As much as I tried to fight it, I think the inevitable has come, the beginning and the end of my blog...all at the same time haha! I really want to keep this blog up but internet is not and will not be as accessible as I had hoped during these next two years so it doesn't really make sense to keep this blog going. I would still love to stay in touch with all of you though so the best (and probably most inconvenient for all of you) way to contact me is using snail mail. My address listed on the blog is going to be my address until December 10th and then Im moving to my permanent site for the next two years, Betroka, and I'll have a new address so I will pass that along asap! 

Sooooo im half way through pre-service training and im LOVING it! Im living in Alarobia about 1 hour from the capital. Im living with the funniest malagasy host family so naturally we get along great haha! I have electricity so im a little spoiled but i still use a "kabone" aka an outhouse which is always a rewarding experience especially during the first week when i hadn't mastered my squatting skills and peed on myself id say about 75% of the time haha! The training and peace corps staff is amazing but very intense and its crazy how fast you can learn a language when you have to! It was so crazy the first night they literally sent us off with our host families knowing how to say "im full" "i have diarrhea" "where is the bathroom" haha so it feels like i have come leaps and bounds since the first day especially now that we are giving 7 minute presentation about health issues at the local clinics in malagasy!  I miss everyone tons but i just wanted to let you all know im alive and loving madagascar and peace corps so far...i have been freakishly healthy and i havent even pooped my pants yet (knock on wood) so all things considered its a BLAST!

Love you all and i cant wait to hear whats new with all of you...via snail mail...unfortunately...LoveKelly

ps funny quick note "kelly" means tiny/small in malagasy so every time i introduce myself malagasy people die laughing cause im obviously not small (especially in madagascar) and then they proceed to tell me whats so funny about my name haha! cracks me up every time....

MAILOn average, it takes about 4 weeks for letters mailed from the States to reach Antananarivo.Supposedly it helps to write "Par Avion" on envelopes.Packages can take a minimum 1-2 months to reach my Antananarivo.INTERNET/EMAIL ACCESSThe major cities in Madagascar have Internet Cafes I will be able to use but I'm assuming access to them (at least in the first 3 months) will be limited.

HistoryMadagascar, as the fourth largest island in the world, is often called the “eighth continent.” Madagascar has been settled in the past 200 years by people from Asia and Africa, yet its culture is neither African nor Asian, but an intriguing blend of the two that is uniquely Malagasy. With thousands of species of plants and animals that exist only on this island, Madagascar is considered a global environmental “hot spot.” From an evolutionary perspective, it is “the path not taken” and is justly considered by many to be a world treasure to be preserved for future generations.

EconomyThe gross domestic product of Madagascar was estimated at $12.3 billion in 2000, with an economic growth rate of 4.8 percent. The gross national product per capita was $800 in 2000. To put this into perspective, in 1991, Madagascar was rated the 10th poorest country in the world by the World Bank. Agriculture constituted 30 percent of GDP in 2000, providing more than 70 percent of the country’s Agriculture.

People And CultureMadagascar’s population of close to 16 million comprises 18 ethnic groups. The Merina, who are of Malayan descent, dominate the high plateau and the capital region. Each group has its own characteristics, but all share a version of the Malagasy language. Although French is an official language, it is not used much outside of the larger towns. Many Malagasy are predominantly animist and follow a complex system of ancestor veneration. An intricate set of taboos, or fady, governs many aspects of their behavior, including their interactions with one another and their environment and, most important, their treatment  of the dead. Roughly 50 percent of the population is Christian and 2 percent are Muslim.

History of Peace Corps in Madagascar Despite political and economic reform measures, Madagascar continues to face many development challenges. Peace Corps Volunteers in Madagascar teach English, train teachers, conduct health and HIV/AIDS education, and work on natural resources management and community development. The first 10 Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Madagascar in September 1993 to initiate the teacher training project, which eventually became the English education project. In August 1994, the environmental project kicked off with the arrival of 13 trainees. The health project began in September 1995. Since reopening in 2002, the Peace Corps has been providing approximately 75 new Volunteers per year in this country. 

What I will be doing...

Volunteers in the community health project help communities address health issues through behavioral change methodologies and the effective dissemination of health messages. Volunteers work to promote prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), prevention of childhood illnesses, family life skills, and reproductive health. Volunteers also work with community leaders and organizations to disseminate health messages that are critical to mother and child survival.