house. At various times he was found playing with giant knives, eating pig feed or hitting anyone around him with sticks. By the end of homestay, I was able to hold basic conversations with my host family in Malagasy and was even told by my host mom that she would miss my company. I already feel nostalgic thinking about my time there.
The biggest news however is that I found out my site placement last week! I am officially going to the town of Ampefy, located a few hours west of Antananarivo. It is a pretty large tourist destination as it is the geographical center of Madagascar and is located on one of the largest lakes in the country, Lake Itasy. It is known for its delicious fish, and just as I was hoping, one of my primary projects will be working with a fisherwoman who runs her own fishery just outside of town! Additional projects that I hope to get involved with include work at a fruit and vegetable drying center and with local artisans such as woodcarvers and basket weavers.
