The 8th Continent

Salama!

Before I received my Peace Corps assignment, I knew very little about the island of Madagascar.  I knew just enough to understand that life had given me an opportunity that I couldn't refuse!  Since then I have done my research and become more familiar with the country, though there is still much more to learn (such as the beautiful language).  To give you a better sense of where in the world I am going, I want to share some of the general facts with you.

Madagascar is an island country off of the East coast of Africa.  It is roughly the size of Texas or France, with about 22 million people living on it.  Although the island is south of the equator, it is still in the tropical belt and has very tropical weather.  Just last week on Valentines day the East coast of Madagascar was hit by a category 4 cyclone, Giovanna, which then travelled across the width of the island, causing extensive damage along the way.

The Peace Corps has had volunteers in Madagascar since 1993, with a few interruptions here and there.  Projects focus on education, the environment, health, and small enterprise development.  My work will be in the environment sector, and will most likely focus on natural resource management.  Volunteer life is wildly different for everyone and from what I hear, it is what you make it.  I am extremely excited about the potential professional skills I will gain and the unique experiences in my future.  Hopefully my work will amount to something positive and sustainable for the community that I serve.  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love a challenge.  Bring it!

Of course, the first challenge for any Peace Corps volunteer is saying goodbye to their previous life and hello to a new one.  I'm working on it!  I've also been attempting to pick up little bits of the language, in hopes that my mouth will at least be able to form the correct sounds and my ears will pick up the little nuances.  Malagasy is a very beautiful language that (from what I have read) has Bantu, Arabic, and French influences, much like the people themselves.  There are 18 dialects across the island to go with 18 distinct tribes, but the differences in the language are not extreme.  French is also a national language however it is only spoken by the highly educated and I will not be learning much of it.

The biodiversity on the island is one of the things that makes it so special.  One reason it is called "the 8th continent" is because it contains the biodiversity of an entire continent, in such a small space!  I look forward to exploring the wildlife and plant diversity wherever I end up stationed, and hopefully I'll get some great pictures to share with you!  Next time I write to you, it will be from a tropical place. . . until then, veloma!