Iza noanaranao?

The Vezo people of Salary are extremely skilled fishermen and women, their life, traditions and customs are shaped by the winds and lunar cycles. They can identify all the species of local fish, simply by looking at how it jumps out of the water (which turned our ‘coral reef book’ into a big joke !). They know the reef like the back of their hands, and can naviguate through its edges just by following the stars. Yet, with our ambitious minds we thought they would listen to our patronising discourses, and drastically change their way of life in order to allow us to conserve endangered species, the same species upon which their survival solely depends upon.

Instead we learned to work with them, thanks to the well-designed program of WWF Madagascar. We were given a plan involving many activities, from embroidery and french classes to the design of road signs, all focussing on the same objective: to develop the ecotourism potential of the region as an alternative to intensive fishing. Because of the increasing pressure on the reef, the Vezo people are forced to look elsewhere for fish, which means leaving their family behind and migrating to far away biodiverse hotspots where there is a higher concentration of marine resources such as sea cucumber. Still, on an everyday basis the reef is overharvested, leading to the progressive bleaching of coral reefs, the reduced adundance of targeted fish and hence the loss of keystone species that play a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem at an equilibrium. Additionally, changes in the sea-surface temperature from climate change threatens the reef's delicate interactions with micro-organisms.
 

We had to drop our ‘developed country’ knowledge and skills to make room for new adaptations. We learned how to make baskets, to disect fish, to cook in the dark, to naviguate a wooden pirogue, to exploit our creativity, to use solar energy... and to make every moment a fun one.

Of course at first it seemed like I would never get there, I still needed some ‘space’ away from the hyperactive children, some ‘break’ from learning embroidery, some ‘time’ to reflect. Yet I had no choice but to live in the moment. There was nowhere to hide.
Nevertheless, I found that we learn through failure, but also through openness, and by constantly facing the same challenge day after day I changed, bit by bit. I started to speak some dialect, then began to understand what people were telling me, then laughed back, taking everything on board as life went on, where happiness is only real when shared.

From that moment onwards, I could never learn enough from these simple, yet fantastic, people.I still miss them each and every day, yet I feel so thankful that they took the time to change me, they swapped my thick skin for a radiant glow and gave me the keys to understanding, acceptance and tolerance.

While we were in Salary, we taught French to a group of men, and a group of women. By the time we left they were able to maintain a short conversation, offer snorkeling/fishing trips and serve food/show the village to potential tourists. We taught basic environmental education in schools in six villages, as well as embroidery and basket making classes to women. We felt we achieved our aim, and wished we could have taught more!

Since I came back, I have started my studies as a Master student in Ecology Evolution and Conservation at Imperial College London.
I hope I can go back to Madagascar in the near future as an acclaimed scientist; in the meantime, I try to remember my lessons and welcome each day as a new one, with a smile on my face in honour of the people of Salary.