This is a random list of things that I either learned in Madagascar or things that I already knew, but were reinforced.

Life is hard and the Malagasy are survivors

Madagascar is a poor country with very little social safety net and everybody works very hard to survive.

For example:

• Most of the workers at the Vakona Forest Lodge live in Andasibe and walk 8 kilometers to and from work (a few stay near the lodge, but their children must then walk to Andasibe for school). They not only walk, but they are always carrying things like bundles of charcoal (their primary source of heat for cooking), and it is very common to see women carrying babies in their arms while balancing heavy payloads on their head.

• Many women work in the field or wash laundry for money. Few have machines for this, so this is mostly done by hand using creek water.

• Driving to the airport at 1:00 am we saw a long line of farmers transporting their crops to the marketplace using heavy handcarts (after working a full day in their fields).

• 80 percent of Malagasy work in agriculture – primarily on very small patches of land. Some have Zebu (cattle) to help with this work, but many rely entirely on human power. While people try to educate the farmers on the harm done by slash and burn projects, many feel that they must resort to these practices to earn enough to survive.

If hard work always translated to success, Madagascar would be way more successful than the Unties States.

Many Malagasy do not primarily identify as African

Madagascar has its own unique flora, fauna, and landscape and many refer to it as the “8^th continent” (it is too small to be a continent and is typically categorized as a microcontinent). It was initially settled by Indonesians, who later mixed with Indians, Africans, and other ethnicities.

The Malagasy frequently refer to Madagascar as its own place rather than connect it with Africa.

Infrastructure matters

• Madagascar has one of the least developed road networks in the world, and most of its national and local roads are earth roads and in poor condition. Furthermore, it has very little railroad infrastructure and much of that was shut down after it was privatized.
  • The only connection from Antananarivo to the east coast is by a small road that is in bad condition.
  • Antananarivo has no connections to the west, north, or south.
  • Air transportation is usually required to travel between cities and regions. This severely impacts goods and services as well as tourism.

• Electricity us very unreliable, which negatively impacts Malagasy lives and their ability to compete globally (it is not a great place to start a tech company).

• Water is expensive and difficult for many Malagasy (especially if you live on a hill, which is most of Antananarivo). Most homes maintain their own water supply that they must pay to be filled by water trucks.

While Madagascar is very rich in natural resources, it’s infrastructure issues make it difficult for the average Malagasy to benefit from these resources. There are very few opportunities for people to get ahead.

Clothes we donate go to businesses rather than to people

Most people in Madagascar wear second hand clothing. Everywhere you see people wearing T shirts with obscure college names that you know they have never heard of. I was half expecting to see a DirectX T shirt (but never did).

What I did not know is that when you donate clothing to charity, that clothing gets resold to second hand retailers rather than being distributed directly to people in need. Apparently, this is true most everywhere, but I first learned about it in Madagascar.