Salama (hello) Madagascar
As I start my 3-month volunteer placement as a pharmacist in Madagascar, I wanted to share some background on this incredible country and why Mercy Ships is needed. The island and its people Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island - 2.4 times as big as the UK - located in the Indian ocean due east of Mozambique. The people of Madagascar are known as the Malagasy and the official languages are Malagasy and French following independence from France in 1960. The country is home to approx. 32 million. The country is probably best known for its unique biodiversity and its amazing flora and fauna, 90% of which is found nowhere else on Earth. There are 100 species of lemurs alone, alongside lesser known endemic species like the fossa and the tomato frog. The fossa: Madagascar's top predator The ring-tailed lemur Economy and daily life The majority of Malagasy people earn their income through subsistence farming, supported by mineral mining, fishing and fo...