AJPER is an environmental based association in Fianarantsoa. However, seeing the population of the south of Madagascar suffering due to the lack of food, AJPER, with its technical and financial partners decided to donate food for 50 households among 247 households at a village called Namolorana, within the commune of Antanimora, District of Ambovombe Androy. Here are the summary of our trip to Namolorana.
Day 1, Monday December 13, 2021: Fianarantsoa – Ihosy (190km)
On day one, a team of five composed of Rufin, Hasina, Hasina (woman), Lidese and I (Andre) took a taxi brousse to Ihosy at 5 PM. Before this, we bought the sacs in which the donation will be packed.
We stayed an overnight in Ihosy.
Day 2, Tuesday December 14, 2021: Ihosy – Betroka (145 km)
On day two, we took another taxibrousse to join Betroka. We left Ihosy at 9 and arrived in Betroka at around 3 pm. The road RN13 is a dirt road so it took 6 hours’ drive to make this 145 km.
RN13 is a national road that serves the south of Madagascar from Ihosy to Fort Dauphin which is bad but accessible by 4WDs or trucks.
We stayed in Betroka.
Day 3, Wednesday December 15, 2021: Betroka – Antanimora (202 km)
Antanimora is at 202 km from Betroka. Car is rare between those two places, but fortunately, we talked to a driver that will go to Fortdauphin that day to take us to Antanimora. We began our journey at 9 and arrived in Antanimora at 5 pm.
The landscape is completely different from what we used to have because the forests and shrubs are spiny. Welcome to Androy… Androy means the place of spikes and spines. There are cactus forest (introduced) and endemic spiny trees.
The local authorities welcomed us upon our arrival in Antanimora and invited us to stay at the house they prepared for us.
The sign said "Welcome to Antanimora", team arriving safely to Antanimora
Day 4, Thursday December 16, 2021: Market day in Antanimora and drove to Namolorana
As we decided to buy the donation locally, we went to the market of Antanimora to buy the food. Thursday is a market day so everything we needed was found at the local market. We spent the morning of Thursday purchasing everything.
In the afternoon, after lunch, we decided to go straight to the village where the food will be distributed, at around 12 km southern from Antanimora.
We rent a small truck to take the sacs of food around that weighted 1tone and half. The truck made it twice to take all.
Once arrived there, we talked with the villagers and the local authorities about our trip and our program. We started to pack everything.
Each sac contains some kilos of dried manioc, rice, maize, sugar, all sorts of beans, salt that weights around 35 kg per.
Day 5, Friday December 17, 2021: The delivery day
The chief of the village gathered the whole cummunity under a tamarin tree ( a place where they usually holds meetings). He introduced us to the community with the objective of our visit. He, with other leaders had chosen in advance the 50 vulnerable family that benefited the donation.
Then after the meeting, we procedeed to the distribution of the donation. The community thanked us, for the donation and they said that they are grateful toward the donors :-)
The afternoon, we went to visit a forest managed by the local authority which is rich in biodiversity. They do not cut trees, instead, they protect their forest and animals.
People in there live in agriculture and goat livestocking and also zebu. But the problem is that there was not enough rain for the last four years.
Day 6, Saturday December 18, 2021: Time to go back home
We were looking for taxibrousse to take us back to Fianarantsoa, but all the taxibrousses are full. We left Antanimora at 11:30 pm in the back of a pickup car.
Day 7, Sunday December 20, 2021: Arrived in Fianarantsoa.
We finaly made it back home after this trip full of adventure, and experience either in term of social life of the local people, their way of living and also the road RN13.
I would like to thank all of AJPER partners in Dusseldorf, Germany, and also ROMAIN RABEARISOA and ISTE Fianarantsoa for their support. Without you, we couldn't do this donation.
The reporter, Andre