MonicaThree years ago today I was in Madagascar for a marine research project. Being out there with very little Wi-fi or electricity at all, is what made me start to write blogs. I would write in my free time so that when I did have some Wi-fi, I could share my stories with my family and close friends. Obviously blogging, sharing stories and information has grown so much for me after that and I am so glad I have started Genuinely Blue.
I hope I will keep inspiring people to travel sustainably, share the message and make a change on this planet.
The capacity to learn is a gift
November 2017
When you are able to give people information that they would have never known without you, its a unique feeling. With 55 of the population living on the coast and relying on fisheries, you would think that the people that live on this island would know everything about the waters that surround them and its species. Well, that isn’t the case.
During my time in Nosy Be (an Island off the North-West of Madagascar), I was given the opportunity to teach at the “Agriculture school” a couple of times. I’ll tell you something, talking to students about marine life, its’ beauties and its’ threats has never been so rewarding.
This school aims to provide its few students with enough knowledge about the environment and its’ species, in order for them to hopefully one day be involved in the tourism industry, always very abundant here in Nosy Be. It’s very similar to what we would call college: any student between the age of 14 to 23 can attend if they pass a certain test; they then study, eat and sleep there and attend for 2 years.
The school is found…in the middle of nowhere. Or better, a beautiful walk through the forest, passing by chickens, goats and Zebus (“the cows of Madagascar”), leads us to the school. I don’t know what you would be expecting but the whole school consisted of one single brick building which included their only classroom and their bedrooms.
There are about 20 students, sitting in the boiling hot classroom, with their pen and paper, ready to learn. I gave them an introduction on mammals, telling them where they are found, what characterizes them and some straightforward examples. It’s when I moved on to talking to them about one of my favourite topics that they looked amazed. Whales. They couldn’t believe that a Blue Whales heart is as big as a car and that some species undergo the longest migrations anyone could ever imagine. What amazed them the most was to know that there are Humpback whales that migrate through their waters, in the Indian Ocean, every year. They had no idea!
Information that is commonly passed on to us through the internet, the television or at school, isn’t as common over here. Kids go to school to learn to read and to write. If they want to learn something more specific, they need people like us who are willing to pass on some of our knowledge or they have to be lucky enough to have enough money to go to mainland Madagascar and attempt to receive a better education.
Being completely honest, I have never loved the idea of teaching, I have always seen it at something boring and repetitive but there are a few things I have learnt while being here that have completely changed my perspective on this.
First of all, knowing that you have the chance and knowledge to teach people that have much fewer opportunities in life than you, is a big gift and we shouldn’t just let it go to waste.
Secondly, having the capabilities of doing something that might, one day, help and improve someone’s life, allowing them to get a job is also very rewarding.
Last but not least, I believe that teaching is the best way to outreach, educate and raise awareness about certain issues in our world.
Speaking about our oceans: right now they are undergoing numerous threats mostly caused by human activities. These students in Nosy Be had no idea about this either.
I believe that education is the most effective way forward. Our planet needs people that will talk about these issues and what the human population can do to make a difference.
It all begins through communication. Talking to people that know very little about the issue, as well as to the people that know about the existence of these issues but might not be doing anything about it.
I came to Madagascar to be part of a team carrying out a marine research project, however, having been able to introduce them to the beauties and threats of the oceans feels rewarding and I hope its something they don’t forget.
Monica xxx
Great work Monica! I love teaching – it is so rewarding – but this certainly sounds like a really special experience, to teach somewhere so remote would be cool!