MADAGASCAR-LET GIRLS LEARN!

LET GIRLS LEARN!!

I feel drained – sitting for hours on end with 52 bodies of anxiety, excitement, and fear whirling in a small conference room in Philadelphia.  49 under the age of 30 and 3 over the age of 60. All of us headed out to Madagascar tomorrow to help promote peace and understanding, work with the people we serve to meet their basic needs and learn about their culture and help them to learn about Americans. 

I am excited about working in a new Peace Corps initiative called “Let Girls Learn” and amazed to learn that 32 million girls in the world do not attend school.  Part of my job will be educating girls about health, possibly tutoring girls in different subjects and my own personal agenda of making sure they can see well enough to learn.  I packed an eye chart, ophthalmoscope and some glasses with me.

Peace Corps is a well-oiled machine, -over 50 years old- and the support and training is excellent so far. I feel well supported in all areas- medical problems, safety, weather changes, political changes.  Everything except running water and an indoor toilet.

Madagascar is the winning lottery ticket in the Peace Corps- we are told many applicants request it but only a few are chosen to interview and be accepted. It is an exotic place that most want to visit and thus far everyone I have spoken to has only great things to say about it.

The fourth largest island in the world, it is about 1000 miles long and 330 miles wide. Beaches, central highlands, jungles and desert areas. Health volunteers are in the highlands (cooler at night) and on the east coast (Indian ocean).  I don’t know where I will be yet – but am hoping for cooler evenings for a good night’s sleep.

Populations is around 23-24 million and the island actually split from India about 88 million years ago. Allowing plants and animals to evolve in isolation – 80 plus percent of all animals, insects and plants are only found in Madagascar. Lemurs! And I hear talking zebra’s – at least that what it says in the movie!

In the early 1900 they became a French colony – and gained independence in1960 – making Malagasy and French both languages spoken on the island. Much of the population live on less than 2 dollars a day.  I will be paid a little more than that- enough to buy healthy food and for transportation.  I will be given a new TREK bike, helmet and tool kit to maintain my bike, housing and a two-burner gas stove.  I will also be given a small allowance to furnish my home. Some of us will replace other volunteers and will move into their homes and possibly inherit or buy some of their household goods they leave behind.  About 15 of us will be placed in new towns, where the people have never seen Americans and be in new houses and have to buy all new supplies.  I  just want a real toilet!!!

Again I don’t know where I will be at this time.  The Peace Crops house is typically one room, big enough for a bed, small kitchen area, small table and chair to eat. No one has running water and electricity will be spotty depending on where I am placed.  Can I play my “Old Lady” card in this game?  Certainly old people should have a place with electricity! It is a good thing I jumped on this minimalist band wagon and started months ago living with less.

My old team at Saving Sight will get a kick out of the fact that I got in trouble the very first day for not dressing “Business Casual.”   I showed up with my roommate Kathy, who is my age and a social worker with nice trousers, fancy top and scarf and brand new tennis shoes.  We both wore tennis shoes so we could run for coffee- there was none offered in the conference room. 

While we were waiting in the lobby for the conference room doors to open, one of the speakers, in her late 20’s, came out and asked if the two of us would step inside.  I jokingly said ” Oh no we are in trouble already!” She looked at us and said “Tennis shoes are not considered business casual and we would like for you to go back and change.”  I cannot tell you the humiliation of being scolded by a 20 some year old- especially knowing she was right. We hung our heads as we walked pass all the younger volunteers and went up and changed.

My ahhh moment for the day-  we are a very diverse population- I was sitting in a room with volunteers who were Mexican, Italian, Syrian, Croatian, Nigerian, Chinese, Japanese, Guatemalan, Hawaiian.  Doz is Nigerian and his great grandfather was a tribal King and one of the first to send his daughters to college – in the United States.  

We leave for Madagascar tomorrow night and we will receive more vaccines and then move into host families who do not speak English and who will take care of us for the next three months while we learn Malagasy and French.

One of the biggest dangers –  no not malaria or parasites but culture and language fatigue. So please keep in touch.  I hope to post twice a month, but will have to see what the availability for internet service is like.

My new BBF and partner in crime!