Wild Madagascar: Beauty in Diversity Past Review

By (Environmental Studies., Wellesley College) for

SIT Study Abroad: Madagascar - Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Absolutely worthwhile - a crazy roller coaster, but worth every minute. Natural resource management basically studies how to balance environmental and social welfare. You can't make decisions about protecting the environment without also helping the people that depend strongly on their ancestral lands - and "helping" is not giving money and aid, but enabling people to form community groups and manage their own resources sustainably. I can't even begin to describe all of the cultural understandings I gained - mainly revolving around the realities of subsistence-based, less than a dollar a day lifestyles, and how people considered the poorest in the world have a cultural richness none of us can fathom.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The paper-writing and book-reading workload was much less than at Wellesley because so much of the learning was experiential. Teaching was a combination of powerpoint-driven lectures and fieldwork, with many guest lecturers. Deadlines are definitely more lax than at Wellesley; one professor's grading was as rigorous as Wellesley's, while another was definitely not.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Logistics are always difficult in Madagascar, and we were frequently disorganized or running late. While frustrating, this is all part of the cultural immersion, and I had complete confidence in our staff. They had a superior knowledge about Madagascar. The program size was too large to handle (the result of the US SIT administration, not the program director's wishes), but it worked out. My expectations for academics were low, but my expectations for a "life experience" were high, and the program exceeded both.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We stayed with host families in Ft. Dauphin and in a rural village. Unlike most students, I lived in a Canadian mining company's housing projects, which resembled an American suburb, and took a bus into town. It was a half hour journey to class each day, quite manageable. Accessing nightlife was difficult and somewhat dangerous, but our group did not generally participate in nightlife outside of our own parties. My family provided everything I needed, and treated me like their own daughter, one part of the culture I really appreciated.

* Food:

No one in our group had dietary restrictions so I can't comment. There's a definite lack of choice in the food - you eat what the program provides - and many students got very tired of beans and rice. But the quality and quantity were always sufficient, and occasionally we got truly outstanding meals. It would be possible, but difficult, to remain vegetarian there. More than half our group was vegetarian in the US, but all ate meat there, because our motivations didn't make as much sense in Madagascar's context. All the food is very fresh.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Our program was spectacular with integrating us into culture largely inaccessible to foreigners - the entire program was special events and field trips. There are too many wonderful things to mention, from huge inter-village traditional dance parties to cattle sacrifices, driving to beautiful, isolated villages to speak with fishermen to student birthday parties at ethnic restaurants with live music, hiking up a mountain and watching a medicine man ceremony to participating in village life.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Be prepared for healthcare culture shock. Fortunately, the people in our group mostly just had a lot of mild issues, such as travelers' diarrhea and persistent colds. These are about as big a deal as you make of them; the program staff have a big first aid kit and try to treat you with what they have first, and will them take you to a doctor. If you want herbal health products or vitamins, bring your own. Hospitals are generally ill-equipped and not too sanitary, and doctors seem to do little but over-prescribe medication. If anyone got malaria (which usually happens to at least one person per semester) or had a serious medical emergency, I'm not sure how well it could be addressed (mainly due to the country's bad infrastructure, not the fault of the program). You will need a number of vaccines and malaria prophylactics. I encountered a dog with rabies, but it is rare - it is your call whether or not you want to get the rabies vaccine. Our program was overly cautious on safety (wisely so) and advised us never to out at night without a large group, and not to go to any deserted areas alone. Small cities are generally safe because all life happens out on the street, and so many eyes creates accountability and safety. Everyone in our group, guys and gals, was the object of sexual harassment, but there was no point where any of us felt seriously threatened.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? All food was covered by the program, but if you wanted to go out with friends, you could expect to pay US$5 for dinner. To go to the internet cafe, you have to buy a pastry or drink, which is US$1.50-$2. Beer is US$2. Street food is US 5 cents to 20 cents. Expect cell phone bills to be about US$5 per week. Including souvenirs, I probably averaged spending US $15 per week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to resist buying too many American/Western goods. You'll be able to buy them at home in a few months and they are generally quite expensive in Madagascar. South African Airlines gave me an apparently random overweight baggage fine (many people with heavier bags did not get fined), which was US $50 - know your baggage limits.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? French 211, designed to prepare students for immersion in French universities.
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Two languages: French and Malagasy. Hardly anyone spoke English, and none fluently. I used both languages extensively every day. All of my French improvement came from practice, not from the very few French classes. Malagasy classes were a helpful base but the majority of learning was self-directed.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
  • Hostel
  • Host Family
  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Host Family
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Variety of excursions
  • Good balance of independence and programming
  • Rural village stay
* What could be improved?
  • Malagasy and French instruction
  • Tried to touch on too many topics - didn't really go in-depth on anything
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Absolutely do it. Studying abroad is the only way to experience all of the rich nuances of the environment, but mostly of the people, that make this island so beautiful. If you are prepared for intense culture shock and crazy "I can't believe this is happening" moments, don't expect too much rigor from the academics, and are okay with not always knowing exactly what comes next, you'll do just fine. The program pushes you to your limits just enough that you intensely appreciate things we all take for granted - like pizza and showers - and it was incredible to see how peoples' attitude of gratitude changed through the semester.