A Trip Up North

It is crazy that it is already July! The second half of June was filled with traveling which made it absolutely fly by. The first trip came as a surprise – my counterpart organization, Prosperer, informed me and the two other volunteers in my region with three days notice about a business trip to visit Prosperer offices and co-workers up north to promote cooperation and communication between regions. I was unsure if I wanted to go at first at such short notice, having planned other activities for that week and worried about language and community integration. However, I decided to go and am so glad that I did. The north is like another world from the highlands. I am beginning to learn why some people call Madagascar “the eighth continent”. It was not only interesting to see how the landscape changed during the 700km trip to Antsohihy, but also to see how different the culture seemed once we arrived. Not only is the language different, as the people speak a different dialect of Malagasy, but I couldn’t help but notice the culture felt much more African. I found myself being reminded of my time in Senegal – something I had experienced living in the highlands but to a much lesser extent as the culture reflects a more Asian influence.

The “business” part of the trip was great. It consisted of visiting various MERs, or Micro-Entreprises Rurales (Rural Micro-Enterprises), who are the primary beneficiaries of Prosperer activities and include blacksmiths, basket weavers, beekeepers, and seamstresses among others. It was interesting to see other projects and get some ideas for projects I can try to incorporate in my work in Ampefy. I also loved getting to know my Malagasy co-workers and counterparts. Nothing like long car rides and late nights singing Malagasy songs (or listening, in my case) to bring people closer together. Many times I found myself thinking, this would never happen on a business trip in the states! Though I have to say, one of the highlights of our time in Antsohihy was the coconut sauce. Coconuts abound up north, and they make an absolutely delicious sauce that is even better when paired with freshly caught ocean fish in which I indulged several times over a 24-hour period.

On the way back down south, we stopped in a town called Port-Bergé for some more visits. We had a bit more time to wander and explore the town, which was a nice respite from sitting in a car all day. It was interesting to chat with people from the town, both to hear just how different the language is (and see just how little I could understand) and to learn a bit about culture in the north. Every evening for the two weeks leading up to the fetim-pirenena (independence day) in Madagascar, which was on June 26^th, there is a type of boxing called Morengy (sp?) that takes place in the town center of Port-Bergé. Men, women and children alike seek out opponents by strutting around the makeshift arena, sizing up their competition until they find a suitable match. While the fighting is normally a form of good fun and healthy competition, it did occasionally turn ugly prompting the local police to get involved and break it up. I have posted some pictures that only begin to capture the atmosphere of the event, but at least do justice to its scale.

I think the fighting was a good example of just how diverse Malagasy culture is. It reflects a much more intense energy and vibrant culture up north, while the highlands are much more conservative and relaxed. I have to say, while it was great to see the differences in the north and I am definitely motivated to discover other parts of the country, I was happy and relieved to return to my quiet town of Ampefy. A big part of Malagasy culture is the giving of voandalanas, literally translated as “fruit of the road” and a gift that you share with your friends and family upon return from a trip. So, upon my return, I not only shared stories from the trip but also northern specialties such as coconuts and siramamy gasy – Malagasy sugar made out of sugar cane and pounded in the shape of a brick – with my friends back in Ampefy. I spent a great evening upon my arrival celebrating the birthday of a friend with her family in which I experimented with my own coconut sauce. It turned out quite tasty, I must say.