time in Toamasina

tim and the minister of education

once again it's been a busy couple of weeks since we last provided an update, first of all we want to share a photo that was taken of me (tim) as we signed an agreement with the minister of education that we weren't able to share that on our last post, which can be found here for more info about that!

we have flown back from Toamasina to the capital Antananarivo via the somewhat fragile national airline, Air Madagascar, saying that most of our experiences, with the exception of the extortionate fares, have been great and this last flight actually took off 30 minutes early. All the passengers had checked in, via a written boarding card system, so what was the point waiting around! 

traditional transport around toamasina

I can't tell you how amazing it is to be back in with a relatively stable internet connection and whilst we had a wonderful time in Toamasina the humidity and pace of life is a bit tiresome. 

as we explained in the last post we were spending around 20 days in a place that has become very familiar to us since our first visit in 2014. in fact this was our fourth visit and we have now spent over six months in Toamasina over the last couple of years.

haja, theo, kimberly and hany from HELPMadagascar

we had various opportunities to share the Emerging Leaders programmes with a huge number of people who we were training up to become trainers. our first engagement was with the teachers who work in the schools run by our friends Cho and Deborah from 'Love 'n Care' ministries, both in and around the east coast port. it was a joy to be able to invest in the teachers, many of whom have become good friends over the years.

our trained teachers from Love'nCare

the training was run over three days where we delivered a train the trainer of the new children's leadership programme called 'LEAD NOW' with the near on 40 teachers. 

planning to share the LEAD NOW modules

we started by looking at various methods of teaching, focusing on a more creative style which helps to engage the children in the LEAD NOW short lessons with games, repetition and actions. the general method used here is the standard 'teach at the children' with the teacher at the front of the class writing up on a blackboard for the children to learn by rote rather than interactive open sharing and discussion.

feedback from the teachers

we helped the teachers explore the wonderful material, with them join in and having fun with the games and actions that are used in the programme. all of them had already attended the adult version which we had been sharing whilst we were on our recent trips to South Africa and Uganda as well as previous visits to Madagascar. its important that the teachers are actually living out the basic leadership principles in their own lives before trying to 'model' anything to the children they teach.

maz training in the prison

the middle week was spent in the local prison where we ran a train the trainer with 16 of the prisoners, their guards or admin staff who we'd worked with last year. whilst the prison is a tough place to work it was wonderful to catch up with those inmates who are serving longer sentences. we're not sure we have the words to convey the conditions that these men have to endure day in day out. 

in a country with around 50% of the population living below the poverty line, 85% of people living in remote rural villages and only 10% of homes with access to electricity its not hard to imagine the challenges that these inmates live in. with up to 200 men sharing a classroom size dorm and what with the humidity and threat of mosquitoes carrying malaria we think you might get the picture.

working through their Leadership for Life manuals

however there are signs of hope and we were so encouraged by the stories, and not only confirmed by the prisoners, of the improvements that they were making themselves, using the leadership mindsets that we share with them! we are very aware that many of these man have done some very bad things but when all is said and done they are human like all of us and we are seeking to see the potential in all people and call it out of them.

traditional river scene on a walk

following the training the prisoners and guards are going to be sharing the Leadership for Life with the younger inmates who are going to be released so that they can take these amazing principles home with them and apply them to their lives and families.

enjoying working outside in the winter sunshine

our final week was spent running a second train the trainer with teachers, this time 50 of them from 25 different schools and organisations working with young children, vulnerable youth and even prostitutes (which is a huge problem in a desperately poor port town!)

the lovely venue for our second LEAD NOW training

the team from HELPMadagascar, headed up by Kimberly and Colin Radford, true saints and bringers of hope and change each and every day of their lives, incredibly they have lived in Toamasina for near on 20 years, arranged to host us at a local restaurant come wedding venue. we not only ate well but enjoyed sharing the LEAD NOW with these people, some of whom come from remote villages with limited education themselves. 

trained LEAD NOW teachers from 25 schools

this limited education is a going to be a major issue as we share this further, the base level of teachers is very low, however saying that any input into their is going to be of great benefit to them and the children they teach.

korean friends

in the evenings and over the couple of weekends when we weren't working (either teaching or sharing at local churches!) we did enjoy some great times with friends, mostly international, who are doing some incredible work in and around the town and we take our hats off to them for their commitment to the people of this awesome but incredibly needy nation. 

anyone for fresh lobster cooked on the beach
over an open fire/bbq/braai

we had some nice meals, even went on a trip up to find fresh lobsters cooked on open fires on the beach and had a morning walk with our friend robert and found a bar to watch the monaco grand prix.

off for a walk in the countryside with robert

we're gonna miss all our friends but not the weather, although we are already planning to be back in early 2018, God willing!