Speeches Shim
It is dark and cool inside the room. Students are seated on the floor, their backs pressed against an old wooden bed frame, the bare cement wall, or large sacks of grain. At the teacher’s command, a man rises from the floor and approaches the chalkboard. He is instructed to complete the two math problems displayed: 6,202 divided by 7; 2,313 multiplied by 3. He navigates the long division with ease; the multiplication even quicker. He takes his seat against a bag of grain as his classmates clap in unison.
When you come from a small village 27-kilometers south of the already remote town of Maroansetra, in north-eastern Madagascar, you don’t have many choices; you’re either a fisherman or a famer. Despite that, 52-year-old Jean-Michel Razafindrazaka has relentlessly sought to build a better life for himself, his wife, and their five children.
How do you get 13 million life-saving mosquito bed nets to all corners of Madagascar? By any means necessary!
Dr. Bako Harisoa Ravaomanalina, believes women are becoming scientific leaders in Madagascar. She is a researcher at the University of Antananarivo, a USAID-Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) grant recipient and is building a reference library for Malagasy rosewood, palissander, and ebony. She recently sat down with us to discuss her project and how more and more Malagasy women are making their mark in science.
The outrigger canoe moved swiftly through the large mangrove channel, led by the sure hand of the paddler seated behind us. The morning was still. The only sound came from the sluice of the paddle through the water and the occasional shrieks from birds overhead, alarmed by our intrusion.
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