Danielle Montecalvo
MADAGASCAR
Home: Rochester, New York
Post-secondary English educator at the University of Mahajanga
Salama Jiaby! Danielle anarako. Hello Everyone! My name is Danielle.
I’m from Rochester, New York I’ve been serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar since September 2018 as a post-secondary English educator at the University of Mahajanga in Mahajanga, Madagascar.
When we were evacuated, here’s what I left behind:
I left behind my 200 first year engineering, computer science, and applied language students at the university, as well as my 275 returning university students for their second and third year.
My host family: my Papa, my Mama, my four host sisters Vesna, Johanna, Fifa, and Anyah, and my host cousins Tafar and Zela.
My counterpart, Mrs. Jemima Johnson.
My university colleagues and university staff.
My neighbors, market sellers, store vendors, and friends throughout the city.
The beautiful coastal city of Mahajanga. Fun Fact: It’s the No. 1 tourist destination for Malagasy locals!
And here’s the unfinished business I’d like you to know about:
My grant “Learning Technology through Computers for Future Generations,” working to acquire refurbished computers through the U.S. non-profit, World Computer Exchange.
My English and malaria contest — created to develop a community of high school and university educators, health professionals, and regional education officials to support motivated high school students as they learn about malaria awareness, prevention strategies, and practice their sensitization skills in English.
My student-run English club, English Practice Mahajanga, working to engage the local community in English practice, leadership, teambuilding, and volunteering in their local communities.
The inspiring projects with students and the members at the American Corner of Mahajanga, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy of Madagascar, where we conducted a variety of activities such as field trips; translation opportunities through Operation Smile and Starkey's Foundation; STEM education workshops through NASA's GLOBE program; workshops to acquire tangible skills for personal and professional development — such as interview preparation, leadership, and team-building; facilitated conversations with American and Malagasy staff from the U.S. Embassy, and much more!
My Guidance Office where students could obtain information on international student scholarships, career opportunities, and professional development advice through our office at the university, or via Facebook or email.
And so much more! I felt as though I built a life of my own and a home in Mahajanga. I hope to return soon so that I can continue working with my students, colleagues, and counterpart on our school community projects. I think about them often and still chat with my community daily. I hope that everyone in Madagascar will continue to stay safe. Many communities across Madagascar wholeheartedly enjoy working with Peace Corps Volunteers. I hope that Volunteers can return to their communities across the red island very soon!
Photo captions:
Describing our world: A Field Trip Reniala Universe Park
In April 2019, my students and I visited a local plant and animal reserve in Mahajanga, Madagascar. The park's name means baobab in Malagasy and highlights the large quantity of baobab trees within the park. There were also lemurs, crocodiles, and an ostrich. We discussed what we learned about the park in English and participated in team building and leadership activities in English.
Operation Smile 3: Students translating to help
In September 2019, Operation Smile, a U.S. nonprofit that provides free surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate patients worldwide, conducted a mission in Mahajanga, Madagascar. My university students, members of the American Corner of Mahajanga, and I helped translate between Malagasy and English to ensure that both the Malagasy patients and English-speaking doctors and Operation Smile staff were understood. We helped patients during their pre-surgery and post-operation appointments, as well as during the patients' waiting time. It was a wonderful opportunity for my students to practice translation while supporting an important cause!
Hosting the Ambassador
In May 2019, the U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar and the Comoros visited our American Corner of Mahajanga English Club sponsored by the U.S. Embassy of Madagascar. We engaged in a Q&A session regarding education in the United States and potential opportunities to study abroad in America.
Birthday Lunch with my host family
For my first birthday in Madagascar, my host family made a delicious feast of Malagasy dishes such as rice with the kabaka or side consisting of crab with curry, tomatoes, and onions and fried fish, and the lasary or salad made of shredded carrots with vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. We also had cake! For my birthday gift, my host family bought me a traditional lamba or fabric worn by people of the Sakalava tribe from western and northwestern Madagascar (in Mahajanga).
English by the Sea
February 2019: After the weekly English Practice Mahajanga (EPM) meeting, some of the members walk to the seaside, or the Bord de la Mer, to continue having conversations in English and getting to know one another.
A Community of Practice … at the waterpark!
I created a community of practice (CoP) at the Ecole des Langues Commerciales Internationales alongside my counterpart. The purpose of the CoP was to develop a space for the faculty and staff to bond and connect with one another in order to make the ELCI community stronger. There are French, Mandarin, English, and Spanish teachers working at the ELCI, each from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Each department has a similar mission: teach a foreign language and give students the linguistic ability to work and live amongst other cultures. We connected faculty and staff through activities to create a stronger community at the ELCI. One activity was a retreat to Aqualand Waterpark in Amborovy, Mahajanga, which included a series of group meetings, team building activities, and discussion sessions for faculty and staff.