spotlight madagascar

Check out Beyond Good Intentions; click on the country to watch the film, watch the bonus features, join the discussion. What is working in international aid?  Can we change things?  We need to be asking more questions, demanding more accountability, improving participation and monitoring and evaluation – what else?  What will work in Madagascar?  Should local people be driving development instead of foreign donor agencies and multinational corporations?

Episode 6 is about Peace Corps in Madagascar, Tori interviewed a couple of my good friends! I’ll be following up on some of her stories when I return in September.

My good friend and fellow RPCV, Danny Hervol, sent this email this morning.  He gave me permission to post it here, just to let people hear an insider’s view of what’s happening.  I haven’t changed a word.  And keep in mind, these are the perspectives and opinions of one person, and if anyone has heard anything else, please send it to me and I’ll post that as well in the interest of remaining an objective observer.

Okay,

First of all, everyone I know is safe, quite frightened, but safe. That mean me included. The last two nights I stayed at a friends house about 7km north of Tamatave here. A little stand that sells telephone credit was burned in the street about 30meters from my house. Also, just down the road, a bakery was looted, because protesters say that the flour used to make it is from the President (who the protest is against) therefore it allows them to rationalize their ill actions. Right now, the mob mentality has taken over, and a generally very passive people have metamorphasized into a free for all and taking advantage of no law and order, and have robbed the local markets. When I came into town yesterday morning, I saw the remaining shell of a car burned upside-down in the middle of the street next to the Magro (owned by the Prez) store which was also looted and burned. I now seeing them stealing the iron fences and gates. Anything that can be taken has been taken.

Last night we heard that there were two American (most likely tourists) were caught up in a mob near bazary kely (a sketchy part of town) and asking anybody and everybody if anyone could speak English. They were put into touch via text message to a guy with us. The message said, “we are scared, there are gunshots, don’t know what to do, this is a very bad situation.” Somebody was nice enough to lead them to a hotel nearby just to get them off the street. With this ‘mob mentality’ take-over, all vazaha (white skinned), Indian, and Chinese people are targets as they are perceived as having money. In Tana (the capital), the looters have even started to target nicer homes.

All this is obviously quite scary, but having destroyed all the main Magro stores throughout the country, the effects in the coming months when food is scarce and prices have soared, will cause an already impoverished country to drop further into poverty. Also, it will most likely raise the anarchy, as a hungry belly will cause one to act in a way one normally would not.

As of now, the president is telling the country and International community that he has this situation in control and has the military support. This situation is not in control!!! and.. the mayor of Tana (the leader of the rebellion) claims that he has the military support. He will not meet with the President, he claims, until the person responsible for killing one of his aids is brought to justice. This being said, it doesn’t appear that they will be meeting soon. I heard the French powers to be, have contacted what they call the ’3-powers’ separately. The President, the mayor, and another player. This guy is named Roland Ratsiraka. He’s the former mayor of Tamatave (where I’m at), and the nephew of the previous President of Madagascar who has been exiled to France. People say that Andry is just a pawn of Didier Ratsiraka (the uncle and former President). Roland was leading the rebellion here in Tamatave, and has a warrant out for his arrest from Marc Ravalamanana. The problem, is that nobody knows who the military are supporting, and many times, the military doesn’t know who they are supporting, so they don’t do anything. I can’t really blame them, they are very underpaid, and under equipped. For example, the one Magro that the people eventually were able to pillage and burn was indeed protected by the Gendarmerie. What happened, is that they were told not to open fire (even if they did, they were surely die from a war of attrition with the people), so instead they used tear grenades everytime the people got close. Though, after hours of a crowd smelling blood so to speak, the grenades run out and the people get there way. I’ve seen people carrying back bags of rice and oil, to even toilet paper and toilet brushes (trust me the normal Malagasy do not use these) and toys. Everyone doesn’t want to be left out, and it’s like the best bargain sale the day after Christmas here.

The other day, I was here in town during the day to do internet and buy credit. I start driving away (a motorcycle) seeing a mob of people at least 2,000 people one block to my left. I gunned it not wanting to be trapped in the middle. I got to a final street and had to take the inevitable left hand turn, to see the beginning of the group running (all men) toward the market to steal or possibly to the port to burn the 1 remaining Magro building. Again, I gunned it and laid on the horn. I shifted down one to get my RPMs high to get as loud as possible. I saw one guy bend over to pick something up in which I could only imagine to be a rock or something. Luckily, it wasn’t or he didn’t throw it at me, or missed. I got out of dodge and was saddened to see this peaceful culture change like a werewolf at night.

I then was at a nice restaurant that has WIFI internet connection. I was with a friend and ordered lunch while reading the latest online (unfortunately it’s only about the capital in Tana and not all the provincial capitals). (at least 7 cities have had similar outbreaks of violence). Anyway, news came that the mob was only 2 blocks away. This being a ‘vazaha’ place, could easily be a target. I felt like I was in the movie Blood Diamond, as there is a high-class bar that gets destroyed. Here we are doing internet on our laptops, eating a burger and fries with a number of other vazaha around us sipping on cold beer. It just felt wrong. So again, we got out of there.

The latest I have heard, is that today (Thursday) and tomorrow should be calm, but the major of Tana is calling for more protests on Saturday. The protests I can agree with, but it’s the thugs that take over, especially once the sun goes down that I can’t. Tamatave has always been a hot spot because it’s notorious for being the most anti-Ravalamanana city in all of Madagascar. I have heard they put up a barricade or cut the road on the RN2. This can do two things. This cuts all the good coming into the port here in Tamatave to getting goods to Tana. Also, it could keep military personal from coming here to instill law and order. Who knows how long petrol will last for. If the store is not closed, the line is very long.

Right now, all Peace Corps volunteers are getting consolidated. Near me, they are meeting just outside town. For some volunteers though, it takes at least 2 days to get here. And if the road is cut to Tana, who knows. I’m going to be here for at most two more days. I’m daily assessing my surroundings, and generally listening to my gut before anything else. I will be going to a friends house out in the middle of nowhwere on Saturday for a unknown period of time. I will do my best to keep updates going, but bear with me as where I’m going doesn’t have telephone reception, let alone internet.

The worst of all though, is my phone is out. My sim card is locked down, and nobody is open to fix it. I can’t even buy a new phone. I’ll do my best tomorrow to fix it, but I feel out of touch. This is a priority for me. I will be in touch. You can check out all my photos on my facebook page. Also, if you just google search ‘Madagascar news’ all sorts of articles will come up. Like they found some 25 people burned inside a building as they could not escape. This is gone from bad to worse. Take care, and inform people of what’s happening here.

Danny

Americans have Bold Vision for Madagascar

By Lindsay Redifer

  Americans Sara LeHoullier and Sondra Fischer love two things: teaching and Madagascar. Now they are combining the two in a project custom-made for Tamatave, a city on the east coast of the Island, a center for learning and cultural exchange for native English speakers and the Malagasy people.

  The two lived in Madagascar from 2005 to 2007 when they served as volunteers in the Peace Corps. Once their tours ended, they found themselves at home in the United States and unsettled. Fisher called LeHoullier with an ultimatum-if she got down to her last two thousand dollars and was still without a job she was returning to Madagascar and wanted LeHoullier to come with her. “I thought, why not?” LeHoullier said.

  And, they were off. Today, the two friends work constantly to bring their idea of a cultural exchange center to life in Tamatave. “We’re one,” Fisher said of their partnership. The two want the same things for the community, a place to learn English and learn how to benefit from local tourism, an industry on the rise.

   Tour guide Fidelys Raharimandimby is one of Fisher and LeHoullier’s biggest cheerleaders, said he’s already worked with many English speaking tourists. He’s noticed English speakers seem more likely to spend more money than French speakers, but only if there’s something special to see.

  “I want to show people the hiking trails near the University of Tamatave, waterfalls in the nearby forest, the farmers who sing in their rice fields,” Raharimandimby said. “And the grazing zebu and to taste the amazing fruits in the area.”  The Pangalana Canal, which runs through Tamatave, could also be developed as an attraction, he says, and could be made into a one or two-day trip for visitors.

  Raharimandimby is one of many who’ve seen some changes take place and anticipate more. Students at the English Learning Institute, (ELI), have also said that English is now an essential for tourism.

Jean-Baptiste Randramario, 45, an eye-doctor; explained that Malagasy people are so accustomed to French foreigners and the French language that English will be a huge change for them.

 “It’s not only a matter of speaking,” said Randramario, “but thinking as well. It’s not the same as French.”

  Briand Thiophile, 28, full-time student, agreed.. “In a few years,” said Thiophile, “we will see that Madagasca is not the same.”

  A major change has already taken place at a local restaurant, Le Bateau Ivre.  Formerly known as an exclusively French haunt, the restaurant is now seeing all kinds of new clientele as a result of new mining projects and foreign investors who now live in Tamatave.

  Helen Hodgson, a South African and co-owner and manager of the Bateau Ivre with husband Christian Fay d’Herbe, said she loves the new international community. “The other night we had a party on the deck. We had Koreans, Japanese, Norwegians, South Africans, English, Welsh, Scotts, Irish all up there,” she said. “Which is marvelous.”

  Like Fisher and LeHoullier, Hodgson adores Tamatave and feels it deserves to be discovered. She spoke of the towns endless coastline and the perfume of cloves and jasmine that permeates the air. She supports the plans for the center and hopes to see the two Americans find success.

  Meanwhile, LeHoullier and Fisher are have dedicated themselves to making their vision happen. Everyday is a series of meetings, real estate hunting, faxes, calls, confirmations and baby steps forward. Its slow going, but they’re optimistic.

  “Madagascar is beautiful,” said LeHoullier, “and the Malagasy people are capable and intelligent. They just need a better structure and a platform for their ideas.” The center could be the very place to start hearing what the Malagasy have to tell the rest of the world.