Pumps

Here is one picture of the treadle pumps which were installed at my site in October.  They are much easier to use than simple watering cans and will, in the future, save time.  Currently we are experimenting with ways to improve water flow.  The green hose that you see in the bottom of the photo is too small to effectively water all of the garden plots quickly enough.  More to come on this project in the year ahead.

A Borrowed Post

A post I put together for someone elses blog (yes, I am neglectful, sorry).  It discusses the work that has taken place at the primary school in my village, Analasatrana.  Oh...and it is also dated.  Maybe three months old...(again neglectful)

The first chapter of the construction of the EPP in Analasatrana is, as one might expect, anything but mundane.  With the arrival of funds in July the community eagerly looked to complete its work before the start of school.  And, as a related note, no one knew exactly when the start of school would be.  Still reeling from the strikes of the 2011-2012 school year much of what the new year would be remained in flux.  But work must carry on. 

Finding a mason and carpenter for the doors and windows were the first task of the leadership team (the secretary and treasurer of the parent’s association or FRAM and the local schools supervisor).  Made to specifications and of quality lumber and hinges, the doors and windows were constructed in Ambilobe and sent to site for installation.  The pastor of the FJF (protestant church) in Ampotsehy was selected to complete construction from start to finish.  Here, to everyone’s surprise.  Is where trouble reeled its ugly head.  Somehow, and no one knows exactly how, the doors and windows did not fit their frames at the school.  A problem, to be sure, but nothing creativity could not solve.  With skill and patience Pastor added extra brick and support to make the too big frames fit the too small doors and windows.  On to the next task: the walls.

Deciding to complete the interior walls before the floor, Pastor leapt into action.  At his disposal was an immense mound of sand on the school’s front steps.  Gathered by community members in one of two work days the sand, we all thought, was clean and abundant.  Again, trouble fought its way in.  Work on the interior walls required a fine grain sand.  Only with a smooth finish could paint be properly applied.  Gathered from the banks of the Mahavavy river our sand was too coarse.  Not a disaster, just a misstep, and the purchase of a sifting screen allowed work to continue. 

And on to the floors.  Other than cement, the primary ingredient in a solid floor is rock. If the rock is about the size of golf balls, no bigger, it will provide the floor with the resiliency to survive the heavy traffic and wear of time.  As you may be suspecting, our pile of rocks were much too large.  “No problem”, says the parents association, who then organized teams to break the big rocks (occasionally boulders) into the proper size.  Several weeks later, through lots of sweat and a fair amount of bickering, the rocks were ready and the floor of the first classroom was set in place. 

Which brings us to the present.  Currently work is taking place on the floor and patio of the second classroom.  Additional sand is being gathered and we expect the interior to be complete before that mysterious day in the future when class resumes. 

None of the above would have been possible without the work of two key leaders: the treasurer of the parent’s association and the local schools supervisor.  Rolling up their sleeves (both literally and proverbially) they have each striven to see the thing through to completion.  As an interested and perhaps slightly meddlesome observer, my role has been to provide suggestions, motivation, and most frequently a listening ear.  When trouble arose and tensions mounted I listen to the gripes (some earned, some not) and refocus on attention on the work ahead.  With time, and their and your continued support, I am confident the school will reach full completion.  

Ampotsehy School

Thanks to the generosity of a really great Australian couple (pictured with myself) the village of Ampotsehy will be getting a primary school.  Below are images of the first planning meeting held by the village to discuss the plan of action.  This is work that I love as everyone - donors, villagers, myself - are so motivated to see the projects through to completion. 

I Almost Traded Shirts

The Cost of Doing Business

Motivated by an unsavory encounter today I would like to briefly talk about bribery and corruption.  It should come as no surprise that all governments struggle with the inefficencies created by the abuse of political influence.  Some companies, individuals, and other interests search for every avenue to achieve their desired ends.  Often, those avenues come at the expense of the public itself.  For example, a mining company who wishes to aquire mineral rites may agree to provide kickbacks to those with the means to provide those rites.  In this example, local opposition is steamrolled by the allure of quick and abundant cash. 

According to Transparency International, the respected advocate of fair and open governance, roughly "US $20 to $40 billion are received annually by officials in developing and transition countries".  But don't get thrown off by the sheer enormity of the sum.  For most, corruption is seen in micro, not macro.  An example of this may be something as small as US $2 to $5 to help "expidite" business or "avoid" a fine.  Yet, for those with nothing, these small sums are even unattainable. 

Madagascar, a country that one and a half years has taught me to love, is sorely in need of greater political transperancy.  Only when that transperancy comes will Madagascar begin to fulfill its obligation to all its citizens.

For more information from Transperancy Internationals 2011 Report, click here.   

Fundraising Ride



First, let me begin by thanking each of you who have donated to Atsika and my campaign to rebuild the roof of the CEG in Marivorahona.  Through your generosity we have raised roughly half of the $2000 needed!  But the campaign is not over yet. 

On the 15th of this month my friend Bryan and I will embark on a 701km bike ride to help raise additional funds.  I encourage you to support us on our ride by pledging per kilometer.  Any amount will help.  If you are interested, simply email me your pledge commitment at koenig.ted@gmail.com.  Your email will help me better keep track of funds as well as ensure that you are kept up to date on the status of our journey.

Thank you all for your support!

A Few Photos

At the campsite of the KOFAMA eco-tourism group.  The woman in the center is a student intern who has worked this year to develop programs with the group.  Flanking her are two of the groups more active members.  

The gentleman on the right is the familial owner of the cave you see in the foreground.  With his advice, the KOFAMA eco-tourism group is able to more respectfully able to manage the cave and allow visitors to enter.

Doors and windows on the school! Lots of work ahead, but very excited.  

Ankarana National Park

Despite the fact that I have lived only 15km from the border of Ankarana National Park, I had not taken the time to visit until this month.  With several friends I was able to visit the difficult to access West entrance.  The entrance is known for its impressive caves.  Here are a few photos from my trip.

Malaria Murals

Several fellow volunteers helped me complete a health project in my community.  Painting  images on local buildings we hope the pictures will help spread information about how to prevent and properly treat malaria. 

A local woman, who has become my Peace Corps mom, asked us all to wear traditional clothes for the picture.  She is the very short woman standing in the center. 

School Construction Begins

Thanks to the generosity of an amazing British couple, my community has finally received the funds it needs to complete construction of its elementary school.  The following photos detail the community's efforts in collecting the raw materials, sand and rock, needed for completion.  

Getting sand meant driving to a dried riverbed and filling the trailer with spades and old rice sacks.  Despite the fact that the wheels fell of the program early in the day (literally, the wheel fell off our trailer) the work was salvaged and we were able to get the needed sand.

Taking advantage of the abundance of local rock my villagers also gathered the stone needed to complete the floors.

All the labor made us very hungry.  Local women prepared the noon meal for us. 

To encourage participation in community events it is customary to provide local alcohol.  These three are at the end of a long day of labor and their last bottle of local brew.  

More Photos

Sunrise over Diego Bay

Sharing photos at site

Though I have mentioned this aspect of my PC life in several previous posts, today I would like to go into detail about my work in environmental and cultural conservation. 

Both for their scenic splendor and their geological uniqueness, Ankarana National Park is known for its limestone formations, called tsingy. Derived from the Malagasy word mitsingitsingy  or to tip-toe, tsingy formations are found in only two locations in all of Madagascar.  Almost as remarkable as the formations themselves are the fauna and flora which inhabit the patchwork forests of the National Park.  Of these forest inhabitants, endemic lemurs are the largest attraction for park visitors. 

Falling only a few kilometers south of Ankarana national Park are lesser tsingy formations.  Only a few in number they lack any official protected status.  My work this year has been focused on securing the legal status necessary to protect the environmental and cultural treasures of one formation in particular: the Tsingy Mahaloka.

This lengthy process began in February.  In order for protected status to be granted there must be a community partner willing to take responsibility for natural resource management.  Thanks to the work of an extremely motivated and talented former Peace Corps volunteer, Christi Turner, that group has existed since 2007.  Yet, while they held regular meetings and built and managed a small campsite near the Tsingy Mahaloka, the group never managed to secure official legal status as fikambanana or association. Saving you from the gritty details, including a whole pile of false starts and unsavory dealings (according to Forbes Magazine, Madagascar has the distinct honor of being the world's worst place to do business, largely in part to bureaucracy), KOFAMA finally received its legal status in March. 

By May, with the generosity of  Madagascar National Parks, we were ready to make our request for a management title.  Thanks to our previous experience and the good will of others, it appears that completion of the management title will take place before July. 

Now you might ask yourself, what does all of this documentation mean?  Good question, and the answer is still in development.  But, to give you one specific example, look at the benefits that legalization will provide for one of the Tsingy Mahaloka's most impressive treasures, the Mandresy Cave.

Located near the Tsingy Mahaloka campsite the Mandresy Cave is highly valuable for both its environmental and cultural richness.  Of unexplored length and depth, the cave is home to an impressive number of bats.  Their presence contributes to the abundance of rich biotic life on the cave floors as well.  As the following picture illustrates, however, their presence has been both a blessing and a curse.  Many people are interested in gathering guano, bat poop, from the Mandresy Cave for use as an agricultural fertilizer. Their aggressive extraction does extensive damage to the cave's delicate ecosystem.  With legalization the KOFAMA group will be able to prevent pilfering and uncontrolled extraction.

The cave also draws its name from a rich cultural history.  During Madagascar's tribal wars, in which armies from the plateau invaded coastal land and tribes, the caves were used as hideouts for fleeing peoples.  Mandresy, or to win, signifies the victory of those survivors.  For many decades, the cave has also been used as a tomb for ancestors of the local Antakarana poeple.  Because of their presence a strict system of fady, or taboos, applies to the Mandresy Cave.  For example, women must wear traditional clothing and men may not wear hats or smoke.  Not only are those who extract guano causing environmental destruction but they are also ignore this system of fady. With a management plan in place the KOFAMA group will be able to enforce rules related to entrance. 

This is only one example, of course.  The land which will be placed under KOFAMA's management includes everything for lemurs to stalactites.  Through the work of KOFAMA and its partners I hope that legalization will provide a solid foundation for community based eco-tourism and resource management.

On the Road

Many children spend their days filling potholes on the main highway.  Drivers or passengers occasionally throw them 100Ar (about 5 cents) for their work.  This child is chasing after his 100Ar. 

 I took this picture to give you an idea of what bus rides are like.  This one was actually fairly spacious, yet we still manage to fall all over each other. 

The CEG Marivorahona

Because the Malagasy government did not have the resources to furnish a school structure, parents were required to construct classrooms using traditional and inexpensive materials.

The holes in the roof, as this picture shows, are what prevent students from learning during the rainy season.

Pictures

Flew into Antananarivo yesterday for my Mid Service Conference.  Excited to see friends and, at last, to have access to a decent internet connection.  Here are a few pictures... 

The kids love to play marbles.  And sometimes they are willing to share.

A lot of my time has been spent in meetings like this one.  Tourists have just begun arriving to my area and the group pictured is preparing for its first guests of the season.

Not a very exciting photo, I know, but I only wanted to point out that the rain clouds have finally given way to blue skies. The road to my village is beginning to dry and the seasonal winds, called "varatraza", provide a little relief from the mid-day heat

One of the local "barbershops" is behind a tree near my house.  For the price of a razor blade most anyone seems willing to cut your hair.  I splurge, however, and get my hair cut in the city for $1.50.

Finally...an update

Since the holidays ended in December and January I have been completely irresponsible with my postings.  The rainy season really dampened everything, including my motivation to write, but let me begin today by trying to fill in where I left off.

January and February marked the start of the rainy season and the rice planting season.  Like everyone else I also planted a crop.  More than anything it was a chance for me to get my hands dirty; to participate in the one thing that everyone talks about. Both in planting and harvesting I attracted quite a bit of attention.  My field was right out my front door and near the road.  It is not everyday that people see a "vazaha", soaked in sweat, pulling weeds.  

The rains of January and February also made most roads impassable.  By February, tractors and adventurous bicyclists are the only things able to move.  Without a tractor I became the latter.  Thank goodness for the nice bikes Peace Corps provides us.  

By March I was on my way to the capitol to train the newest volunteers.  Away from site for a full month I helped provide technical and cross-cultural lessons as well as answered an endless variety of of questions.  It was a ton of work - being part of the staff put a whole new perspective on trainings - and it was interesting to reflect on how far I have come in my own service.  To think that Peace Corps and the trainees would and did trust my advice is incredible (..y laughable?).  All in all I feel good about my time there and may do the same in the year ahead.

Since my arrival at site in April life has been moving quickly.  Another world map project, the construction of a village sales house for local weavers, and the arrival of an intern at my ecotourism site have kept me very busy.  This work will hopefully continue for the next several months,  The majority of tourists arrive from May to August and I have high hopes for my projects this year.  In just a few days I leave for the capitol again and my mid-service conference.  A chance to learn, relax, and catch up with friends are what I look forward to most.  

Sorry, no pictures yet.  Sitting at a friends computer in Ambanja, two hours south of my site.  In town for a birthday party and the chance to borrow an internet connection.

Love,

Ted