to Madagascar for the Measles Malaria Campaign

I went to Madagascar from October 15-November 2 to be an external observer/monitor for the Measles Malaria Campaign. The goal was to give an insecticide treated bednet, measles vaccination, worm medicine, and vitamin A to every child under 5 years. It lasted October 22-30, so I went a few days early to get myself situated and have some meetings.

I stayed in the same hotel as usual - Hotel Colbert - here's the view out my window. As I've said before, Tana looks so different from most African capitals. It almost seems Italian.

There are lots of winding roads, and the traditional highland Malagasy style is 2 stories - this home in Antananarivo is fairly typical.There are also numerous sets of stairs in town so pedestrians can avoid the switchbacks - driving anywhere in Tana takes so much longer than you might think, with the narrow winding streets compounded by horrendous traffic. The view below, looking down one set of stairs and up another, is frequently painted. October is spring in Antananarivo, and the jacaranda trees are in full bloom - the lake ringed by purple trees is just beautiful. When you walk below them, the nectar drips on your head!I love African inventiveness. When the cell phone came, people saw all sorts of creative ways to use it that we never came up with. In this case, it provides a career. All you need is a cell phone, a table, and an umbrella, and you are a phone booth! Although many people have their own cell phones, they are still a little too pricey for some, and so these brightly colored 'phone booths' charge by the call. The price listed on the signs below, 300 Ar, is equal to 15 cents. And what would Tana be without entirely too much incredible food? After a meeting about post-campaign evaluation with Canadian Red Cross, we headed to my favorite restaurant, Kudeta. Below are Adam, of CRC, a random Australian student we met up with, and Frazier, of CIDA (like USAID, only Canadian).