SURVIVAL GUIDE Pioneer Volunteering Programmeme

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CONTENTS

PREPARATIONS…………...….3 1. Flights….……………...…..3

2. Vaccinations & Malaria

Prophylaxis…..……...……4

3. Medical Kit…...……….....6

4. Equipment List…..….......7

5. Weather….………….....…9

6. Money……...……….…..10

7. Visas...………………......11

8. Insurance…….……...…..12

9. Registering With Your

Embassy……………...….13

10. Books to Read Before You

Go………………...…..….13

ARRIVAL IN MADAGASCAR……...………14 1. Flying to Fort Dauphin…14

2. Spending time in

Antananarivo………...….14

3. Hotels in Antananarivo...15

4. In and Around

Antananarivo………….…15

5. Security in

Antananarivo………..…..16

6. Travelling from Antananarivo

to Fort Dauphin………….16 FORT DAUPHIN……..…..…..17 1. Practicalities………...……17

2. Keeping in Touch……….17

3. Facilities……...…………..18

4. Things to do………….….19

5. Other organisations in Fort Dauphin…………19

INTERNS……………………...20 A FINAL WORD………..…….20 MALAGASY PHRASEBOOK……….21

Please note that the information con-tained within is a guide only; prices change, projects vary, and every vol-unteer group is unique. Please always check with Azafady staff for the most up-to-date information, especially about matters of health or safety.

An unforgettable

experience…

Azafady is not alone in offering you the opportunity to spend a part of your life overseas. What makes us different is that our programmes are run by a regis-tered charity and any profits from our volunteer programmes are invested right back into our projects in Madagascar, rather than into a private company. That’s a great start for your volunteering experience. Nevertheless, you will face many challenges and demands (it is es-sential that you are fit enough to walk up to 10 km per day in tropical conditions when necessary). From day one you will be getting used to a new way of life and encountering problems you have not previously faced. As an Azafady volun-teer though, you can expect to have basic camping facilities (or basic accommoda-tion depending on your programmeme), clean water, a limited but balanced diet and access to help if you need it. You will be fully supervised by our volunteer co-ordinator and our project co-ordinators, and you will have access to our estab-lished facilities and over a decade of ex-

perience. Our team in Madagascar will support you through every step and will help you to make the most of an experi-ence that is uniquely rewarding and valu-able.

You will be experiencing first-hand and learning directly from the front-line of de-velopment and conservation work, seeing the problems that face communities in the developing world, taking stock of what is really important to you as a person and discovering qualities you didn’t know you had. You will derive a real sense of person-al achievement, while creating memories that are yours for life, and assisting us to save lives. Your time with us is about more than building character. It is often a chance for you to assume broader profes-sional responsibility, or perhaps give up all professional responsibility and dig holes! The experience means that you will return home with plenty of fresh ideas that we hope you will use to your advantage. We would of course be delighted if you choose to use your new skills to our ad-vantage too, by returning to southeast Madagascar as a longer-term volunteer or intern with Azafady! Your first challenge will be organising all your preparations for joining the program-meme. Please read through this Survival Guide carefully to help you.

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PREPARATIONS

1. Flights

We really advise you to have a good think about your travel plans before you final-ise your flights. Most people, once they have spent some time in Madagascar, like to travel a bit after finishing their volunteer placement with us. While we will of course help and advise you, we can’t act as a travel agent. However, be-low are some useful contact details for the various flight companies, depending on your point of departure. There are also a number of travel agents which you can arrange your travel through - these are often the easiest option but it is usually cheaper to go direct to the flight companies themselves.

All international flights to Madagascar fly into Antananarivo (the capital) but remember that you will also need to book a return flight from Antananarivo to Fort Dauphin (also called Tolag-naro). This can only be booked with Air Madagascar and we advise volunteers to have an overnight stay in Antananarivo between their international and inter-nal flights to avoid missing connec-tions. Azafady can help organise hotels and airport pick- ups in Antananarivo.

Unfortunately flights to Madagascar are

not cheap. Anything around the £800 mark can be considered a good deal for your international flights, with flights from North America generally being more ex-pensive. The prices are highly seasonal and in the peak summer months prices can be considerably higher. It is always best to book your flights as far in advance as possible. For the best value fares we would advise concentrating your efforts on Kenya Airways, Air Mauritius and routes via Johannesburg. The internal flight with Air Madagascar tends to be £250-£300 for a return. It is worth noting that if you book internal flights at the same time as booking a long-haul international ticket with Air Madagascar, then you may qualify for a discount on your internal travel. Air Mada-gascar also allows you one free change to your itinerary – useful if you change your plans after the programme. Europe - Madagascar We have recently been using Flight Cen-tre to book flights, so please do contact them for a range of options, but it is often worth doing your own research as well. Our contact is Charlie Rawson: Charlie.Rawson@flightcentre.co.uk

There are several flight companies who fly from Europe to Madagascar. They are:

Kenya Airways - 020 8283 1818

www.kenya-airways.com Departures from London Heathrow and Amsterdam via Nairobi. Air Madagascar - 01293 596665 www.airmadagascar.com Departures from Paris CDG, Marseille, and Bangkok. (Can connect from UK/US via Paris) Air France – 0870 1424343 www.airfrance.com Departures from Paris CDG. Can book connecting flights to the UK. Air Mauritius – 020 7434 4375 www.airmauritius.com Departures from London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Geneva, Milan, Rome, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich via Mauritius. Alternatively you may want to investigate flying via Johannesburg. Both South African Airways (www.flysaa.com 0870 747 1111) and Air Madagascar operate flights from Johannesburg to Antananarivo. North America – Madagascar Cortez Travel are specialists in Madagas-car and are based in the US. Their con-tact details are:

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Cortez Travel: 1-858-755-5136 (Calif.) or 1-800-854-1029 (USA) in-fo@cortez-usa.com http://www.air-mad.com/

Alternatively you can call Air Madagas-car direct on 1- 866 WE FLY MD (933 5963) or 1-866-933-5963 (toll- free num-ber).

Air France fly from major cities in the US and Canada to Antananarivo via Paris CDG. Corsair flies from Quebec, Montreal and Halifax to Antananarivo via Paris Orly. South African Airways oper-ate flights from the USA to Antananarivo via Johannesburg. And routes via London with American Airlines and Kenya Airways are also often the cheapest option.

Australia – Madagascar Currently the easiest way to fly to Mada-gascar from Australia is with Air Mauri-tius who fly from Sydney or Perth to Anta-nanarivo via Mauritius. . A lter n a ti v ely r e c en t A us tr a l ia n volunteers have found routes with South African Airways from Sydney or P e r t h t o A n t a n a n a r i v o v i a Johannesburg the cheapest option. For onward flights from Antananarivo to Fort Dauphin, call Air Madagascar’s

Australia office on +61 2 82480040 or email sydmd@airlinemarketing.com.au

Staying well As with any long-haul flight, there is a small risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on a long haul flight to Madagas-car. You may wish to ask the advice of your Doctor regarding this. However the advice of the UK’s NHS says that when travelling you should:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothes.

• Consider buying flight socks.

• Store luggage overhead so you have room to stretch out your legs.

• Do anti-DVT exercises: Raise your heels, keeping your toes on the floor, then bring them down 10 times. Now raise and lower your toes 10 times. Do it at least every half an hour.

• Walk around whenever you can.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Don’t drink alcohol or take sleeping pills.

• Talk to your doctor if you think you are high risk.

2. Vaccinations and Malaria Prophylaxis

In addition to the below you must also consult the Interhealth Information on https://www.interhealthworldwide.org/home/health-resources/interhealth-world-map/?selectcountryregion=Madagascar

and consult your Doctor.

At least two months before your trip you must contact a travel clinic or your GP/nurse to get advice on the current World Health Organisation guidelines. Require-ments change and individual needs differ so it is important to check the latest ad-vice. However, you will be undertaking manual work where nicks and cuts to the skin will be common, so all volunteers must be vaccinated against tetanus. We also advise you to discuss the following vaccines with your health care provider: Diphtheria, Typhoid, Meningitis, Hepatitis A & B, Tuberculosis, Rabies and Polio. Although there is no Yellow fever in Mada-gascar you should consider a Yellow Fever vaccine if your travel route takes you through an infected country beforehand (this applies to much of mainland Africa but not South Africa). Please check with your airline for requirements. Please care-fully read all the information included on the Interhealth Information website and make sure that you contact your GP /Nurse or travel clinic as early as possible as it can take up to two months to get the vaccinations sorted out.

Taking steps to prevent malaria in Mada-gascar is very important. Malaria is com-mon in the region where you will be work-ing and all volunteers must take a World Health Organisation recognised malaria prophylaxis whilst working with us. You will not be allowed to participate with out it. There are several options avail-able which you should discuss with your

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doctor. We do not want to make any spe-cific recommendations but it is important to note that we have had many problems with volunteers taking Doxycycline as a malaria preventative. Doxycycline often increases sensitivity to the sun and makes you more prone to sunburn. It is Azafady’s experience that over 40% of volunteers who take Doxycycline suffer unacceptable sun-sensitivity which affects their ability to work. Alternative W.H.O. malaria prophylaxis is not easily available in Madagascar, so pre-vious volunteers have had to arrange cou-riers to deliver another prophylaxis from their home country at some ex-pense. We do advise that you discuss with your doctor about taking an alternative prophylaxis, but if you must take Doxycy-cline, please bring very high- factor sun-block, and clothes and a hat that offer good coverage from the sun.

Additionally, some people experience unpleasant side effects from Larium (mefloquine) and it has been reported that in the past many volunteers, if they have not previously taken Lairum, have been advised to start several weeks be-fore their trip so that if they have side effects, they may have time to change to another prophylaxis before leaving for Madagascar. If you are considering using Larium we would advise you to discuss this with your doctor. Please also note that according to the WHO, Chloro-quine and Proguanil is not an effective

prophylaxis in Madagascar. Malaria prophylaxis is essential but it is also important to remember that the first line of defence is not to get bitten. There are several measures to take to prevent being bitten by mosqui-toes:

•Choose a tent with insect screens which act as a sufficient mosquito deter-rent (more advice on tent selection in “Equipment” section). If travelling inde-pendently before or after the program-meme and staying in basic hotels, con-sider bringing a mosquito net alt-hough you can buy them quite cheaply in Madagascar in Antananarivo or Fort Dauphin.

•Buy mosquito repellent (available from chemists and travel shops) before you ar-rive in Madagascar. The UK’s National Travel Health Network recommends DEET based repellents with a 50% concentration. Alternatively, for those on the Conserva-tion Programme, where DEET can be harmful to the wildlife, or those who prefer not to use DEET- based products, Incogni-to spray and lemon eucalyptus extract (Mosiguard®) compare favourably to DEET. NOTE: Lower concentrations of all products offer a shorter protection du-ration. Products based on citronella are not recommended due to low protection duration. Try your repellent before you leave, to be sure you don’t have an allergic reaction to it.

•Bring long sleeves, light colours and loose fitting long trousers, preferably with ankle ties. These are especially im-portant to wear at dawn or dusk, as these are the worst times for mosquitoes. You can also consider buying impregnated travel clothing which reduces mosquito bites but this can be expensive.

•Some people say to avoid using perfumed deodorant or perfumed soaps whilst in the field as these smells may attract mosqui-toes.

•Please note: Knock-down sprays designed to kill flying insects are helpful, but unlikely to provide sufficient protection against biting to be recommended as a preventative measure. Mosquito coils can decrease bites by repelling and killing mos-quitoes but should only be used in well ventilated areas . They are useful when eating or relaxing outdoors and available locally. Prophylaxis combined with bite avoidance measures significantly reduces the risk of malaria, but nothing is 100% effective. It has been known for volunteers to occa-sionally contract malaria, however, If this happens, DO NOT PANIC! The prevalent form of malaria in Madagascar is Plasmodi-um falciparum, which can be severe, but also responds well to a very effective drug called Coartem which is available locally. In most instances, this drug treats malaria so fast that most people using it feel

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remarkably better within 24 hours and of-ten return to work within a few days. Our staff in Madagascar are able to recognise the early signs of malaria (usually a tem-perature) and any volunteer exhibiting such signs will be advised to start treat-ment as soon as possible and may be returned to Fort Dauphin to recover. If you are currently taking any other medi-cation or have any health concerns, it is vital to check with your Doctor that they will not interact with Coartem, should you need to take it. If you have concerns about taking this medication we suggest you do some background re-search on the drug to help put your mind at rest.

3. Medical Kit

We carry an emergency first aid kit with volunteers at all times, but it really is for emergencies and our staff. You MUST have your own medicines & medical kit.

If working in the bush, you will usually not be further than 12 hours away from Fort Dauphin. There are several doctors and a hospital in the town of Fort Dauphin, but medical facilities are basic. In the event of a serious emergency, the nearest “Western” standard hospitals are in Reunion or South Africa and would involve repatriation under your insurance. Please remember it is always sensible to know and have a note of your blood

group when you travel. This is why check-ing your insurance policy wording is so important.

The following is meant as a guideline only, and everyone is different. The drugs mentioned below are based on those licensed in the UK. Licensing laws vary between countries and, again, you should seek the advice of your doctor or travel clinic as to the appropriate medicines that you should bring with you to Madagascar.

We recommend that you bring a first aid kit and a small medicine kit. UK based volunteers can order the Traveller’s First Aid Kit and Small Medicine Kit with Amoxicillin (unless penicillin sensitive) online from Interhealth. Some volun-teers have found cheaper options elsewhere at high street or supermarket pharmacies, or websites such as ’Nomad Travel’. Sterile medical kits are not essen-tial but it is suggested that each vol-unteer group has one or two between them.

It is essential to bring at least the

following:

•Your malaria prophylaxis

•Any branded drugs that you rely on at home

•Antiseptic powder or spray (creams tend

to be ineffective in humid conditions in the field)

•Antiseptic wipes (you will need them to keep cuts clean so bring a couple of pack-ets)

•Liquid plaster spray (great in the bush as it provides a water resistant protective film which helps seal cuts)

•Plasters/band aids: Past volunteers have mentioned that they didn’t bring enough so take LOTS as they are not easily available in Madagascar. Plasters need to be ‘elastoplast’ medical tape plasters, nor-mal plastic plasters are not suitable, and a length of elastoplast plaster to cut yourself is essential. Also get some large adhesive dressings in case of tropical ulcers.

•A roll of adhesive medical tape (e.g. Mi-cropore) and gauze pads

• Cotton/crepe bandages

•A tube of strong antihistamine cream or spray for stings or bites

• 1 tube anti-fungal cream (Canesten)

•Antihistamine tablets for allergic reactions (preferably non-drowsey like loratadine/Claritin )

• Scissors, nail clippers, tweezers and safety pins

The following are also essential but can usually be purchased in Fort Dauphin if you run low:

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•Dehydration mixture in sachets

•Tablets for diarrhoea (like Imodium, loperamide)

•Pain killers like aspirin, paracetamol and codeine

•Multi vitamin pills as the diet will be more basic than you are used to •Amoxicillin, a good general purpose oral antibiotic (although some people are sensi-tive) for skin infections which are common complaints amongst volunteers. A small cut that would not cause any problems at home has the knack of turning a bit nasty in Madagascar. Alternatively a topical antibiotic such as Cicatrin powder can work wonders on clearing up infected cuts. Both are available to UK volunteers through Interhealth.

•Ciproxin/ciprofloxacin (for bacterial stom-ach infections)

•Flagyl/mentronidazole (for giardia and amoebic stomach infections).

Additionally, the group will be advised to buy a few packets of the malarial treatment drug Coartem, plus a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and medical alcohol, on arrival in Fort Dauphin.

We don’t mean to worry any of you with this long list of medical supplies. It is simply a sensible and necessary precau-

tion that anyone travelling to remote are-as should take. Many short- term volun-teers return only having used a few plas-ters! FitnessLevels: It is essential that volunteers have the ability to walk up to a maximum of 10km in tropical conditions in a day when re-quired (this won’t be on a daily basis).

4. Equipment list

When packing your bag, remember that the luggage allowance on internal Air Madagascar flights falls to 20kg (although stays at 30kg if your international flight is also Air Madagascar). You can usually get away with a few extra kilos but may be charged excess luggage at about £1 a kilo. Your international flight allowance may be one or two 23kg bags. However, if you are taking a budget airline flight to Paris or Milan, luggage restrictions may be a lot more stringent. Eurostar from London is a good alternative if you are departing from Paris and have a heavy bag as there is no luggage restriction, but be prepared to pay excess baggage on the internal Air Madagascar flight. During your time in Madagascar you will come to understand the difficulties of life in the region and the fact that equipment we take for granted at home simply cannot be found here. Azafady always has lots of equipment that needs to go out to Mada-gascar. Therefore we expect all volun-

teers (especially UK- based) to leave a couple of kilos space in your luggage for this purpose.

The following equipment list is by no means exhaustive, rather a few guidelines for use-ful things to take. Best advice is FORGET FASHION: THINK COMFORT! Essentials: •Several (at least two) photocopies of your passport (photo page and visa page).

•4 passport size photographs (these may be needed for police registration and passport copy authorisation which will be organised on your arrival in Fort Dauphin).

•Waterproof tent, preferably with ventila-tion (with integral insect screens in win-dows and doors). Please do not bring a one-man tent, you will be living in it for 2-3 weeks and previous volunteers have felt that they are just too small—comparisons to “coffins” have been heard! Ellipse-shaped tents tend to be best. The Karrimor Beta, MSR Hubba Hubba, and Blacks Cygnus Constellation tents have all been recommended by past volunteers. The Vaude Taurus has also been recommended by some volunteers (although others find it too small so check for yourself!). You should be looking to spend approximately £80-£150 on a tent . . Any less (unless it is in the sale) and it is likely to not be good quality

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A sturdy groundsheet and tent repair kit (including duct tape) are also im-portant to consider. If you do not have a tent of your own, you are able to rent a basic tent from Azafady for £50 for 1-4 weeks or £75 for 4 weeks+. Please con-tact us for further details and availability.

•Sleeping bag (a two season will be fine, you can get blankets in the market if need be).

•A Thermarest or other comfortable camping mattress is crucial.

•Head torch (without one of these you will not be able to go on night walks for lemurs and it also helps when washing up at night!). Usually a good quality LED head torch with plenty of spare batter-ies is best.

•Pair of gardening gloves/building gloves are essential if you are working on construction projects.

•A good quality waterproof jacket (suitable for tropical downpours) and wa-terproof trousers.

•Pair of covered shoes e.g. walking boots or shoes, or an old pair of trainers. Do not just bring sandals as they will not pro-vide adequate protection on construction projects or protect your feet from mosqui-toes in the evening or when walking in the forest. Whatever you bring make sure that they are comfortable before you come and be aware that they will receive harsh

treatment during your stay.

•Adventure sandals are perfect for work-ing when you don’t require a covered shoe. They are a lot cooler than shoes/trainers.

•Old clothes for working in as you will get them very dirty on construction or conservation projects and they will be in no state to come home with you. You will need to decide how many clothes to bring but a rough guide for ‘everyday work clothes’ would be 3 T-shirts, 3 vest/string tops and a couple of pairs of shorts.

•Warm clothes for the night time - and some wet or chilly day times. Most people bring a fleece and a jumper/ sweater so that they can put both on at night in the colder months or have one on and one in the wash. A hooded top is also a really good idea on all schemes as

the hood can be welcome on cloudless nights in the bush.

•Plenty of socks as your feet can get very cold and/or sweaty.

•Lightweight long-sleeve shirt and long trousers for warding off mosquitoes in the forest especially at dawn/dusk (see “Vaccinations and Malaria Prophylaxis”)

•Swim wear. (Bikinis are perfectly ac-ceptable in Madagascar).

•A good hat with a wide brim.

•Money belt and/or neck pouch is essen-

tial to use to carry your purse/ wallet in the evenings. Alternatively you can use a small and secure bag.

•Sunglasses.

•Insect repellent (see “Vaccinations and Malaria Prophylaxis”).

•Lots of sunscreen (1 large bottle bare minimum) as it may be hard to get in Madagascar and when available is at UK prices but is of debatable quality.

•Dry wash – an alcohol-based solution which cleanses your hands without the use of water. Very handy for the bush.

• Towel (ideally fast-drying travel towel)

•A nailbrush (also useful for hand wash-ing clothes).

Non-essentials that are good to have: •Nice clothes for a night out in town Flip-flops (go for rubber and plastic and things that can get wet). Good for wearing to the toilets/showers.

A good sharp folding knife, Swiss Army or Leatherman are also very useful with all the gadgets.

Water bottle.

A good supply of books for reading and sharing in your spare time.

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A camera. For those of you with digital cameras, BRING LARGE CAPACITY STORAGE CARDS and YOUR CABLE with you. Then you will sometimes have the opportunity to download pic-tures onto the Coordinator’s computer to free up memory space, at the same time as providing Azafady with an im-portant record of your work. If it’s of the ‘old fashioned’ variety you can usu-ally buy film in town but it is a good idea to bring a supply with you in case.

A two pin round plug adaptor (for Standard French/European sockets) for charging digital cameras, phones, ipods etc. There is a secure electricity point (220V) at our campsite in town so you will have the opportunity to charge items occasionally (but in the bush a portable solar charger is invaluable. As often there is no access to electricity.)

Plastic zip-loc bags and silica gel (if you have expensive electronic equipment).

Hilary Bradts’ Guide to Madagascar or a Lonely Planet Guide. The Bradt Guide is a lot more informative on Madagascar as a whole but the Lonely Planet can be useful if you are travelling independently after the programme.

Field guides of personal interest or rele-vant to projects you will work on.

Pictures of your family and where you live so that you can talk to village dwellers and staff about your life.

A small travel game, a ball, cards, books, personal stereo (with portable speakers for party night!) or musical instrument to keep you amused in the evenings.

Some volunteers find a French-English dictionary useful.

For girls: whatever sanitary equipment

you rely on at home (the selection availa-ble in Fort Dauphin is limited and unrelia-ble)

A travel mirror ehreherejriejrjiwejriejriw

It’s a good idea to bring spices or stock cubes which can be used to vary the fla-vour of rice and beans, as well as any spe-cial treats from home that will travel (e.g. marmite, sweets, tea bags or energy bars).

5. Weather Whilst Madagascar has nothing like the level of seasonal variation in weather you will probably be used to, the weather does change. In addition, the bush is usu-ally colder than the town. Although we cannot predict the exact climate, and due to climate change the seasons are now very unreliable, we can make a few suggestions which you should bear in

mind when packing: January – March: The summer months so it will be hot, but it is also the rainy season so be prepared to get wet. Come prepared for both and still bring warm clothes for the evenings. April – June: Likely to be hot in April then growing cooler. Jumpers needed in the evening and still a chance of rain. July – September: Often the driest scheme but still requires good water-proofs. Cooler in July then getting warm-er as the weeks go by. In September there is also a colder seasonal wind so remember this when packing your wind-proof/jumper. October – December: Very windy until the end of October, getting progressively hot-ter as the weeks go by. Chance of rain increases towards the end of the year.

6. Money The currency of Madagascar is the Ari-ary, known as the MGA. The current ex-change rate is about £1 to 4000 MGA but this fluctuates regularly. To check the latest exchange rates go online. Mala-gasy Ariary cannot be purchased out-side of Madagascar.

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The best way to take money to Mada-gascar is by taking a Visa Debit card. In Fort Dauphin there are ATM’s which easily accept Visa Debit cards but they do not accept credit cards. Pre-vious volunteers have often encountered problems with Mastercard and other card types, so it is worth considering getting a low commission VISA DEBIT bank card to use in Madagascar—Visa and all its variations (Visa Delta, Visa Electron etc) are preferable. If you do intend to use your card to withdraw cash at the bank then you should notify your bank before departure; from our experi-ence many banks will freeze accounts/cards if they see sums of money being withdrawn abroad.

You will also need to take cash in Euros, USD Dollars or Sterling to ex-change on arrival at the airport in Anta-nanarivo. It is best to have no large notes; maximum 50 EURO / £20 / $50 denominations. In addition, there is an ATM which you can usually withdraw cash from at the airport but you should-n’t rely on this working.

Even if you intend to use a Visa Debit card

as your main method to access money in

Madagascar you MUST bring a ‘back up’

as it is not uncommon for cards to mys-

teriously stop working meaning you will

have no access to funds. This can be in the

form of cash in USD, Euros of Sterling,

or Travellers cheques, or both. A Visa

credit card is also a useful back-up alt-

hough if your Visa debit fails to work,

your credit card might also fail. Traveller’s

cheques, although the safest method, are

VERY difficult to cash in Fort Dauphin. If

you decide to bring travellers cheques you

MUST also bring the receipts with you

so do not forget them, but keep them

separate from your cheques! Your signa-

ture on your cheques must also match as

closely as possible to that on your pass-

port. It is a wise idea to leave a copy of

traveller's cheque numbers at the Azaf-

ady office in London or at least keep them

with you, but not where you keep the

cheques. USD, Euro or Sterling cash is less

complicated, but less secure, and still usu-

ally involves long delays to change in the

banks in Fort Dauphin. It is best to just

use these methods as a back-up in case

you have problems with your Visa Debit

card. Emergency money can easily be trans-ferred from anywhere in the world

to Madagascar in a matter of minutes by Western Union, which has offices in major towns across Madagascar. The Western Union number in the UK is 0800 833 833. Money can be sent direct to Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro), where you

will be based, by credit card or in cash. This is an expensive way of transferring money, as there is a commission charge and often a poor exchange rate. The point is, if you need cash in an emergen-cy, it is possible and it takes fifteen minutes. During your stay with us you will only need money for extra trips, cigarettes, snacks, meals out in town, souvenirs etc. You will be able to get by on about £150 (approx $230USD) but, depending on individual spending habits, or if you want to go out and experience the town a bit, bring more. Don’t forget that you will need to take more than £150 if you plan to stay in hotels or travel be-fore or after the scheme. Malagasy Ariary cannot be legally ex-ported from the country. When you leave Madagascar you could be searched, and anything other than the official souvenir limit will be confiscat-ed.

7. Visas You will need a visa for Madagascar.

This will be valid for either 30 or 90

days. Our policy for visas is that we sug-

gest you obtain your visa upon arrival at

the airport. This is a simple process and

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can be preferable to sending your passport

abroad, particularly for those countries

without a Malagasy Embassy (notably the

UK).

If you do choose to get your Visa beforehand:

You should aim to apply for your visa at least 8 weeks before you are due to leave for Madagascar (although please note that most visas must be activated within 6 months of the date of issue). To apply for a 90-day volunteer visa (tourist visa for the US) you will need:

•Valid Passport (check that it is valid until at least 6 months after your return)

•4 passport photographs (1 for the US)

•Signed visa application form

•Visa fee (please double check with your Embassy for the latest fees)

•Visa letter from Azafady

•A copy of your round-trip flight ticket

• A copy of your signed volunteer application form

•Pre-paid self-addressed special deliv-ery return envelope (if applying by post)

Please do double check these things with your embassy as requirements do change and remember the visa will allow you 90-days stay in Madagascar as the absolute maximum. You can apply in person or by post but do allow at least one month before departure to en-

sure it’s returned on time. Contact details for Madagascar's embas-sies in any country can also be found on the internet: Australia (phone 61 02 9299 2290, con-sul@madagascarconsulate.com.au) Con-sulate-General of Madagascar, Level 4, 47 York Street, Sydney Canada (phone 613 567 0505, e-mail am-bamadcanada@bellnet.ca) Embassy of Madagascar, 03 Rue Raymond, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1A3 France (phone 01 45 04 62 11, e-mail accueil@ambassade-madagascar.fr) Embassy of Madagascar, 4 avenue Raphael, 75016 Paris (This embassy is renowned for being extremely difficult to get in touch with) USA (858 792 6999, e-mail i n f o @ m a d a g a s c a r - c o n s u l a t e . o r g ) Honor-ary Consul of Madagascar, 1318 Santa Luisa Drive, Solana Beach, CA 92075 OR To get your Visa on arrival: If you decide to get your visa on arrival in Madagascar, it is a relatively simple pro-cess which involves filling out a short form which will be supplied to you on arrival at Antananarivo airport. You then take your passport and completed form and queue up for a kiosk where they will pro-

cess them. This will take a few minutes and when they need to ask you a few final questions to complete the process and return your passport with the visa stamped inside, they will call you out. For a 90 day visa you will need to pay a fee of approx 140,000 Ariary (£40/$70) which you can pay in cash US dollars or Euros (try to have a number of small denomination notes). If you are staying in Madagascar for 30 days or less your visa will be free. To complete the form you may need the following information:

• Address: Azafady NGO, Villa Rabemanda, Aminanikely, Tolagnaro. • A contact person: Tsina En-

dor, Head of Volunteering

• Contact number: 00261 342052040 You should have this information with you. We would also suggest that you have 4 spare passport photos just in case.

8. Insurance It is a requirement of Azafady and the responsibility of each volunteer to take out a travel insurance policy to cover both your time on the programme and your travel to and from the programme. This cover must include emergency repat-

riation, including (but not exclusive to)

that relating to medical grounds and per-

sonal liability whilst working (without

www.azafady.org 12

heavy machinery) on humanitarian and

conservation projects in southeast Mada-

gascar, as well as suitably covering you to

undertake work abroad. Azafady will re-

quire various details from your policy and

a copy of your policy summary and word-

ing prior to departure.

It is vital that you provide your insurance

company with information about the

work and remote nature of the places you

will be visiting. You must also ensure you

discuss with them any existing medical

conditions that you may have. If you do

not provide this information it is possible

that your insurance cover may be invalid.

If Azafady is required to assist you at any

time due to a personal, medical, political

or other issue to do anything

other than the planned programme, it

does so without obligation and you will

be liable to pay for any costs incurred.

Azafady will, in the case of emergency,

shoulder whatever reasonable costs it can

afford to ensure a volunteer’s best inter-

ests, but only on the understanding that

these will be repaid whether or not the

insurance company agrees to cover said

costs. These may include overseas phone

calls, hire of 4x4 vehicles to collect you

from remote areas, medical fees, accom-

modation and food whilst away from the

group, etc.

You must also supply Azafady both in the UK and in Madagascar with the fol-lowing information in relation to your chosen insurance policy prior to starting the programmeme: insurance company name, insurance policy number, date of issue, cover period,

type of insurance, emergency contact

details and claims information.

It is your responsibility to carry these in-

surance details with you at all times when

in Madagascar.

Once you arrive in Fort Dauphin, Azafady

may only cancel the Pioneer programme

in the case of an ‘act of god’ or civil dis-

turbance which would cause danger to

you or other persons if the programme

were to continue or for any other reason

beyond Azafady’s control.

We require that on your application form

you nominate a person who we should

contact in the case of an emergency. By

signing the Memorandum of Understand-

ing (which you should have received from

us) you are giving your permission for us

to contact this person and your insurer.

It is vital that the London office has full,

up to date contact information for the

nominated person and, if you wish, you

may also provide a second contact per-

son. Please provide as many relevant de-

tails as possible including email address

and telephone / fax numbers for day and

night. This way we will ensure that we can

act quickly in the case of an emergency.

9. Registering with your Embassy If you are a non-British national, we ad-vise you to register your trip and passport details online with your govern-

ment prior to departure. It’s a very simple process and is a partic-ularly useful planning tool for Embassies in an emergency like a cyclone or politi-cal unrest. Links for some countries fol-low, but please let us know if you need help finding the appropriate link for your country:

www.azafady.org 13

Australia: h�ps://www.orao.dfat.gov.au/orao/weborao.nsf/Homeform?Openform

Canada: https://www.voyage2.gc.ca/ Registration_inscription/olrportal- eng.aspx? Page=Start_commencer&hash=d6Kzpo vmVUajkkg0YWJNOg6161

Germany: https://service2.diplo.de/ elefandextern/login.do

UK: h�ps://www.gov.uk/

government/world/organisa�ons/

bri�sh-embassy-antananarivo The

British Embassy does not register UK

nationals but the FCO now advises over-

seas British travellers to subscribe to

email or social media updates. For those

wanting to subscribe, go to

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and

select the country you are travelling to.

Travel advice updates will also be issued

via the British Embassy Twitter account

@BEMadagascar and on their Facebook

page: h�ps://www.facebook.com/

ukinindianoceannetwork

USA: https://travelregistration.state.gov/

ibrs/ui/

Your embassy can also help in the event

of losing your passport.

Australia—2nd Floor, Rogers House, 5

President John Kennedy St, Port Louis

Mauritius (Phone 202 0160)

British – Bri�sh Embassy Antananarivo,

Ninth Floor Tour Zital, Ravoninahitriniari-

vo Street, Ankorondrano, Antananarivo

101 (Phone +261 202233053)

Canada – Villa Paule II M62C, Andro-

hibe, Antananarivo, BP 4003 (Phone

22 425 59)

USA – Lot 207 A, Point Liberty,

Andranoro, Antehiroka, 105 Anta-

nanarivo (Phone 23 480 00, Fax 23

480 35)

10. Books to read before you go There is an ever increasing number of books and field guides on Madagascar. Some recommended ones include:

H. Bradt (2006) MADAGASCAR – The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides

H. Bradt, D. Schuurman & N. Garbutt. (2005) BRADT WILDLIFE GUIDE: Mada-gascar Wildlife, A Visitor’s Guide. Bradt Travel Guides Ltd

M. Brown (1995) THE HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. Ipswich Book Company

H. Drysdale, (1991) DANCING WITH THE DEAD: A journey through Zanzibar and Madagascar. Harper Collins, Glasgow.

N. Garbutt (2007) MAMMALS OF MAD-AGASCAR. A&C Black

F. Glaw and M. Viences (1994) A FIELD GUIDE TO THE REPTILES AND AM-PHIBIANS OF MADAGASCAR. Moos Druck, Leverkusen and FARBO, Koln

S. Goodman & B. Patterson (1997) NAT-URAL CHANGE AND HUMAN IMPACT IN MADAGASCAR. Smithsonian Institu-tion Press Washington and London

P. Greenway (2001) LONELY PLANET – MADAGASCAR. Lonely Planet Publica-tions

R. Mittermeier et al. (2006) LEMURS OF MADAGASCAR. Conservation Inter-national

P. Morris & F. Hawkins (1998) BIRDS OF MADAGASCAR: A Photographic Guide. Pica Press

D. Murphy (1985) MUDDLING THROUGH IN MADAGASCAR. Murray Publications, London

P. Tyson (2000) THE EIGHTH CONTI-NENT – Life, death and discovery in the lost world of Madagascar. William Morrow An Imprint of Harper Collins Pub-

www.azafady.org 14

lishers

ARRIVAL IN MADAGASCAR

As we work in the southeast of Madagascar you will have to get to Fort Dauphin. Usually this means you will have to fly to Antananarivo first and then catch a connecting flight to Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro). You should leave plenty of time between your internation-al flight into Antananarivo and your con-necting flight to Fort Dauphin. Preferably you should not fly to Fort Dauphin until the day after you arrive into Antananari-vo as Air Madagascar do change their internal flight times regularly (see “Flights” section on page 3).

When you arrive at Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, Madagascar you may well feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience. Don’t rush - take your time. Make sure you com-plete an arrival form either on the flight or immediately as you get to the arrival hall of the airport. First you pass through immigration, which is a simple matter of checking and stamping passports & visas. Once you have passed through immi-gration, bags are next. They can be

slow to arrive at the carousel, so be pa-tient and soak up the warmth of Mada-gascar’s climate and ambience. Cus-toms is next, and they may very well have a look in your bags. Be pleasant and usually it is no more than a cursory glance.

1. If you have a connecting flight straight through to Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro) The regional terminal is next door to inter-national arrivals. You will see a passage-way to your right on the other side of cus-toms; this takes you into the regional ter-minal. Don’t use a porter as trolleys are not allowed down the passage, they will just take you the long way round outside and expect payment! The check-in desks are on the right of the regional terminal. Please note that there are no refreshment facilities once you go through to the boarding lounge, so get anything you need before heading through. If you have time, do change a small amount of money using the banks in the international terminal. 2. If you are spending time in Antananarivo

You can and should change some money immediately as you exit the customs area into the airport lounge. There are three banks, all to your left as you exit, one at the rear of the room directly be-hind the first. Check around to see which has the best rate, displayed outside the bureau, before you change. You will be pestered by cab drivers and black market money- changers. Resist making black market money changes at this stage because you don’t know the rate and it is easy to make mistakes when you are tired or flustered. There is also an ATM near the international check-in which you can normally withdraw cash from. You should also avoid porters who are looking for tips for helping (or helping very little!) with your bags. If you do use a porter payment should be around 500Ariary although they will argue for more, if there is a lot of luggage 1,000 Ariary is ok. Don’t be pressured by taxi drivers either, there are always plenty of cabs and you should get yourself a cab only once you are calm and have gath-ered yourself together, changed some money, and are ready to roll. Keep an eye on your luggage at all times. The right price for a cab into the city is 30—35,000 Ariary. They are charged per cab not per person but if there is a lot of luggage they may charge 10-20,000 Ariary for this. Always check prices be-

www.azafady.org 15

fore you accept a cab. There are no buses into Tana, you must take a cab, and it is one of the most amazing jour-neys that you will ever make. The col-ours, sights, smells and sounds of Mada-gascar smack you in the face, pick you up and shake you and let you know right away that you are in a place like no other.

3. Hotels in Antananarivo During independent travel, there are a few hotels in Antananarivo that Azafady rec-ommends. These will probably cost around £10-£20 per night. Remember that Azaf-ady can also organise hotels and airport pick-ups for you. (Please bear in mind that you will have to cover any unpaid hotel bills on rooms we have booked for you even if you don’t show up for your booking and don’t use it.)

Les Flots Bleu www.hotel-lesflotsbleu-antananarivo.com is the hotel that Azaf-ady regularly uses when organising vol-unteers accommodation and airport pick-ups in Tana. It is convenient and has good staff, rooms and food.

•Le Manoir Rouge www.manoir rouge.com The hotel is outside the centre but very near the airport, perfect for one night stays. There is a good res-taurant and gardens. The telephone num-ber for Le Manoir Rouge is +261 (0) 32 05

260 97.

•The Hotel Sakamanga www.sakamanga.com in the centre of town is highly recommended. They have a range of rooms from 15—65 euros per night, all ensuite. There is a really good restaurant serving interna-tional and Malagasy food and they do room service pizza! The staff are very friendly and speak good English. Rooms do get booked up so it is worth making a reservation well in advance. You can make reservations by e-mailing con-tact@sakamanga.com or their tele-phone number is 020 22 358 09. They can also arrange airport transfers. Alterna-tively Hotel Isoraka is the cheaper sister hotel to the Sakamanga and has cheap rooms, some with en- suite.

•Hotel La Ribaudiere www.hotel-laribaudiere.com has ensuite rooms rang-ing from 10-25 euros per night. There is also a nice restaurant and bar. Reserva-tions can be made via their website.

•H o t e l J a c a r a n d a w w w . t a n a - jaca-randa.com has rooms ranging from 10-18 euros with both communal and private bathrooms and hot showers. There is no restaurant but a limited array of room service food is available (omelettes, sandwiches etc.) Bookings can be made via the website.

4. In and around Antananarivo Currently, due to the security situation, we are not recommending that volunteers spend time wandering in the city centre , and if you decide to do visiting in the cen-tre, please go by taxi. Tana is a really nice city in which to spend a few days of inde-pendent sightseeing before or after your volunteering programme. There are some great markets, particularly the Marche Artisanal on the road to the airport, which sell lovely souvenirs and there are some pretty good patisseries and restaurants too. (Previous volunteers have highly rec-ommended Chez Sucett on Rue Rave-loary—just around the corner from Hotel Jacaranda). If you have a spare day, you may like to visit the World Heritage Site of Ambohimanga, an ancient royal city and burial site which remains a place of cultural and spiritual significance for many Mala-gasy. Alternatively, if you have a couple of free

days, we thoroughly recommend that you

make the journey to the National Park at

Perinet (Andasibe-Mantadia) and have a

couple of nights at Hotel Feon'nyala (pre

booking advised - tel. 205 683 202 or 330

583 202). The hotel is comfortable, rea-

sonably priced, and has fantastic views

over the forest as well as great food. Alter-

www.azafady.org 16

natively you can try the more luxurious

Vakona lodge www.hotel-vakona.com.

Perinet is home to the Indri, the largest of

the lemurs, which you should have no

problem in viewing. Depending on

where you are planning to stay in Tana,

the hotel might help you make the neces-

sary arrangements but it is also possible

to make the journey using public

transport, although if you have just ar-

rived in Madagascar this may a bit over-

whelming and you should arrange private

transport with your hotel or a tour

company.

5. Security Precautions in Antananarivo Police can demand to see passports at any time of the day or night and the pen-alty for not carrying it, payable in cash directly to the officer, is usually steep. The law in Madagascar says that you must have identification with you at all times, namely your passport. Make sure you AL-WAYS carry formal identification (it is satisfactory to carry a stamped photo-copy) as a night in a Malagasy jail is not what you need as part of your welcome package. Antananarivo has a reputation for more thefts and robberies than many other parts of Madagascar. You should have your wits about you at all times, never

wander the streets alone, and always take taxis in the evening, It is inadvisable to walk around any-where in Madagascar with anything flashy - an expensive camera, gold jewellery, etc, and this is particularly true in Tana. The Avenue Independence has become particularly problematic in recent times and people have their bag snatched on a regular basis here. If you do go here, take nothing valuable with you, do not take a bag or camera and wear no jewellery at all. It is a great street and if you follow these basic security measures you should be fine but always remember that you are in a very poor city and you will look rich by comparison. Don’t make yourself a target for muggers or street children who work as pickpockets. Antananarivo is a beautiful place, with a fascinating history. It is full of wonderful people but like any big city - and certainly like any big poor city - there are desper-ate people about. Enjoy your stay, look around, explore, be safe and you will have a great time. However, depending on the political situ-ation Azafady may advise you to stay away from the city centre simply because this is where people congregate for any political demonstrations. If this is the case you will be informed before you travel to Madagascar and you will be updated again before you leave Fort Dau-phin. If you are travelling independently

before or after the scheme you are ad-vised to call Azafady before you go to Antananarivo. You may also wish to keep abreast of the political situation via online news. The same basic rules apply in Fort Dauphin—most of it is common sense— but bear this advice in mind wherever you are before the start of the scheme. You will receive an in-depth security briefing as part of your orientation at the start of the scheme.

6. Travelling from

Antananarivo to Fort Dauphin

In order to join your volunteer programme you will need to get to Fort Dauphin (also called Tolagnaro) in the southeast where Azafady works. Almost all volunteers do so by taking an Air Madagascar flight. This internal flight takes around an hour and costs about £250-£300 (return). The ticket may be cheaper if you have pur-chased an international ticket with Air Madagascar. The flights do get booked up so check availability as early as possi-ble. Everybody in Air Madagascar speaks a little English. There is an Air Madagas-car office at the airport.

Alternatively, it is possible to travel from Tana to Fort Dauphin by Taxi Brousse (Bush taxi). Azafady do not rec-ommend volunteers using this method of transport without speaking to us before-hand as there have been security threats along this route recently.

www.azafady.org 17

FORT DAUPHIN Once you get to Fort Dauphin, from the first day of your programme, everything is arranged and your co-ordinator there will give you all the information that you need about where to find things, where the banks and shops are, local costs, etc. If you do have valuables you want to lock up please let your co- ordi-nator know and he or she can give you general advice. Usually you can store valuables and money which you do not need regular access to in the Azafady office in Fort Dauphin.

Whilst in Fort Dauphin, there are some security rules that you must be follow:

During daylight hours always walk in groups, preferably with a guide.

After dark, always take a taxi and

travel in a group with a guide. Always

tell your coordinator of your plans.

Never walk around after dark – you

would most likely only get unwanted

attention, but better safe than sorry. Pic-St Louis is out of bounds to staff and volunteers as it is not safe

Never go to, or stay on, any beach at dusk or after dark.

Never invite any visitor back to any

Azafady campsite. Always carry an endorsed/ officiat-ed copy of your passport and visa. Azafady will organise copies for you.

Don’t walk around with large bags, obvious cameras or large amounts of money. Adhere to current security precautions at the time of your arrival as advised by Azaf-ady staff

These rules are for your safety and they have been put in place for good reason. Anyone constantly flouting the security rules may be found in breach of our agree-ment, which puts you at risk of being asked to leave our organisation.

1. Practicalities You will be camping for the duration of the Pioneer Programme. Facilities at campsites are basic, especially when working in the bush, and you will be using latrines and washing in cold water. Electricity, western style toilets, and cold water showers are available when in Fort Dauphin (usually every 3 weeks for about 4 days at a time), however, in the field we collect and then treat water from rivers and wells. Volunteers should be prepared for physical work, adventurous road jour-neys, and long walks to reach remote and beautiful project sites. The work and life-style is challenging but incomparably re-warding.

All meals are provided for you through-out the scheme. Meals mainly consist

of rice, beans, vegetables and fruit. Fish (or eggs for vegetarians) are provided when possible. The best possible treated drinking water is always available. A team of Malagasy staff travel and work with each group to offer transla-tion and advice on Malagasy culture and to ensure that the group is safe. Also travelling and working with the group is the Volunteer Field Coordinator whose role is to ensure that the group is happy, healthy and busy at all times! This en-sures that you have full support and en-couragement to understand and appreci-ate the very different culture and envi-ronment that your programme will take you into. Please ensure that you have red all prep-aration documents that have been sent to you thoroughly.

2. Keeping in touch Whilst you are in Fort Dauphin, tele-phone calls may be received on the mo-bile phone situated at the campsite. The number is + 261 342011702. This phone can be used for incoming calls You can also receive post although letters may take anything from 10 days to 6 weeks to arrive and packages often go missing, are very delayed or carry exorbi-tant customs charges. The address for correspondence is:

www.azafady.org 18

YOUR NAME Short Term Volunteer Programme

ONG Azafady Boite Postale 318

Fort Dauphin (614)

We recommend that volunteers either bring an unlocked mobile phone (or purchase a basic phone locally for around £15) and purchase a Malagasy Sim card which costs around £1.50. You can then text the UK for around 10p per message and call for around 70p per mi-

nute. There are Internet Cafes in Fort Dauphin where you can access your per-sonal email. Unless your programme is based in Fort Dauphin (English Teaching only) you will usually only be able to ac-cess the internet at the beginning and end of your programme. But do bear in mind that this is dependent on unreliable phone connections and an intermittent electricity supply.

However, for urgent communication e- mail can be received at lisa@azafady.org/tsina@azafady.org (please send to both) although again this is subject to phone lines and equipment that are often not working. This is only for the communication of urgent information.

The Azafady email is very tricky to say the least; it often does not work for

months at a time. PLEASE, if you do give our address to people you must tell them NOT TO SEND ATTACHMENTS. A simple letter about the size of an A4 sheet of writ-ing is about the maximum that the system can handle. In the event of an emergency, friends and family should contact the London

office on +44 (0)20 8960 6629 or mark@azafady.org (e-mails are checked over the weekend). The London office is in regular contact with the Madagascar team and a satellite phone travels with volunteers at all times and can be used by the London office in an emergency. Remember that you are in a developing country where mobile reception and internet connections can be patchy. Also plans change, and days in town may turn into days in the bush. We advise that, whilst you can tell friends and fami-ly you will be in touch, do not promise to contact them at set times and on set days. They will only worry if you cannot contact them. If you wish, Azafady can call/e-mail a nominated friend or relative on your arrival in Madagascar to let them know you are safe.

3. Facilities in Fort Dauphin

Post office - The post office is open Mon-day to Friday. There is a chart on the wall giving the official prices. The stamps have no glue, but some questiona-ble sticky substance is provided. Airmail letters are available with prepaid stamps that seem to arrive in the destination coun-try most reliably!

Bank - The banks are open from 7:15 - 12:00, 14:00 - 16:00 Monday to Friday.

Supermarket - There are a couple of very small supermarkets in town (more the size of a small local shop in Europe/ America). They stock most non- perisha-ble foods and cosmetics (shampoo, shower gel, etc). Otherwise there are lots of small local shops throughout the town which are often cheaper than the super-markets.

Market - The market is on the other side of town and it is open every day, though Sunday is the quietest day (only food). You can buy just about anything in the market including clothes, food, furniture, pharmaceuticals, baskets and other things. The first price they quote is usually the vazaha price, which is gen-erally 2 to 3 times the local price. You may never pay the local price.

Hardware - There are multiple hard-ware stores all with set prices for wood, tools and other supplies. Most of

www.azafady.org 19

the stores are located in the market.

Photocopies - There are various places around town to make photocopies and usually at least one of them is working.

Bookshop/Art shop - There is a good but small bookshop-cum-art shop that sells various office supplies, maps and books. They do not sell English books.

Pharmacies - There are two pharmacies in Tanambao by the market. However the Pharmacy Kaleta can prove to be very expensive.

Taxi Brousse - The taxi brousse station is located just outside of town. They run to different villages at different times and sometimes only on particular days, so it's important to know when they are leaving. Some of the nearby villages, which are accessible by good roads, boast a regular taxi brousse service using death-defying Peugeots. These run when they've filled all possible air spaces within the car with human flesh. Other, less accessible villages are ser-viced by large trucks which can transport just about anything. If you are lucky you can ride in the front. The prices are usually fixed. Bars/Restaurants—There are a wide selection of bars and restaurants you can visit when your team is in Fort Dau-phin. There are restaurants serving any-thing from pizza, to seafood, to tradi-tional Malagasy dishes, and in addition there are numerous road side stalls sell-ing anything from fried fish to pineap-

ples to cassava fritters. Enjoy.

4. Things to do

Swimming - Beaches surround Fort Dau-phin and they are all worth exploring, though some are well-used defecation sites (the team in Madagascar will en-sure you are aware which ones). Avoid swimming or surfing there, as faecal contamination is not unheard of. Libanona is the best place for swimming, but you may be hassled with people try-ing to sell their wares. Libanona is about 20 minutes walk from the office, but there is another beach near the office which is fine for swimming.

Surfing - There is good surfing in the ar-ea, if this is where your interest lies.

Local Excursions - Both St. Luce and Evatra have beautiful beaches. They are both definitely worth a visit if they are not on your schedule. Berenty, the fa-mous private reserve, is popular for an overnight visit; it is pricey even with the discount they give to volunteers (about £75 for travel and room) but well worth it for the ring tailed lemurs and the luxu-ry of hot water !

Dancing - Panorama is a popular spot, complete with indoor toilets.

Pool – There are local places to play pool.

Shopping - There are a few small shops in town to buy gifts and souvenirs. There is a ‘Maki’ Shop that sells more commercial gifts such as branded t-

shirts and bags. There will also be people following you around town with their silver bracelets, shell necklaces, baskets, spears and table cloths.

5. Other organisations in Fort Dauphin WWF - They are involved in several projects dealing with the protection of the environment.

ANGAP - They are responsible for all of the National Parks. They are also in-volved with environmental and com-munity development programmes.

FAFAFI - They work in community de-velopment with expertise in village gardens and group empowerment. TARATRA - They make low fuel cook-ers and have a tree nursery ASOS - Action Sante Orgnanisation Secour, a local health NGO SECALIN - They teach mothers about nutrition for their babies ST. VINCENT DE PAUL - They have several schools, including one for or-phan children and a technical school for teaching girls to be seamstresses. SIT - School for International Training. This organisation sends students from the U.S to learn about local culture and work on small independent projects.

WORLD FOOD PRGRAM - They have a programme where they give food away in the village schools in order to improve attendance. They also provide food for work for road building projects and in times of crisis they provide food. FAO - They are involved in several pro-jects including health education, market building, barrage building etc. USAID - An American aid organisation providing funding for various projects. COMMITTEE EUROPEAN - Have large budget projects, like road building. CIELO TERRA - NGO working with com-munities in the local prison and running the orphanage.

Interns

In addition to volunteering, the Pioneer programme is also offered as an intern-ship to assist in academic or professional development or for those wishing to gain credit for a college or university course. Some universities also provide funding for students wishing to intern with NGOs. For this reason we offer an internship as part of the Pioneer programme. This is open to any Pioneer, although most in-terns are students or graduates. Interns take part in all Pioneer activities but have extra opportunities to utilise Azafady’s resources and knowledge for their own development. Each intern will have different objectives they wish to achieve. Your Co-ordinator will consult with in-

terns upon arrival in Fort Dauphin and will draw up an agreed plan of action subject to your internship requirements. For people interning to gain course cred-its for a university or college course, re-quirements are often straightforward feedback forms; you can simply partici-pate in the everyday Pioneer activities and the Co-ordinator will fill in your forms at the end of your stay. Others will have more specific aims and objectives, such as university coursework to complete based on your experiences in Madagascar (this could include time spent researching within your chosen subject area), experi-ence in project planning and/or imple-mentation. We will help you to fufill these objectives to the best of our ability - this is easier if your interest lies within our 3 main areas of activity (Health and Sanita-tion, Sustainable Livelihoods, Conserva-tion). For interests outside these areas, we will still be able to assist with, for example, provision of information sources and with guides/interpreters should you need to speak with other people and organisa-tions in Fort Dauphin. Activities which fall outside of the day-to-day Pioneer routine will be accommodated where possible, although we cannot make promises since our schedule is busy and so are our staff. You will have to finance all activities which fall outside of the Pioneer sched-ule. For all interns with specific requirements and/or interests, we advise you to inform Mark Jacobs in the London office of your

requirements before you travel, so that the team in Madagascar can be prepared.

A final word You should know that every arrange-ment has a probability of not happening according to plan. To have a happy and productive experience in Madagascar you must take the attitude that it is a pleasant surprise when things happen as expected. Be prepared for long waits in the hot sun or rain for transport that doesn't turn up, appointments with peo-ple who are not there when you arrive, project leaders who get stuck in the bush and run late, and the need to change your agenda to suit circumstances with a big smile on your face and a light-hearted attitude. Then, you will have a wonderful time! Making an effort to learn Malagasy and getting as involved as possible in your projects will further enrich your experience. We hope this information has helped answer most of your questions—let us know if you think there are things for us to add or amend. Enjoy your stay and have a productive time. We always appreciate your feedback so please feel free to give us your impressions of your experience.

SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT MADAGASCAR

Area – 587,041 square kilometres

Population – 19.1 million Economy

– GDP per capita $488

Main Exports – Coffee, seafood, cloves, vanilla, petroleum products, chromium, fabrics

Population Density – 33 persons per square kilometre

Capital – Antananarivo (Tana)

Religion – 47% Tribal/Ancestral, 51% Christian, Muslim 2% (Many Malagasy hold Christian and Tribal/Ancestral beliefs together)

Life expectancy - 61 years (men), 65 years (women)

Infant Mortality — 106 children out of every thousand die before the age of five.

Time – GMT + 3 hours

Monetary Unit— Ariary

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Malagasy/Antanosy Phrasebook

Please note that in Fort Dauphin and surrounding areas people speak Antanosy dialect. Malagasy official language is spoken in Antananarivo, although many people here also speak good French.

Some useful expressions English Hello

Malagasy Official Salama (Shalama)

Antanosy Salama (Shalama)

Thank you Misaotra Misaotra Thank you very much Thank you all

Misaotra betsaka Misatra anareo

Misaotra betsaka Misatra anareo

You're welcome Tsy misy fisaorana Tsy misy fisaorana How are you? Manao ahoana Good, thankyou What's new?

Tsara fa misaotra Inona vaovao?

Ino vaovao?

Nothing! Tsy misy! Tsy misy! Yes Eny Eka No Goodbye

Tsia Veloma

Aha Veloma

Goodnight Soava mandry Soava mandry Until tomorrow Until we meet again

Rahampitso e! Mandra pihaona

Maray Maray koa

Bon Voyage Soava Dia Soava Dia I don't understand Tsy Azoko Tsy Azoko/ Tsy Mazava I don't know Excuse me/please

Tsy fantantro Azafady

Tsy fantako Azafady

How much is this? Hoatrinona ity? Hotrino ity? It's too expensive! Lafo! Lafo! I don't want it, thank you! I'm hungry

Tsy mila/Tsy mividy/Efa nahazo Noana aho

Tsy mila/Tsy mividy/Efa na-hazo Resy zaho

I'm not hungry Tsy noana aho Tsy resy zaho Enjoy your meal Let's go

Mazotoa misakafo Andeha

Mazotoa misakafo Ando tsika

Wait Andraso Dignaso Stop! Ajanony Azanogno Congratulations What's your name?

Fiarahabana Iza noanaranao?

Iza gnagnaranao?

My name… Anarako…. Agnarako Please pass… I'm sorry (serious)

Azafady, mba omeo Mamela ahy

Azafady, mba omeo Azafady

Could I have… Afaka manana … zaho Omeo … zaho azafady I'm happy to see you Faly mahita anao aho Faly mahita anao zaho I'm happy to meet you Give my best to …

Faly mahala anao aho Mampamangy an' ….

Faly mahafatatsy anao zaho Mampamangy an' ….

Good luck Ho ambinin-tsoa Bonne chance

Some useful descriptive words Expensive

lafo

lafo

Very expensive lafo be lafo be Not expensive tsy lafo tsy lafo Cheap/slow/easy mora mora Thirsty Hungry

mangetaheta noana

mangetaheta noana

Hot mafana mafana Cold mangatsiaka mangatsiaka Tasty/good matsiro matavy

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Spicy Long

masiaka lava

masiaka lava

Short fohy fohy Here eto eto Far lavitra lavitsy Close Able

akaiky afaka

mariny mahavita

Bad ratsy ratsy Big ngeza lehibe be Clean Closed

madio mikatona

madio mihidy/mihily

Crazy adaladala sagnagna Difficult Dirty

sarotra maloto

sarotsy maloto

Early/before aloha aloha Empty foana foa Fat Fresh

matavy vaovao

vondraky vaovao

Full feno feno Good tsara soa Happy Hard

faly mafy

faly mafy

Heavy mavesatra mavesatsy Light(weight) Mad/stupid

maivana adala

meva mola

Old antitra antitsy Open misokatra mivoha Poor Quick

mahantra haingana

mahantra malaky

Rich manakarena manakarena/vazaha Rotten Sad

simba malahelo

mavavo malahelo

Simple tsotra tsotra Slow miadana moramora Little Strong

madinika matanjaka

kely matanjaky

Thin mahia mahia Weak malemy malemy Wrong Young

diso tanora

diso tagnora

Colour loko loko Green Red

maintso mena

mentso mena

White fotsy fotsy Black mainty menty Blue Yellow

manga mavo

manga jaune

Pink mavokely mavokely Purple volomparasy volomparasy Mustard yellow Same

tamotamo mitovy

tamotamo mitovy

Sweet mamy mamy Bitter Salty

mangidy masira

mafaitsy masira

Sour marikivy mitsa

Some useful verbs

To drink

migoka/misotro

misotro

To cook mahandro mahandro

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To wash/to invite To dance To eat

manasa mandihy mihinana/misakafo

manasa mandihy/mitsinzaky mihina/misakafo

To take a walk mitsangatsangana mitsangatsanga To listen to music mihaino mosika miteno mosika To take photos To look

maka sary mijery

mangalaky sary magnenty

To write manoratra manoratsy To sunbathe mitanin'andro mitanign'andro To swim To see a movie

milomano mijery sinema

milomagno magnenty sinema

To run mihazakazaka milomay To give presents manome fanomezana manome cadeau To go/to leave To cut/to decide

mandeha manapaka

mandeha manapaky

To ask/to inquire manontany manontany To help/ to give a hand To read/break/split

manampy tanana mamaky

magnampy tagna mamaky

To shop miantsena manaobazary To live mipetraka mipetraky To see To sleep

mahita mandry

mahita matory

To return miverina mipody To come tonga avy To need To ask

mila milako

mila/mitadia magnotany/mangataky

To speak miteny miresaky To learn To understand

mianatra mahazo

mianatsy mahazo

To have manana mana Can do mahay mahay To think To prefer

mihevitra aleo

mieritseritsy te/tia

To like tia tia

Some useful nouns

Hair

Volo

Volo

Men Lehilahy Lehilahy Table Latabatra Latabatsy Bed Farafara Farafara Mat Pen

Kidoro Sitilo

Kidoro Sitilo

Paper Taratasy Taratasy House People

Trano Fonenana Olona

Trano Fipetraha Olo

Mother Reny Reny Father Ray Ra Child Elder

Zanaka/Anaka Zoky

Zanaky/Anaky Zoky

Younger Zandry Zandry Male Lahy Lahy Female Madame

Vavy Ramatoa

Vavy Madame

Sir Rangahy Monsier Brother (Of Girl) Brother (Of A Boy)

Anadahy Rahalaha

Analahy Rahalahy

Sister (Of A Boy) Anabavy Anabavy Sister (Of A Girl) Rahavavy Rahavavy

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Eyes Ears Nose

Maso Sofina Orona

Maso Sofy Oro

Mouth Vava Vava Teeth Nify Nify Arms Legs

Sandry Ranjo

Sandry Ranjo

Stomach Vavony Vavony Neck Vozona Vozo Back Fingers

Lamosina Rantsan-Tanana

Lamosy Rantsan-Tagna

Feet Tongotra Tomboky Toes Rantsan-Tongototra Rantsa-Tonboky Animal Dog

Biby Alika

Biby Amboa

Cat Saka Piso Cow Pig

Omby Kisoa

Agnomby Lambo

Poultry Vorona Voro Sheep Ondry Agnondry Rabbit Wild Animal

Bitro Bibidia

Rabitro Bibidia

Lemur Babakoto Gidro Chameleon Tanalahy Sangorikit A/Tambarikosy Crocodile Tortoise

Voay Sokatra

Voa Sokaky

Butterfly Lolo Lolo Snake Spider

Bibilava Hala

Bibilava Faroratsy

Tenrec Trandraka Tria Gift Kadoa Fagnomeza Dictionary Name

Raikiteny Anarana

Voambolana/Dictionaire Agnara

Language, Word Teny Fiteny, Zaka Bowl Glass

Tsatokavy Vera

Boly Vera

Cup Kaopy Kopy Spoon Sotro Sotro Fork Knife

Forsety Antsy

Forsety Mesa

Stars Kintana Vasia/Kinta Sun Masondro Masondro Rain Hands

Orana Tanana

Ora Tagna

Problem Olana Ola Spouse Vady Valy

Food

Rice Bread

Vary Mofo

Vary Mofo

Water Rano Rano Cucumber Kokombra Kokombra Salt Pepper

Sira Dipoavatra

Sira Poivra

Potato Ovy Pomme De Terre Banana Papaya

Akondro Papay

Akondro Papay

Avocado Zavoka Zavoka Peanut Voanjo Pistache/Kilitra

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Adding ve to a sentence generally turns it into a question.

Beef Chicken Pork

Henan Omby Akoho Henan Kisoa

Hena Akoho Henan-Dambo

Juice Ranomboankazo Ranomboankazo Beer Labiera Labiera Rum (Bush) Butter

Toakagasy Dibera

Toakagasy Dibera

Milk Ronono Ronono Mango Manga Mangy Fruit Orange

Voakazo Voasary

Voakazo Voangy

Pear Poara Poara Peach Paiso Peso Grape Pineapple

Voaloboka Mananasy

Voaloboky Manasa

Lychee Lodsi Lodsi Honey Corn

Tantely Katsaka

Tantely Tsako

Tomatoes Voatabia Tomatesy Sugar Siromamy Siromamy

Question words What

inona

ino

Where aiza aia Why Who

nahoana iza

nagnino iza

When(future) rahoviana ombia When(past) For whom

oviana ho an'iza

ombia ho an'ia

Whose an'iza an'ia How many firy firy

Day(s)

Andro

Andro

Monday Alatsinainy Alatsinainy Tuesday Wednesday

Talata Alarobia

Talata Alarobia

Thursday Alakamisy Alakamisy Friday Zoma Zoma Saturday Sunday

Asabotsy Alahady

Sabotsy Alahady

Month(s) January

Volana Janoary

Volana Janoary

February Febroary Febroary March Martsa Martsa April May

Aprily May

Avrily May

June Jiona Jiona July Jiolay Jiolay August September

Aogositra Septambra

Aogositra Septambra

October Oktobra Oktobra November December

Novambra Desambra

Novambra Desambra

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These suffixes are added to the end of the noun

Time Today(gone)

androany

adroany

Today(to come) anio adroany Tonight ranalina adroany hariva Tomorrow Yesterday

rahampitso omaly

maray/kaiky omaly

Evening hariva hariva Morning maraina maraindray

Pronouns

I/ me

zaho/aho

zaho

You He, she, it

ianao izy

hanao izy

We, us itsika itsika You They, them

ianareo izy ireo

hanareo iereo

Adjective pronouns

My

-ko

-ko

Your -nao -nao His, her, its -ny -ny Our Your

-nay -nareo

-nay -nareo

Their -ndreo -ndro

Possesive Pronouns Mine

ahy

anaha

Yours anao anao His, her, its Ours

azy anay

azy anay

Yours anareo anareo Theirs azy ireo azy ireo

Numbers

1

ray

raiky

2 roa ro/roa 3 telo telo 4 efatra efatsy 5 dimy dimy 6 enia enina 7 fito fito 8 valo valo 9 sivy sivy 10 fola fola 11 rayamby folo raikamby folo 50 diman polo diman polo 100 zato zato 1000 arivo arivo 10,000 rayalina rayaly 1,000,000 ray tapitrisa ray tapitrisa

Plus

amby

amby

And sy, ary sy, ary

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Some notes on grammar-

The alphabet - There are only 21 letters in the alphabet. They only use the letters C, Q, U and W for words borrowed from other lan-guages.

Pronunciation - Generally the stress is placed on the second to last syllable and the last one is only just whispered, but there are many exceptions to this rule.

Verbs - The verb does not change with the pronoun. There are only 3 tenses, past, present and future. Generally to change the tense the first letter changes. N - past M - present H - future

Sentence Structure - Verb + Subject is the general sentence structure. It is possible to have a sentence with no verb. Then the sentence structure is Adjective + Article + Noun. There is no verb "to be" so you can just have a sentence without a verb, e.g. Faly aho (literally Happy I). To form the negative, generally you add "Tsy" to the beginning of the sentence, e.g. Tsy faly aho.

For further learning, we have a Memrise programme as well: h�p://www.memrise.com/course/48680/malagasy-antanosy-dialect-ge�ng-started/

Prepositions and Adverbs At, in, inside

ao anaty

agnaty

Outside ao hivelany ivelany Up On, upon

ambony eo ambony

ambony ambony

Down ambany ambany Under, beneath eo ambany eo ambany In front Before

eo aloha taloha

eo aloha taloha

Behind ao aoriaana afara After taoriana tafara During Also

mandritra koa

mandritsy koa

Always foana foa But However

fa, kanefa na izany aza

fa, kanefa na izany aza

Very tena tena And sy, ary sy, ary With Or

sy, miaraka na, sa

sy, miaraka na, sa

Now izao izao Then avy eo no fa avy eo