Volunteer English Teaching in Ambalona. (March 17, 2010 to April 17, 2010)

I spent a month teaching English in Ambalona during March/April of 2010. My strongest memories are of a most welcoming community, full of laughter and friendliness. This is a very poor village, yet full of the some of the happiest people I have ever met. Not at any point during my month stay did I feel in the least bit unsafe or concerned for the security of my possessions. The hut I stayed in would normally have a small crowd around the door whenever I was in, waiting for me to do something amusing. Making friends was easier than you could imagine; join in with the kids playing football, practice Malagasy phrases, have a go at pounding rice, and you'll soon have a group of familiar faces to hang around with. The teaching was very enjoyable, class size fluctuated as and when people had the time (attending lessons had to fit around working the rice and cassava fields) but lessons were always amusing, and watching them progress with their English was wonderful. There never seemed to be a dull moment, and free time was easily filled. My favourite pastimes were weaving mats with the cooks (which I thought I'd got the hang of until I watched Liva undo and correct the patch I'd been working on, in a fraction of the time it'd taken me), football and fishing with some of the kids, and enjoying the fantastic birdwatching there is around the village. If you're keen on wildlife, ask Justin (a very friendly man who quickly adopted me as his own) to take you looking for crocodiles. It took me the best part of a fortnight but we did eventually spot a beautiful specimen by the river. As you've probably realised I had a fantastic time in Ambalona and would definitely recommend it, it's a wonderful, unspoilt place, and teaching there with Hope For Madagascar is an excellent way of getting involved and enriching any travelling experience in Madagascar.

Harry Deal - United Kingdom