First Week in Madagascar

 
Madagascar isn’t the easiest place to get to from New Zealand. After a 20,000 kilometre journey via Singapore and Ethiopia, lasting 36 hours, I finally arrive in Antananarivo (or Tana as it’s known locally); Madagascar’s bustling, chaotic capital.

I have long wanted to visit Africa, my fifth continent, and I’m excited to finally be in a part of the world that has such a rich cultural diversity and much to offer visitors.

Top of mind as I take my first steps on African soil, did my bag make it? There’s always that anxiety that goes with checking your bag in at Auckland Airport - knowing it has to be transferred twice on route - but thankfully it’s there and after purchasing my 30 day visa I’m soon through immigration and outside the main terminal.

Leaving the airport on route to my hotel you’re immediately struck by the harshness of life in this isolated island nation. Located approximately 1000km east of Mozambique, Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island but is also ranked by the UN as one of the world’s poorest countries. Everywhere you look people are eking out a daily existence selling a few items from tiny stalls; you wonder how anyone could possibly live off the proceeds. Others are forced to walk everywhere because they can’t afford the one or two dollars required to use the vast network of minibus taxis that cover the city. And of course there are the inevitable beggars and children with nowhere to live. But there’s a quite humility to their existence; rarely asking for money but instead doing so with their eyes.

It’s the moral dilemma every visitor to third world countries faces. What do you do in the face of such overwhelming need and how do you decide who to give to? For me it’s always random. Give what you can to those who seem to have the greatest need. But it’s never easy. I’ve always believed more people from first world countries should spend time in the third world to deepen their sense of gratitude for what they have.

I’m always amazed at how nothing is wasted in these countries. Everything is reused and recycled....from car tyres to small pieces of electrical cable. A visit to the local markets reveals a surprising array of items you might think would have no resale value at all. Once again you are reminded of the extent of wastage in the first world where our consumer driven society of dispose and repurchase is all pervasive. When you have very little, everything has a value.

A former French colony, its influence is still present almost 60 years after Madagascar gained its independence. Despite being unpopular colonial rulers for 77 years, the French language is still widely spoken; traditional baguettes and croissants are plentiful in the markets and the game of petanque is a national obsession. Madagascar secured the title of world champions in 2018.

My hotel is comfortable and welcoming with a commanding view over the city. I enjoy the facilities and the food knowing the next few weeks will be more challenging.

Antananarivo - Madagascar's capital city

After a ‘recovery’ day and 10 hours of much needed sleep the hotel organises a guide for me to see some of the city and surrounding sites.

We visit the King’s Palace on the outskirts of the city, used by former kings of Madagascar as their summer retreat.

With dramatic views of the surrounding region it is more traditional than grand and offers some interesting insights to a monarchy that lasted for just 87 years ending in 1897 with Queen Ranavalona III being banished to Algeria after France took control of Madagascar as its new colonial power. However, my guide is quick to point out this was not the understanding of the country’s rulers at the time believing instead that Madagascar was intended to become a French protectorate. Instead the French quickly seized control helping itself to the rich array of minerals and natural resources on offer.

Like many other African nations, the road to independence was a difficult one. France initially was unwilling to give up power but in 1960 it finally agreed to do so and next year, in 2020, Madagascar will mark 60 years as an independent country.

It is doubtful though if it will be called a ‘celebration.’ In the time since gaining its independence GDP has declined, poverty rates have increased and like many African countries corruption is rife. For the average Malagasy there will be little to celebrate as life continues to be one of limited means and day-to-day survival.

After my two days in Tana it’s time to embark on the next leg of my journey to meet up with Sam Lucas, the founder of an innovative social enterprise project called Onja (Malagasy for “wave”) which is to be the subject of an article I’m writing for the NZ Herald and the main reason for my trip.

I first connected with Sam in 2018 when I wrote about him as part of series of articles for the University of Auckland focusing on graduates under the age of 40 who were already high achievers in a range of endeavours.

Onja Founder Sam Lucas

Onja is based in the small coastal town of Mahanoro. Located 365km from Tana, it’s a nine hour road trip which is largely uneventful until we reach the town of Vatomandry; just short of our destination. From here it takes us almost three hours to cover the final 60km of our journey on a road that has more pot holes than tar seal! Many of Madagascar’s roads are legendary for their poor condition and lack of maintenance. It’s yet another example of basic infrastructure which inhibits economic properity.

We finally arrive just before 3pm having left the hotel at 6am that morning. Sam is there to meet me and what makes our meeting all the more significant is that after a year of emailing and video calls on WhatsApp it’s the first time we have met in person! Having not eaten since breakfast a plate of locally caught shrimps cooked in a delicious curry sauce from a nearby local restaurant is particularly welcome and we make our way to the school he has created in a two-story villa style home he has leased from a local owner.

Onja HQ & School complete with NZ flag!

Class in session

It’s compact but practical with the classroom located downstairs and offices and living quarters upstairs, along with an adjoining balcony with views over the tropical garden below. Complete with wifi, data projectors and all the amenities of a modern school it’s a world away from the majority of Madagascar’s local schools, many of which are housed in buildings that contain little more than a blackboard and a few battered desks. A supply of donated reconditioned laptops is expected to arrive from NZ in the coming months which will certainly be welcomed by the students.

Born and bred on Auckland’s North Shore and then gaining a degree in Engineering before backpacking around the world for almost two years, it was Sam’s quest to make a lasting contribution to this part of the world which led to Onja’s formation. His vision was to create a different type of school that would focus solely on an intensive programme teaching recent high school graduates just two subjects: English and computer coding; and doing so in just two years. The students receive the education at no charge but following completion of their studies they will be bonded to Onja for a period of time where their newly acquired coding skills will be outsourced to the first world and the income generated used to fund the next intake of students. It’s an innovative model that Sam is hoping to scale into other third world countries in the future.

But in order to maximise the impact of his initiative he needed students with the academic ability to maintain the rigorous pace the programme requires. This involved embarking on a recruitment tour giving students from hundreds of regional high schools throughout Madagascar the opportunity to sit a formal entrance exam. Almost all of the students sitting the entrance exam come from very poor backgrounds so this opportunity has the potential to completely change their lives.

Such projects come with their own set of challenges in the third world; particularly when communication is so difficult. It even involved using local radio stations on occasions to invite students to sit the entrance exams.

Six months after launching the programme the 26 students fortunate to gain entry are already half way through their year-long English programme. They have all decided for themselves that the best way to learn English is to speak it exclusively in all their communications; both inside and outside the classroom so it’s a fully immersive learning environment. Next year they will focus exclusively on learning coding.

With all the students living onsite, their dedication is impressive with many rising at 4am to fit in extra study three hours before classes begin at 7am. Apart from a two hour break in the middle of the day classes continue until 5pm with regular exams and testing built into the programme.

The pace is unrelenting and I’m full of admiration for their dedication knowing that many students back in NZ could learn from their example.

I meet Alex and Kirsten, a couple from the Netherlands who have volunteered their services for a year along with Izzy from the UK who is using the experience towards the service component of her Duke of Edinburgh Award. I also meet Mitantsoa a teacher previously based in Tana who serves as the school’s academic director and Rina who acts as the office manager and operations co-ordinator.

Mahanaro, where the school is based, is a coastal town with a population of just a few thousand people. It makes for an ideal setting with the beach just a few hundred metres from the building housing the school. The sound of waves constantly crashing on the beach ensures the atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried.

My own accommodation is idyllic. A private bungalow just a few metres from the beach, and just $NZ15 a day! It would easily rate as the best value accommodation I’ve come across on any of my overseas trips.

My digs

                   

View from my deck. 50m to the beach!

Sleeping well is a given here. With little to do after 8pm turning in and sleeping for 10 hours every night is something I don’t think I’ve done since I was in primary school! Amazing how quickly your system adapts to the change in sleeping pattern and the impact all that extra sleep has on your overall health and well-being.

The food here consists mainly of rice which is consumed in large quantities, usually supplemented by beans. Meat is rare and if it is served its Zebu, a local animal a bit smaller than a cow and very lean. I did bring a small jar of Marmite with me but it was consumed by the students in about two days. They loved the taste. Wish I’d brought more of it...

Truth is I would kill for a steak right now...and a nice red wine but I'm hardly starving! Beer is cheap here with a brand called Three Horses Beer (or THB as it’s known locally) the big favourite.

Also missing my favourite snack: Pics Peanut Butter. Reckon it would be a big hit here...

The local markets are fantastic. Fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful and cheap. Pineapples for a $1 and tomatoes here have amazing flavour. It’s become a ritual to start each day with a plate of fresh pineapple watching the sunrise from my deck...

Amazing that for all its remoteness I have full connectivity with excellent Wifi. Even though its appearance might have that “number 8 wire” look, it actually works very effectively.

Internet connection with battery charged by solar panel for power outages

While Madagascar is very poor the one thing the government has done right is to invest in good mobile technology. It’s a reminder of how connected the world is these days. Despite the poverty most young people have mobile phones. Solar panels are also cheap here and you can buy them in the markets for around NZ$5-10. Outside many thatched houses you will see them being used to charge phones.

The simplicity of the daily schedule is a reminder of how uncomplicated life can be. As in many developing countries the absence of wealth is replaced by a lifestyle that is enviable. Everyone has just enough to live off and life goes at an unhurried pace. Readjusting to life in NZ in a month’s time will certainly come with its challenges!