Food Security Promoter

Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. Its terrain is diverse and the climate can change drastically. It’s one of 17 mega-diverse countries in the world. Volunteers live throughout the east coast, the highlands, the southeast, and mid-south where living conditions can vary greatly from one community to another. Volunteers should be flexible, resilient, and willing to live very modestly. Food Security Promoters typically live in small villages, often with a population less than 2,000.

• Housing: Volunteers live in private one or two-room houses. Housing materials vary by region, with walls made from local wooden material in coastal areas and bricks in the highlands. Volunteers have individual outdoor bath houses and latrines, but often no running water or electricity. Some families in the community may have access to generators that can provide electricity/battery recharge, but that is not standard and it is easy to buy solar panels and batteries locally.

• Communication: Most communication is conducted by cell phone. You’ll have an opportunity to buy your phone during Pre-Service Training if you did not bring an unlocked phone. Call costs are based on the minutes used, texts sent and are deducted immediately. Incoming calls and texts, even from the U.S., are free. It’s possible to access very slow internet or messaging apps through the purchase of local data plans.

• Transportation: On a case-by-case basis, Peace Corps Madagascar may provide a bike, helmet, and bicycle maintenance training to assist you in daily routines. You may also be required to walk or bike between 3 to 10 kilometers to reach a main road or an outlying village where community partners live and work, and for long distances between towns, you take bush taxis.

• Food: Rice is the staple. Other foods include cassava, potatoes and corn. Meat and fish could be expensive or difficult to find depending on the region. Fish is more present on the coast and meat in the highlands. If meat or fish are unavailable, a variety of beans and peanuts can be used as protein sources. Vegetables vary by region, but most are produced in the highlands. Madagascar is graced with wonderful, though seasonal, fruits. During the off-season, specific fruits may be unavailable and unevenly distributed across the country. You will do your shopping at the local market, but some items might have to be purchased at a larger town nearby.

Vegetarians and vegans may face challenges and should be mindful of food customs. Turning down a plate of food because it has meat may be seen as rejecting a gift. Volunteers have found it possible but difficult to maintain a vegetarian diet.

The Malagasy are generally tolerant, although values concerning sexual orientation are conservative. Same-sex marriages are not permitted under Malagasy law. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and use their judgment to determine the best way to approach sexual orientation in their communities. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during Pre-Service Training and identify support mechanisms for incoming trainees.

Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Madagascar country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.