Welcome to My Blog!

I'm excited that you have decided to join me on this amazing journey as I prepare for departure along with my future service in Peace Corps Madagascar! Check out the different tabs above to learn more about Peace Corps, Madagascar, and AmeriCorps. Don't forget to subscribe!

Winter is Coming: Peace Corps Madagascar Packing List

The title of the post may seem a bit strange as you’re probably wondering why I’m referencing GOT. I found out that I will be arriving in Madagascar during the fall/winter season and therefore will be preparing and packing accordingly, hence the title. I’ll buy anything I'm missing in Madagascar.

Luggage/Backpack

-          Tortuga Backpack (Carry on) – I really love that this backpack is so well organized and can hold a lot of stuff. I plan on using this item as my traveling backpack around Madagascar. The amount of stuff you can fit into this bag is amazing!

-          Rolling Duffel bag – I just need to transport my items to Madagascar. I will more than likely not use this again

-           

Electronics

-          Laptop – this is highly recommended as we have online documents that needs to be submitted online

-          Tablet

-          Kindle Paperwhite

-          Unlocked smartphone

-          iPod

-          Earbuds

-          Camera (including memory cards and case)

-          Chargers

-          Power Converters

-          External hard drive

-          Thumb drives (3)

-          Luminaid Solar Light

-          Flashlight

-          Rechargeable headlamp

-          Extra cords for electronics

Clothes

-          2 pairs of Jeans

-          3 pairs of jean-like leggings

-          3 pairs of leggings

-          6 pairs of shorts

-          2 parirs of Khakis

-          1 Ankle – length skirt

-          6 tshirts

-          4 blouses

-          -4 tanks

-          2 dresses

-          All weather jacket

-          3 sweaters

-          Hoodie

-          3 scarves

-          Socks

-           A lot of underwear (bras and panties)

-          Belt

Shoes

-          Pair of Chacos

-          Pair of nice black flats

-           Old pair of Chucks

Toiletries

-          Deodorant

-          Soap

-          Hair ties, clips, bobby pins, pack of combs

-          Manicure set

-          Pack of razors

-          Hair cutting scissors

-          Pads

-          Eyeliner and lipstick

-          Lotion

-          Pack of toothbrushes

-          Toothpaste

-          Shampoo/Conditioner

Miscellaneous

-          Duct tape

-          Journal

-          Umbrella

-          Ziploc bags /Dry bags

-          Scrabble Word Slam Cards

-          Crayons

-          Quick dry towels

-          Sewing Kit

-          Nail Polish

-          2 water bottles

-          Pens

World Wise Schools

World Wise Schools (WWS) connects currently serving volunteers with a teacher or educational organization in the  U.S. to promote cross-cultural understanding based upon the third goal of Peace Corps.

PC Third Goal: To help promote the understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Over the course of my various service experiences, I have had the chance to interact with different people that I have had the chance to learn from, listen to their stories, share of myself, and become more aware and involved in the fight for social justice. Because of this, I decided to sign-up for WWS to not only share my experience, but also those stories that are rarely told from the viewpoint of others. 

Helping me in this endeavor is a good friend of mine that is a licensed teacher and is currently pursuing her Masters in TESOL in NC. I'm excited for her and my students to have the chance to learn from one another and close the gap that much more.

Learn more about about World Wise Schools from the website and the Correspondence Match Handbook. 

    

Personal Goals

Personal Goals

During my downtime - besides my primary and secondary projects that I will be engaging in, I have come up with a list of things to accomplish during my 27 months of service. I think that this is really important in the aspect of my self-care and keeping me grounded. I may add or subtract to this depending on the changes I go through during my service. 

• Spend first year studying for the GRE 
• Take and pass the GRE during the second year
• Clear teaching credential during second year
• Spend second year studying for the FSOT
• Read 100+ novels - check left sidebar for books read
• Finish writing my first novel
• Lose a minimum of 50 lbs - T25 workout to help me become healthy and fit  Achieved! Still losing!

Mail

Contact Information

This is my current mailing address while in training. I will update this information once it changes.

While in training:

Lynette Tillery, PCV

Bureau du Corps de la Paix

B.P. 12091

Poste Zoom Ankorondrano

Antananarivo 101

Madagascar 

After Training:

Lynette Tillery,  PCV

c/o U.S. Peace Corps Madagascar 

Villa les Lierres

Lot IIk76, Lot. Bonnet Ivandry 

Antananarivo

Madagascar

Phone: (+261) 20.224.3820

Family and Friends Letter

This is the letter given to us from Peace Corps to be given to the people I care about that explains the process of the upcoming months in reference to communication and sending packages.

Dear Families and Friends,

Greetings from the Madagascar Deskin Washington, D.C.! It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Peace Corps circle of friendship. We receive many questions from family members and friends about life in Madagascar over the course of a Volunteers’ two years of service, so we would like to offer you some advice and assistance in advance.

Learning about Madagascar

The Peace Corps experience can be an exciting, intimidating, and amazing experience for both the Volunteer and family. The Volunteers will learn a lot about Madagascar both in preparation for service and throughout their service of two years. This is also a great time for you to learn more about Madagascar, which may alleviate some of your concerns.

Below are a few links to help jumpstart your discovery:

·         PC/Madagascar Facebook

·         PC/Madagascar Instagram

·         PC/Madagascar Twitter

·         Peace Corps/Madagascar website (under revision)

·         Embassy of Madagascar

·         US Embassy Madagascar Facebook

·         CIA World Factbook – Madagascar

·         The Living Edens –Madagascar

·         Wild Madagascar

Expectations about Communication

The Madagascar Country Desk at Peace Corps Headquarters maintains regular contact with the Peace Corps office in Antananarivo through phone calls and email. However, these communications are reserved for business only and cannot be used to relay personal messages. All communication between family members and the Volunteer should be done via international mail, personal phone calls, or email.

Please note the critical importance of communicating your concerns with the Madagascar Country Deskat Peace Corps/Washington, rather than reaching out directly to staff in Madagascar. The in-country staff’s primary responsibility is guiding the health and productive service of the 130 Volunteers on the ground, and thus they do not have the capacity to directly assist family members. The Peace Corps/Madagascar office is in direct and frequent contact with the Madagascar Desk. We at the Madagascar Desk are well equipped to take your questions and talk about your concerns.

The mail service in Madagascar is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take from one to two months for mail coming from Madagascar to arrive in the United States via the Madagascan mail system. From a Volunteer’s community, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Antananarivo.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes.

Volunteers often enjoy telling their “frontline” development stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is often good reading material, it can easily be misinterpreted by family and friends. Please do not assume that if your loved one gets sick that he or she has not been attended to. The city of Antananarivo has medical and dental  facilities, and there are Peace Corps Medical Officers there as well. Most Volunteers can reach the office in less than one day’s time. Volunteer’s also have cell phones so that they can call our medical office. In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Antananarivo and is cared for by our Medical Unit. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Madagascar, he/she will be medically evacuated to a location that does. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.

Generally, no news is good news. But, if you become very concerned because your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your loved one for an unusual length of time, you can contact the Counseling and Outreach Unit (COU) at Peace Corps in Washington at 855.855.1961,  extension 1470 (or direct: 202.692.1470). The COU will then contact Peace Corps staff in Antananarivo, and ask them to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call COU immediately if you cannot get a hold of your loved one, so that the Volunteer can be informed by a member of Peace Corps/ Madagascar staff.

Telephone Calls

The telephone system in Madagascar is relatively reliable, although some Volunteers in the interior of the country may have sporadic cell phone coverage. Improved cell phone service in Madagascar now enables families to call to Volunteers at or near their sites nearly 24/7.

Internet is becoming more widespread, allowing for occasional Skype or other internet-based calls. This can usually work, but there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart – even something as simple as a big thunderstorm can hinder connectivity. Please recognize that a short lapse in communication with your Volunteer is not necessarily cause for alarm.

Note that Peace Corps staff in Antananarivo and Washington cannot assist in arranging calls with your family member. The Volunteer will inform you of their local telephone number sometime in the weeks after their arrival. When dialing direct to Madagascar from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 261 (the country code) + the number.

Communicating in Cases of Emergency

In cases of emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), you can contact the Counseling and Outreach Unit (COU) at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C., at 855.855.1961, extension 1470. COU will contact Peace Corps/Madagascar staff, who can deliver a message to the Volunteer. The COU office is available 24/7. For urgent afterhours calls, tell the operator your name, telephone number, and the nature of the emergency, and the Duty Officer will call you back.

If you do not hear from your Volunteer for an unusual length of time, you may contact the Madagascar Country Desk, who will contact Peace Corps/Madagascar staff on your behalf. However, please remember that cell phone/internet access will not be as consistent as in the U.S., and a short lapse in communication is not necessarily cause for concern.

Sending Packages

Although care packages are appreciated by Volunteers, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. Please be advised that packages can take a minimum of 1-2 months (sometimes more) to arrive. Be aware that Volunteers will be responsible for paying “pickup fees” for all packages. Packages in large padded envelopes are taxed less heavily. We do not recommend sending costly items or electronics through the mail, as custom charges can be exorbitant AND there is always a slight risk of theft or damage.

During Pre-Service Training, you can use this address to send letters and/or packages to your 

“Name,” PCV

Bureau du Corps de la Paix

B.P. 12091

Poste Zoom Ankorondrano

Antananarivo 101

Madagascar 

After training, your Volunteer may choose to use a local post office box in a different part of the country. Please ask your Volunteer to communicate their preferred address with you.

We suggest sending letters and packages using the U.S. Postal Service, as courier services and associated package pickup costs tend to be prohibitively expensive. However, for lightweight but important items (identity documents, replacement credit cards, etc.), you may want to use a courier service such as DHL or FedEx.

If you choose to send items through a courier service, you must address the package to:

“Name,” PCV

c/o U.S. Peace Corps Madagascar 

Villa les Lierres

Lot IIk76, Lot. Bonnet Ivandry 

Antananarivo

Madagascar

Phone: (+261) 20.224.3820

Trying to send cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility toarrange receipt. Western Union may be a better option for sending money.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family memb er is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar. We understand how challenging it can be to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. Please feel free to contact me at the Madagascar Desk in Washington, D.C., if you have any further questions. My phone number is 202.692.2260 and you can email me at Madagascar@peacecorps.gov.

Sincerely,

Najima Bawa

Country Desk Officer | Madagascar