Emercency - Tropical Storm Chedza

While we were in Johannesburg for training in January, Madagascar was hit with Tropical Storm Chedza.  We could see the flooding as we were in the air and flying back.  When we returned, General Charles of the Ministry of Emergencies and Catastrophies contacted us.  He and his team had identified 6 areas in Madagascar that had been hardest hit with many people flooded out of their homes and their crops washed away.  We were asked if we could help the people in Mampikony.  It is about a 12 hour drive from Antananarivo.

We were approved and given the funds to help.  They needed food and soap.  Disease is always an issue during flooding and soap is important.  We worked with General Charles and he organized everything so well.  We were helping 7 fokotany.  Over 600 families needed help.  Each fokotany president created the list of his people and turned it into General Charles.  He and his committee worked with the supplyer to decide how much rice, beans, sugar, oil, and soap was needed for each family in each fokotany.  We drove all day Tues. and got there that night.  The next morning we met with General Charles and planned the day.  There was an opening ceremony, we visited some of affected areas, we paid for the goods, and then the distribution began!  The people were divided by fokontany and the goods were delivered.  They brought their own baskets, bags, and bottles and stood in line to receive scoops of rice, beans, sugar, 4 bars of soap, and 1-2 ltr. oil.  It was a slow process and a long day, but we are, again, so grateful to have been a part of this important project!  We love our new "friends" and their kind faces and words!  I don't know very much Malagasy but I always recognize when they say "Thank you"!       

On the long ride there we saw soooo many Zebu heards!

I thought this water fall and the beautiful green made a great picture!

Whenever we take a long trip we always seem to pass large trucks that have gone off the road!

These were our really nice armed guards!  They were very protective of us!

The water in the above three pictures is the exact color of the rocks!

The houses here have a very differnt style than in the area we live in.  They are very small and shorter and have thatched roofs.

                                     

If we weren't passing Zebu herds, we were passing goats and sheep!

Cool bridge!

Our hotel in Mampikony.

One of the small fokontany

People came early and were ready for the ceremony when we got there.

The Cheif Director gave the opening remaks and thanked the God and the Church.

These little cuties were actually at our hotel.  The PA couple that traveled with us brought yogurt for breakfast.  When we were done we threw everything away and when we came back later we could see that they gor the yogurt cups and were using them for drinks :)   Nothing goes to waste here!

People were bathing and swimming in the river.

There was still a lot of water, mudd, and puddles

The goods are being delivered and beginning to stack up!

Dividning the the goods by fokotany

Waiting and ready for the distribution!  A grateful thumbs-up!

Grateful smiles!

So patient

Elder Asay wanted to give it a try!

They got a kick out of him! :)

Looking tough!

Filling oil and scooping rice

Too cute!  By the way, it was boiling hot and humid in Mampikony!

They were happy with their goods and heading back home!

Love this little lady!  So much character in her face!

We are a happy family!

It was a wonderful day!

Water Needs in Madagascar

One thing for sure, here in Madagascar there is a great need for clean water!  We have traveled to many water request sites and we have a great desire to bring clean water to as many of those requests as we possibly can in the next 10 months!  However, we can't do them during rainy season (Dec - April) or during harvest.  We hope to start in March or April though with training water commities. We are only allowed to have 3 major projects open at once and we are also doing Neo-Natal so we may only be able to do two and when those are done, do two more etc.  Elder Asay is hoping for 2-4 (which is a probable amount) but I'm hoping for 6-8 (a little aggressive) :)!  So hopefully we will do 4 for sure and maybe 6!
I started this a long time ago!  I am haveing trouble making the time to finish :)!

Anyway, traveling to the water sites is a true adventure!  These requests are out in the countryside! They all have a pretty long drive on dirt roads that are bumpy, have huge potholes, are loaded with rocks, are narrow and are sometimes not even a road at all!  That's to get to the fokontany.  Once there, we pick up the Mayor and/or the fokontany President and we continue on bad roads to get as close as we can to the water source, then park and walk the rest of the way!  We have visited many - about 8-10.  I love the long names (Mahavelona, Ampanatoavana, Antsahafina, Bedia, Ambohinamanmbola, Ambohijanmasoandro, Antsahamaroloha, and Sarodtoa to name a few).  I want to pass on a few pictures of roads and areas and water sources, but not in any order or with names, just pictures so maybe you can get a little feel for the drive, the hike, the people and the beauty!

Elder Asay always teases and says in America you pay big money to to go "mudding" and "off roading" and we get to do it for free!  Ethier way it makes for an eventful adventure!

I'm sorry, this is a post with no real order!  When I add pictures, the go all over the place!  I am trying to show pictures of the roads we travel, the hikes we take, the water sites and the people!  I hope you can make a little sence of it!  ENJOY!

If I fall left = land in the ditch; if I fall right = roll dowm the mountain!

Should we go right, left, or straight?  Nothing really looks like a road?

This mom and kids were pulling the wings off of the locusts from the plaugue so they could boil and eat them.

Many like to come and watch!  They walk so easily to the water source!  Me, not so much!

Boiling locusts

Drying locusts

It was a dusty ride - just as much dust is inside the back of the truck!

Driving through the pineapple fields 

Too narrow...

...time to walk!

MUDDY!

We're on a road, right?

Oops...Zebu cart accident, they lost their load of hay!

All fixed!

You find everything on top of a taxi brouse!  This is a basket of chickens!  We've also seen ducks, live pigs, a coffin. and sooo much more!

Just wanted to add this beautiful tree for you to see!

This is often the color of our bathtub water!  It usually clears up if we let it run a while.

More roads, hikes, water sources, and people!

Turn right on what road?

Pretty narrow and hard to keep all four tires on the road

We would often walk an hour or so to the site - I'm pretty much always the last in line!

When we get to the water source, one of the things they do is to see how quickly the water will fill this cup - how strong is the source?

Resting in the low spot before continuing to the top!

There is always a meeting with the Water Committee and whatever people want to attend.

Our water specialist, Gaby!  

This bare-footed gentleman walked circles around me!

Trying to cross the water on a very THIN pole!  I dropped my hat in the water and they fished it our for me!

Elder Asay keeps up with everyone -I thing I waited here for them to come back down :)!

Measuring the flow of another source. 

Love seeing the beautiful, clean water!

They killed a chicken while were checking out the source and they fed us rice and loaka after the meeting!

It is green and beautiful arounf the water course!

Is it safe?  Will I fall through the boards?

Cuties!

We handed out some cookies and they loved them.

Gaby has a ranch here.  This is his "milky cow" and her baby!

We walked along the very narrow ledge through the rice patty and when I turned around, poor Elder Asay had slid off into the water!

This is the Fokontany that gave us 2 chickens. :)  WE gave them to Gaby - his kids loved them for a few months, but now they have been eaten for Sunday dinner! 

The Mayo'rs chikens and eggs - he gave us a delicious dozen!

The Mayor's house.