We take the same camion today as we took on Friday to Farafara. It is quite small, but so is our group. Our journey is pleasant as we get to stretch our legs twice over the three hours. We pick up some delicious bananas on the first stop. Mbelo and Mahafali join us on the second stop in Mahatalaky. Shortly after the second stop, we come upon a bridge that was destroyed last week by the cyclone. It was repaired but the crew determines it to be unsafe for crossing. We back track about five hundred yards to an ONG Azafady school in Emagnevy, where we eat lunch. The staff hire porters to help us on the one hour walk to Beandry. We arrive at four pm and we take the rest of the afternoon to set up camp.
Azafady Camp^site in Beandry
We are a bit short on food since the cook did not plan for our company from the office: Jo and Ginny. Jo taught English in Vietnam for eight months and he has been here for two years. Ginny is going to take over project development next September. Someone is supposed to have bought extra food from Mahatalaky today. We spent the day walking and talking. It is about an hour walk between Beandry, where we camp, and Mananara Deux, which we are evaluating for ONG Azafady projects. The walk is beautiful. The sun was shining today, and so, despite leaving before half eight, it was hot. We met up with guide and we started interviews straight away.
I went with Jo, Joanne, Ruth, and Claude. We interviewed an 86 year old man first. He was open minded. He had a 13 year old boy who goes to Beandry for school. He fed us some cassava. His stove was on so it was pretty hot in the house. We interview a man who worked in a sisal factory in the spiny forest where he met his wife. She was sheltered in the house with her two month old baby. After giving birth here, women stay home and men sleep around for about three months. Claude was happy to use his own dialect. We also interview a lady who wonders why we are so well fed. Most people claimed that a school is needed from the town. I don't understand why that opinion is so ubiquitous.
A split level compound
We got an answer in an interview on the fifth of March. People that are literate can sign their own zebu passport. In discussion after potato curry dinner, Claude let us know that people who cannot sign the passport use their fingerprint and we learned from him that people that can sign pay less for the passport than people who cannot. The current chef De cartier asks us why we came to Madagascar. I tell him that I am interested in both rice cultivation and Malagasy spirituality.
On the sixth of March we walk to Ambazaha. It is a big compound on the west side of Mananara Deux, which is a full half hour walk from where my group did interviews on the previous days. The chief gives us bananas at his house before we start. The eleven am sunshine is too much for me, so I seek some shade on the west side of the house. I walk into sight of a large gathering. After three interviews, I learn from the Chef de Cartier via Yvonne that the meeting is between the men of Amabazay to discuss paying an organization, Zama, to protect their zebu.
In the interviews, we explain that ONG Azafady is using the information to decide whether to do projects in Mananara Deux. After that introduction, we proceed to background information about number of people under the roof, their ages, and their schooling. Then we inquire about livelihood. Most people are involved in rice and casava. Some process coffee, sugar, and bananas. The next set of questions is about health: we ask about how recent illnesses were handled and water supply. The sick are taken to Mahatalaky for treatment. People drink from the river. Some have springs nearby, some drink from the rice paddies in the valley. Lastly, we ask about firewood. People invariably go to the forest when there is none near the house. There is not consensus as to when the forest will cease to be sufficient. We end the interview by giving an opportunity for the person we are interviewing to ask us questions.
On the seventh, I walk to work despite blistering between my toes. I go barefoot. Today is sunny again. We do not get to Ambazaha until noon. Mahafali beat us with our lunch. We interview the old chef De cartier after lunch. He is concerned about all of the issues which ONG Azafady requires information. He is a strong, smart man. He asked for help from the FAO to build a well. The well did not work. Azafady planted vegetables that did not grow. We told him that we are collecting information. Now this is a sensitive issue: we are told that ONG Azafady will build latrines in Mananara Deux soon after we leave yet we have given the town no indication that we made this decision. Why? I don't know. The town we are camping in, Beandry, is the first town the became free of open defecation. It is only a 45 minute walk between the two so maybe the word will spread and that will help Mananara Deux adapt to a new lifestyle.
Ambazaha Center
On the eighth, we get to Ambazaha by half ten. Edwin, Aime, Ruth, and I do three interviews in Ampasy. We get casava in our first interview. That helped us last until one before breaking for lunch. I meditate after eating. Before leaving Ambazaha for afternoon surveys, I go for a pee under some coffee trees and I learn there what open defecation is. I felt dirty. I buy pineapple and taro root in the village centre, which, by the way, is not nearly as metropolitan as Ambazaha. We do two more interviews in the houses closest to Beandry. A woman complains of chronic stomach aches. Aime gracefully explains that we are collecting information and that it is the job of a doctor to address her issue. I ask Edwin for some Malagasy tobacco and some paper. I roll a cigarette and smoke. It is quite strong. My stomach feels solid after I smoke. When we return, I eat some pineapple. After, my stomach is in pain. We have zebu for dinner. We pass around some locally brewed moonshine while we stargaze. I only have one sip but it warms me up and makes me feel happy.
The ninth is our day off! I shower before breakfast and then I take care of my laundry after breakfast. I play a card version of Cluedo in the morning. We have long white beans for lunch. I feel alright after eating them. In the afternoon, I walk with Joe, James, and Ginny around Beandry. We see some latrines and we see a few moringa trees. The trees are fast growing and nutritious. After the walk Louis and I extend our Euchre winning streak. The game is against Matt and James, and who has only learned the game this morning. In the night, we have taro root, cassava balls, and pumpkin for dinner. After we play games and drink alcohol.
We have our last bush breakfast on the morning of the tenth. I use brown sugar to sweeten the banana and banana bread before mixing in honeyed rice. I scoop up the meal with bits of dough ball. I also have a sweetened mixture of lemongrass and black tea. The camion refuses to cross the bridge to Sanoria, so we are going meet it at Emagnevy. We walk over the mountain instead of going around the way we came. It is quite beautiful. I discuss voting with Declan and Louis on the way up the hill. We agree that voting should be mandatory and that people should be able to vote for no one. In the event that the majority vote goes to no candidate, we opine the election should be redone. Then we argue over whether all countries should vote on the same day. I think it will help. Declan thinks it will create too much chaos.
Looking south east from the top of the hill south east of Beandry
The camion got a flat tire on the way to pick us up from Emagnevy so we spend two hours in the shade. I play games on my tablet. The camion comes shortly before noon. We get to Mahatalaky around lunch time. The camion team treats us to lunch to make up for the delay. We have zebu and rice. Rice tea is served but Sarah tells us that it is unlikely then water was boiled for over ten minutes. Ginny gives us a riddle: you are given two pieces of string that do not necessarily burn at a constant rate, but each takes one hour to burn entirely; how does one measure fifteen minutes? After we work it out we play 21 questions.
These pictures are of Azafady work
I am happy to find sandwiches in the eating area at Lanirano when we arrive at around four o'clock. After showering, we all head to Coco Beach. We fill out evaluation forms. I stay late with Matt and Ruth. We talk about future. Matt wants kids. Ruth wants equal distribution of resources. I want to make academic contribution that is accessible.
