BORATSA FOR LUNCH

Boratsa is a Betsimisaraka food prepared for eating and based on maize seeds, coconut flesh juice and sugar. It is typically a tropical dish. It takes much time of preparation, labor intensive and energy as well.

Imagine these steps:

• First of all, we have to separate the corns from its cobs, and then cook the corns.
• Then, grate the coconuts flesh with coconut grater, then extract the fatty liquid from the grated coconut flesh. Then mix the corns already cooked with coconut juice well filtered and sugar. That’s Boratsa. Ohm, what a strong pleasant taste. Do you want too? JUST Come and taste!!!

Despite these very hard and long steps of this dish preparation, a too young girl is preparing corns for their lunch. I was quite surprised to see her. It’s little bit embarrassed story but she was enjoying doing it with her youngest brother because as she said if she won’t do it, they will have nothing for lunch:

“Our father went to our rice field, and our mother is going to sell some handcrafts items made by her own hands in town and I’m looking after of my youngest brother and why not to prepare our lunch.” Normally, Malagasy people eat rice three times a day: morning, noon and evening. On the East coast of Madagascar, we eat often Boratsa in the morning and/or at night only for saving rice. It’s true that we couldn’t be at ease without little bit rice especially before sleeping but that serves us to reduce the common quantity of consummated rice per day. And this case is little bit different because as this girl said that they will eat this corn with coconut juice for lunch and probably for the dinner without anything else more and that still depends on our mother’s takings from town. I guess many of you are now wondering to ask me: “does she go to school?” the answer is NO. But I was really impressed to hear that she has the same likes and dislikes to the other children and she has also a very strong desire to go to school but as she said that they have not enough money for that and the school is very far away from where they live. So how could she achieve her aim? That’s very sad, don’t you see?

I’m agreed of that it’s very sad because she couldn’t go to school. She has right for that but unfortunately….

I’m here to give my opinions but not against our habits and cultures. I’m agreed that it might be very hard to have not rice in a day but nowadays, life is getting tougher, isn’t it? I think it’s much better to have another thing instead of rice than nothing such as: Boratsa, cassava, banana, sweet potato and so on. They could be healthy foods also, right? But why only rice?

Madagascar in 50 years after

A short interview of two Raiamandreny about Madagascar in 50 years after the independence. Enjoy their opinions.

First of all, I don’t want to be pictured. Myname is Paul, and I was 13 Y.O when we got our independence in 1960. It was the happiest time for whole Malagasy; we danced a happy dance in that time. Personally, I was also very happy to hear that we got our own freedom after being under pressure by French people, because assuredly I say, it was really hard to be colonized by another country. We may lose all of what we have as a wealth even our own unique culture which is found nowhere else in this planet.

Yeah, I’m agreed, that it’s nice to be free but it isn’t easy also to be an independent country. Right? But even so, I truly didn’t expect what will happen in Madagascar after this great victory. If we turn back into our history since for we got our independence, according to me, the first republic was the most bearable period for us. Just have a look into the actual the money value, and compare it when we got our first own money. It was still quite alright. See? But that not means that we’re satisfied of what happen. And that is the reason why we fight again for a new change in 1972 but alas it was not the case. The situation is getting worse because we start to import rice which is our basic food; life is getting tougher and, indeed, let’s says that it was a corruption revolution. That’s ashamedness.

Nowadays Madagascar is almost 50 years of independence. It is embarrassing to say that during this very long period, we’re wasting onto something which surely won’t bring anything in our country. Just imagine what happen in Tananarivo now, they are always striking almost every day at MAGRO. What I mean is Madagascar is always running into the bad way of development, you see “the poor is getting poorer and the rich is getting richer”. In my opinion, that’s what happens here in Madagascar in 50 years of the independence. Very sad story and that may be because of the policy unstable.

The only one way to get out from this problem is the education and the employment creation. But how? I don’t know, I really don’t know but I think as I said lately, we should give a good education for our children and also to give job to those who has already finished their studies: “Right man in the right place” but how? I don’t know. Shall this country overcome some day??????

My name is Ranalina or you can simply call me Maman’i Claudette which is known by my neighborhoods. Sorry, I don’t remember how old was I when we celebrated our independence for the first time. The only one thing that I still remember is, I was learning to make a “sipasipa”. In term of the independence, the “Vahoaka” were very happy because we can finally get out from the yoke of the French. Imagine I’m from Vatomandry, we came here for the first time to escape the hard task that the “Vazaha” imposed to us. I couldn’t no more live with so why not looking for more comfortable place to get a better life.

When we got our freedom from French in 1960, we had our first republic which is headed by Tsiranana. But I think many of you are wondering to know why the Malagasy struck again in 1972? Just because we didn’t got what we were waiting for. We still depended too much to the colonizer. According to what I saw, we were feeling much comfortable in the second republic but there was too much corruption and that is the main reason why our country running nonstop into the hell of the poverty. I think, was when we started our strange politics. Then that always repeated every few years. I think our politicians are the main cause of our poverty. They play Madagascar and the poor citizens like me are the first victim of their act. They are always looking for the better place where they can get much more money for themselves but not for Madagascar. In my memory, in the first and the second republic, we still lived in normal life, like for example the peace was still ok and we still had the same right. I mean we are always in trouble in the third republic and that because of the us. To sum it up, the development in Madagascar is on the way back in 50 years of independence. Why Madagascar? We are told that this country is rich but why the people who live in are poor? That’s for sure because of us. In my opinion, the only one key to get this country in a good health is the education. That’s all. Because it seems that jangle life still exists in this country. Also we should forgive, respect and tolerate to one another for the best future of our beautiful country. I think when our country is going to practice a good way of education, I’m sure that it won’t be problem to get a better personal life or in other words to attempt or aim. Please forgive me if I’m wrong but that what I think of what happen in this country in 50 years of the independence

Una escursione con gl’Italiani

Quaranta tre ore davanti il Capodanno 2010: una grande ed’anche bella crociera era accostata al porto di Tamatave. Tutt’i guanti erano allegri perché dal’inizio della crisi politica in gennaio fino qui, queta era la prima crociera chi ha di coraggio a fare un giro fino Tamatave. Per noi, delle guide, noi eravamo seriamente triste, ma non è la fine del modo. E la vita. Speriamo che sara davvero l’inizio e la fine di problema politico. Noi abbiamo fatto molto a questa cosa ma non ha mai portato qualcosa dabello al nostro paese. Il nostro paese è rico ma perché siamo poveri? Certo ch’a causa di noi. Andiamo pensare all’altra cosa è questo che possiamo vivere in pace.

Io ho avuto una fortuna d’essere una guida d’otto Italiani chi non parlano un’altra lingua che d’Italiana. Portroppo che non parlo ancora perfetamente i loro lingua. Io sto imparando questa lingua ma penso che avevamo passato una bella giornata insieme. Una quarantina di guida hanno fatto un appuntamento alle cinque e un quarto della matina davanti l’ingresso pricipale del porto ieri trenta Dicembre 2009 senza ancora avere preso il colazione. Subito ero già in guaio perché tutt’i miei amici hanno trovato i loro bus ma non io. Io ho cercato il mio ma non riuscirevo a trovarlo fino alle sei quaranta cinque. Che peccato! Io ho comiciato da perturbare ed anche triste. Io ho deciso d’andare diretamente al molo per accogliere i miei clienti con Fabiola. La crociera apena arriva ed io stavo admirando questa meravigliosa Costa Romantica, la nostra nuova arrivata per quest’anno, ecco finalimente il bus numero vent’uno arriva al molo. E il mio bus. Dunque la festa comincia. Diciamo bevenuti a Madagascar allora il più precisamente a Tamatave (la capitale di Betsimisaraka o altrimenti detto la capitale economica di Madagascar).

Dopo avere accolto i miei clienti, noi siamo andati diretamente al parco d’Ivoloina per loro mostrare e espieghare delle plante medicinale, delle diffelrente specie di limuri,…. E sopratutto non abbiamo dimenticato a visitare il centro educativo al’embiente per i bambini. Loro sono tropo interessati come i gente vivono qui: Loro hanno dei accessi all’aqua potabile/  alla luce ? et cetera. Al nostro ritorno dal parco, abbiamo stato circa due minuti al centro del villagio d’Ivoloina per prendere di foto ed anche dare qualcosa ai paesani sopratutto ai bambini. Che gentilezza. Ma che sfortunato per questo ragazzo, io sono sicurissimo che non hai preso niente. Quando eravamo ancora sulla piazza, non lo visto di tutto. Io ho justo preso la foto senza guardare in fuori.  Ma quando io sono arivato a casa e guardare delle foto che io ho preso, che sorpresa di vedere questo ragazzo stavi curando col suo ginocchio fiorito per affergare i doni. questo è mi fa male al cuore. Mi dispiace tanti ragazzo. Io non ho fatto finta di non guardarti ma io ho troppo occupato da controlare gli altri. Mi scusi!!

Addesso parliamo un’altra cosa chi fa ridere: “ Loro amano molto d’ascoltare la traduzione di: Fuori e la bibita” in Malgascio perché da noi i Malgasci queste due parole sono dei sessi. Fuori è il sesso delle ragazze e la bibita o bibity per dei ragazzi. Ma per gl’Italiani loro sono delle tutt’altre cose. Per esempio «andiamo in fuori : vuole dire ‘let’s go outside’ » e « la bibita vuole dire: ‘rather soft drink’ »”. Allora cosa pensi ?

Per finire il nostro giro, siamo andati da visitare il Bazary be (in Italiano vuole dire il grande mercato ) per comparare dei ricordi. Vogliono qualcosa d’originale. Allora ho sceglilto un negozio si chiama “Maki” perché tutti gli articoli lidentro sono originali Malgascio. Loro hanno comparato molto cose ed erano sodosfati. Bravo! Siamo tutti contenti d’essere finalimente dei buon amici. Spero che i nostri amicizi durerà luongo tempo e perché no d’incotrarci alla prossima volta. Chi sa ? Non dimenticarevamo anche di prendere una foto insieme per ricordare la nostra magnifica giornata. Ciao ciao a tutti, speciale cucù per la piccolina. Siete tutti insieduti nel mio cuore. Buona fortuna. Vi dico bene che io ero molto contento d’essere la vostra guida. Spero che il prossimo giro di Costa Romantica non va essere annulato a causa dei politici perché stiamo aspetando il suo ritorno al tredici gennaio 2010. Che Dio benedica Madagascar. Vive la pace!!!

In occasione di questo nuovo anno, io vorrei augurare tutte le mie compatriote (interno o esterno) senza distinzione, i miei amici, e sopratutto le mie familie chi sono sempre con me tutti i giorni “UN FELICE NUOVO ANNO”. Che quest’anno porta della felicità, fortuna, pace, salute sopratutto del successo ed il amore a noi tutti. Spciale messagio per noi tutti i Foko Blog Club: “Abbiamo fatto dei buon lavori per noi ed’anche per il nostro paese, ma abbiamo ancora molto da fare. Sapete che l’appetito vien mangiando. In ogni modo come questa spressione dice: ‘Sbaliando s’impara’. Allora, buona continuazione a tutti.” Come il nostro slogan dice: [It takes a village to raise an idea].

FOKO Blog Club Tamatave and JADE Madagascar triumph.

This last Saturday was an exceptional day in the capital of Betsimisaraka. It was not like the day before and surely won’t like tomorrow. Tamatave was in direct touch to Copenhagen Denmark by a videoconference. Technology! Amazing! Don’t you see? And that’s because of FOKO Blog Club Tamatave and JADE Madagascar activists who are always struggling and find the right way to save this planet in the middle of the Climate Change threat. Much thanks to those who helped us with their all strength such as: Alliance Française Tamatave, IEGAP, Ambatovy project, and indeed Orange Madagascar. I think without your help, we couldn’t realize our aim. Now I want to take advantage to tell you that, “With Orange Madagascar, you will feel quite alright.” But also we won’t surely forget “L’organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF)” who gave us a chance to follow what happened in Copenhagen Denmark, to ask questions, to give our opinions, and even to give our own solution about this climate change in real time. In term of video conference, it was the first time that Tamatave’s people saw from their own eyes how it works out.

Now I know that meeting JADE Madagascar N.G.O was not happened by accident. But I think it’s already our destiny. The thing impressed me much is the way how we work, it looks like we’re already get used to work together. As a young, we have the same wants, likes and dislikes, attempts, …, I think those are main the reason why to bring us into the world of success. Personally I was very happy for that. It was my first time to see whole FBC Tamatave worked together for one goal: “How should the young behaved to fight against the Climate Change?”. Thanks for being as a young of the responsibility. Because your hands are made to save our wonderful planet. It’s true that we’re like a family in FOKO. I do hope that this initiative will change something on the right way.

Three days before the greatest day, I was caught by a very serious flu. Then the day after one of my colleague caught by also. I was starting to lose my trust because there were still too many things to do but I couldn’t even move from my bed. Then I called all my team to help JADE for the preparation. Thanks guy, you’re more than a simple activists let’s say you’re the best. God answered my prayer, because I could manage to lead my team during the video conference. I was amazing to see the people who were really interested on “What JADE and FOKO are?” because according to what they say that they never even heard about those two names before. But I do hope that from now on they will interest on what we are doing because they already know about us. In the beginning of the conference everything looked like alright. We could watch and listen very clear the Cop15 discussion. Suddenly we were very sad because only five (5) minutes before our direct participation onto the discussion, there was a power cut which blocked all and that’s the reason why there was a moment when I was offline. Fortunately we were well prepared for that, and also Cop15 participants understood very well our situation. But anyway that wasn’t too long. Few minutes later everything worked very well as before. It was successfully because we could participate on the conference in real time. We finished our mission with a full joy.

At the end of the journey, we had a time to have a small cocktail together with all the participants who were always assisting until the end of the event. We could read on their faces that they were satisfied of what we offered them during the event. We didn’t forget also to take some pictures for memorializing each one of us and to mark the event as well. Effort deserves success. So thanks for all those who helped us to fulfill this project.

Mrs. Penny said: “Thank you”

I think I could manage to take part of speech during the Symposium Panel. Here is Mrs. Penny impression after the discussion:

“It was great to hear you sending us a message from Madagascar! Thank you so
much for getting up early and being so generous with your message to our
symposium. I don’t know if you heard the clapping but people were impressed
by your enthusiasm for talking with strangers!

As you would have gathered by my determination to bring a group of acadmeics
on an excursion to Madagascar, I like the challenges inherent in bringing
strangers together to share ideas/interests — sometimes the experience is
interesting in itself, sometimes it is generative of new collaborations. In
all cases, it is a great good fortune to connect with people who are willing
to share their work with generosity and open-ness. So, thank you again,
Patrick, and thank you to Joan and David for helping to make the connection.

Will you blog about this experience? These are some photos in the roomlistening.”

The answer is YES, why not?

Video Conference in Tamatave

JADE Madagascar and FOKO Madagascar are going to organized a VIDEO Conference about what happen in Copenhague-Danemark. The conference is already opened today but as you know to organize  such event need a very huge amount of money, so we chose only one day to talk directly to them from Denmark. We will deal with it this coming  Saturday, December, 12^th. This is the invitation for those who are interested on this event. I won’t change anything on the invitation/ as well. Please feel free to come.

Now I would like to know if you guys have some question to ask to the participants about the Climate change: Send it to me then I will read myself the question from you to the conference directly.

Green class

The effects of the climate change are actually getting the most common problem of this planet. This situation will be more difficult if we won’t do anything against this disaster. And that would be great if we could make all the society aware of danger because that is the main problem of the destruction, almost of the destructors do not know the consequences of what they are doing or maybe they are aware of but they need food for survival then they practice too much slash and burn which is also among of factors to bring the climate into the change, or they are only selfish. I mean they don’t want to think about our future generations.  The world is threatened. Nowadays, everything is in trouble, for example let’s talk about litchis, despite the success of the litchis festivity this last week-end but I’m telling you that this year is going to be the worst campaign of the litchis which I have never seen since I was born. That is because of two main factors: “First is the reduction of the production; second is the quality of the products is very bad and small”. The international market norm is not respected by our products. Those problems might affect too many different levels of lives, a national economy. I guess, that is because of the climate change, imagine until now when I’m writing this article, we don’t have enough rain yet. And you probably know that that is very useful for the litchis grains growth. Regarding to what happened; we couldn’t export the same amount of tones as usual this year.

To face these disasters, JADE Madagascar N.G.O organized a green class at Ivoloina Parks this last Saturday. As a young, they invited around 30 high school students to assist this green class. The main goal of the event is just to make the students aware the climate change consequences. Then let their friends know what the climate change is and how to fight against it. We left Tamatave at 8:00 a.m, we arrived and met Mr Rostan who is very knowledgeable local guide around 8:30. Before heading to visit the Park, Rostan let the students know what should do and not to do when we get into the zoo, which is home to over 100 lemurs, with 10 captive and free ranging species present. The students also were enjoying rare radiated tortoises and other turtle species, boas, parrots and chameleons.  Then after having visited all around the Zoo, we leaded the students into the forestry station, the place which allowed them to explore the natural beauty of the Parks at their leisure. Then go directly to the waterfall, the place where the students dreamed to see and to play. I can tell you that their dream became true. Before the lunchtime we took advantages to walk around the lakeside. That was the end of the morning.

The second part of the journey, we watched a very famous documentary movie of the ex-future President Al Gore which brought us to discuss and exchange an ideas about this very dangerous climate change. Actually, the students were satisfied of the green class journey because they know now the importance of acting to fight against the climate change. They felt in full contact of the nature. It was very wonderful moment and successful mission. To end this I would like to thank JADE Madagascar who invited me to present FOKO Madagascar. Please watch the video for more information

Who is guilty?

I was feeling very bad to see this small guy wiping his butts in the open air like this. I’m pretty sure that this guy will never do such thing if he is well educated, aware of the consequences of what he does and indeed if he has never seen his friends and even his parents doing such thing. Who knows? Often, the children’s behavior is the image of their parents. Because this guy doesn’t even know yet what he is doing. I think it’s the funniest picture which I took during my one and half year in Foko blog club. I saw this small guy wiping his butts around hundred meters from the town hall and around fifty meters from security forces camp. That means that this very dirty place is located in the heart of Tamatave’s town.

Please don’t judge a book by its cover, I mean it’s true that there is some part of Tamatave is very dirty like you see in the picture but there is also a very wonderful place and clean as well. Actually I want make sure that you won’t judge all Tamatave’s children, because NOT all of them is doing like what he did. He’s like an exception. It’s too rare to see somebody doing like what he is doing especially in the open air like this. He saw me to take his picture but he didn’t want even to care about me. That’s means that he is already used to do it. Right? Do you have an idea of who might be guilty in this situation? Have fun with picture but please don’t forget to comment. Who is guilty????

Rosewood business on the East Coast of MADAGASCAR

It’s getting harder to imagine when exactly will we stop to destroy our own natural heritage? This very bad action is the main cause of the actual climate change and this action which links into the political problems get the several of Malagasy people into the hell of the poverty. I’m wondering to know why we’re killing ourselves. Why you are killing the innocent people? Don’t say, because if we are swimming in the middle of misery; we are all responsible.

When shall   we overcome then?

When the 2009’s political crisis in Madagascar start, almost of the economic operators of Sava and Analanjorofo regions were running to convert themselves into the forest exploiters. In my opinion, they just want to take an advantage of the political crisis. That means that they are trying to collect as lots as possible quantity of the Rosewood and why not the other precious woods before the resolution of the situation.

I’m really sorry to say this, but as a simple citizen, I think I have full right to express my own opinion about this situation. I can’t no more close my mouth to see what exactly happen about this illegal business, I’m pretty sure that the local authorities are not outside of the mechanism such as: the Fokontany leaders, the mayors and even the district chiefs, because they know and they should know by heart their areas and their people at the same time, but why? Why? And why they let those people free? You see?

When the problems was started from Marojejy, then Masoala National Parks; the disaster is now spreading out to many other regions across Madagascar such as North Mananara (the place where I was born, in the other words it’s my hometown) which is actually among of the victims also. Very sad story!!!

In term of this Rosewood business, the latest very good news was the spectacular decision of the Justice Department, Water-Forests, Environment Department, Forces and Security Department and the Finances Department; all together fight against this illegal exportation of the Rosewood in Madagascar: In Tamatave: 91 containers ready to be exported were arrested and also those who were arrested in Tananarivo recently. BRAVO!!! But the mission was too late and I think also it was a kind of demonstration action. You know why? Listen! This might help you to have some ideas about how big this disaster is during this very long period of the illegal exploitation of the Rosewood in Madagascar, more precisely on the East Coast of Madagascar:

“Mananara has 2 boats to join Tamatave and North Mananana regularly two times a week; as I heard from somebody also, Maroantsetra has 3 boats doing the same transportation a week and Antalaha has more than 5 boats to link Tamatave two times a week as usual.”

So, if they transport mainly the Rosewood as the people said, guess! Thousands and Thousands of tones will be transported and exported. Right?

Malagasy nature heritage is disappearing every minute and every hour. What’s a pity!

I guess almost of the economic operators are involved in that, but again the chiefs of the districts, the justices; and the security forces are also directly or indirectly involved. Because they know those people who are doing all those bad thing for our lovely country. The most strange phenomenal in this problem is if one person steals an only one egg, he might be immediately arrested, judged, and detained. But why not arresting those people who are robbing every day our most valuable wealth? They are acting with a total freedom and peace. That’s weird! Now I really want to shout in pronouncing “STOP”

Nicolas and Sara interviewed by Théophile

We thank so much Sara and Nico for visiting us at the BUEC English Club. And also the interviewer who is very good at making people speak. Please click to play!!!