Christmas markeds in Baden-Baden

Member of the association and long-standing supporter of Vakoka Vakiteny, Mrs. Christel Schelshorn recently participated on two Christmas markets in Baden-Baden. Here she sold handicraft from Madagascar and told about our work for Malagasy literature. She will also contribute on a third marked on December 11.

Mrs. Schelshorn also received generous support from the German-French society in Baden-Baden and the association “Eine-Welt-Verein Keniahilfe”.

We want to thank Mrs. Schelshorn and her associates for the great job in collecting money and spreading information about Vakoka Vakiteny.

The stand together with the “Eine-Welt-Verein”

 Mrs. Schelshorn (r.) here together with the German-French society

Covering of the north of Madagascar for the gepgraphic picture book

Currently we have a co-worker in the northern part of Madagascar doing researches for the geographic picture book. He is now visiting the northeastern coast where there are vanilla and coffee plantations. The north is also very famous for its mixture of people from different cultures, fusion between traditional, colonial and modern culture and architecture, and beautiful coastline and mountains.

Our co-worker called recently telling that the work goes well, but that it rains very much. The northeastern coast is also very well-known for its bad roads and heavy rain. Still we believe that he will be able to finish his researches and bring back new knowledge, pictures and other important material for the manuscript.

Green literature workshop 2

On Tuseday November 16 we had a final meeting and a goodbye party for the green workshops. The results we have after end of the literature workshop are short stories, fairytales, funny stories, poems, fact texts and jokes written in Malagasy by the young participants from 10 to 25 years. Unfortunately we will not be able to include all the about 40 texts in the book, and it is now our work to sort out which texts to publish. This is a very difficult work as many texts are well written and have a clear environmental message.

The book which will contain the chosen texts is going to have 32 pages, hardcover and colorful pictures also made by the youth. It will be printed on recycled paper. The target group for the book is estimated to be from 12 to 14 years. A preliminary title for the book is “Ampanirio” which has a double meaning: “let it grow” and “hope”. It is also the title of one of the poems which will be included in the book.

We have not yet decided the picture for the front cover of the book, but one of the suggestions is this:

This book will not be sold on the free marked, but distributed to green schools and youth organizations in Madagascar. The expenses will be covered by Green Living in Stavanger through the association in Germany.

Green literature workshop

We are now in the middle of a very exiting workshop in Antsirabe. It is prepared and led by Green Living in Stavanger, Norway. The workshop trainers, however, are both from Madagascar and Norway, and the participants are Malagasy youth.

Our part of this workshop is a literature seminar for youth where the outcome will be a book containing texts about the environment. Until now there have been youth groups from the organization Green Pilots and student groups from several schools sharing experience and learning how to write good stories. We have been able to collect many good short stories, fairytales, funny stories and poems for the book. It will be hard work to select the texts which are going to be published in the book.

Young writers together with authors Terje Torkildsen at the left and Mparany at the right.

A girl sharing her story with the other participants and receiving feedback.

Workshop trainers together with pupils from Farimbona School.

Donation from Sunde skole

The primary school Sunde skole in Stavanger, Norway has donated NOK 8000 (€ 980) for the development and publishing of the geographic picture book for Malagasy school children (http://vakiteny.blogspot.com/2010/08/atlas-geographic-picture-book-for.html). The transfer will be accomplished through the Association for School and Children’s books in Madagascar.

We in Vakoka Vakiteny are very grateful for this support, and we want to thank pupils and teachers – especially our contact at the school, Mrs. Bodil Hauken – for this generous donation. The school will continuously receive information about the writing process. Sunde skole will be mentioned in the book, and the school will also receive some copies when it has been printed.

There has been cooperation between Sunde skole and Vakoka Vakiteny before as Sunde skole has bought books from us for their partner school La Joie in Antsirabe, Madagascar. We also hope that the cooperation will continue in the future.

Vakoka Vakiteny will publish a green book

As noted earlier on this blog (http://vakiteny.blogspot.com/2010/06/vakoka-vakiteny-in-cooperation-with.html) Vakoka Vakiteny was in contact with the Norwegian organization Grønn Hverdag in Stavanger already in June. Grønn Hverdag, which means “green living”, cooperates with schools and youth organizations in Madagascar. Together with these partners they will develop a manuscript concerning the environment in Madagascar.

This manuscript will be written by the children in the partner schools together with two facilitators, a Norwegian and a Malagasy author during a 10 days’ workshop in November. The Malagasy author will be Mparany from Vakoka Vakiteny.

This green book will contain whatever the children want to express about the environment, and will be a mixture of several writing styles, for example stories, fact texts, fairytales, poems, etc. The children will also paint pictures to the text.

Vakoka Vakiteny will put the texts and the pictures together, make the layout had have it printed in Antananarivo. It seems that the printing house will be able to use recycled paper for the pages inside the book, which will underline the environmental message. We will also distribute the books to the partner schools in the Antsirabe area when the printing is finished.

We in Vakoka Vakiteny look forward to this cooperation, and especially Mparany is very glad to be asked to contribute with his experience to help the children write the texts.

Four children received their first book

The Norwegian tourist group who visited us two weeks ago bought books from us which they wanted Malagasy children to have. Vakoka Vakiteny is now free to give these books to children who need them, and the four first copies were given away yesterday. The children who received the books are all siblings living here in Toliara. We visited them at their home outside the town where they live with their parents.

Richard who is 15 years old got the book Takoboka and Vola (11) received the Dangaligny book. The two youngest, Francine (7) and Francia (6) both got Rebila, and Francia immediately began to look for familiar letters in the text. They have never owned their own book, and were very proud to finally have one. After they all had taken a look at their own book they switched, and Vola began to read aloud for Francine, whereas Francia found it very interesting to look at the pictures in Dangaligny and guess how the story goes.

They all go to a school which uses almost only French as instructing language, so the books in Malagasy are a new experience for them. But the parents encourage them to read even if they also find it strange with a book in Malagasy. Actually it was the mother’s wish that the children should have books that made us visit the family.

We wish Richard, Vola, Francia and Francine good luck with their reading, and we hope that they will have much fun with it. And we also hope that the books will give them self-confidence in using the Malagasy language, and pride in their mother tongue.

The test print of Uncle Tefy is here

Yesterday evening the test print of the new book Uncle Tefy arrived from the printing house. It is in black and white and without cover, but inside everything is as it will be in the real book. We now proofread it all over again and look for mistakes in text or layout. When we have corrected possible errors we will sign the sheet and return it to Antananarivo as soon as possible. Printing will start immediately after the printing house has received the signed test print from us.

Mparany proofreading

Hopefully we will see the first copy of Uncle Tefy in a colorful book in November.

Visit from Norwegian tourist group

Yesterday, Wednesday October 13 we received a group of tourists from Norway who wanted to hear about Vakoka Vakiteny. Their tour guides were Evy and Reimar Brun, former missionaries in Madagascar and friends of Sophie and Mparany.

We cooked a Malagasy meal for the group of 16 people and had lunch in the garden under a mango tree. After desert and coffee Sophie and Mparany informed about Vakoka Vakiteny’s work, current activities and underlying philosophy. Our guests were very interested and asked many questions.

We also had a look at the original pictures of Dangaligny which were exposed on the walls and Sophie read a passage of the story translated into Norwegian.

People looking at the book and listening to the story.

Vakoka Vakiteny received generous donations from the group. Many people bought books from us which they didn’t take with them, but left behind as a gift for Malagasy children. We also hope that some of them will decide to become members of the association for school and children’s book.

Thank you Evy and Reimar for bringing these people to us and thank you for a very nice afternoon.

Vakoka Vakiteny translating and publishing a German novel in Madagascar

Todisoa is a 12 years old girl living in the rain forest in the east of Madagascar together with her family. After a terrible storm that destroys their house and fields, the family moves to the capital Antananarivo. The parents don’t find work, so they end on the street begging and searching for usable things on the dump. Todisoa has to be a strong girl helping her parents and encouraging her younger brothers. She is the one who makes the family endure the difficulties so that they finally can head back to the rain forest.

The story of Todisoa is a youth novel written by the German author Nasrin Siege who lived in Madagascar for a long time. It is written in German, but Vakoka Vakiteny has already started the translation into Malagasy.

This novel shows the life of people who often are forgotten in the Malagasy society. It opens people’s hearts and eyes for the difficulties they face, and Todisoa can also be a role model for girls in a similar situation.

This book should absolutely be read by the Malagasy youth! Therefore we hope that many people will help us to get funds for translating and printing it. This can be done through the Association for Schools and Children’s books in Madagascar.

Association for school and children’s books in Madagascar

The German association “Madagaskar Schul und Kinderbücher e.V.” / “Association for school and children’s books in Madagascar” is still searching for more supporting members. Even if the association’s head quarter is in Germany you can easily become a member if you live in another country. There are for example three members from Norway in the association. The yearly membership fee on min € 20/ NOK 200/ $ 30.

As a member you support the development of literacy and literature in Madagascar through Vakoka Vakiteny. This is a very important work as literature is a mostly unknown term for most people in Madagascar, and because the children have no books, especially not in their mother tongue. Our books are always in modern Malagasy language, richly illustrated and printed with high quality. They are mostly written by Malagasy authors and deal with stories from a Malagasy everyday life recognizable for children and youth.

As a member you will in return for your membership receive electronic newsletters about the work every three months directly from us in Madagascar, and you will also receive news from the association. You are free to ask for whatever information material you need if you want to do extra publicity for the association, and your work will of course be honored here on the blog.

This is the application form in English:

If you need it in another language (e.g. German or Norvegian) or if you need some more information, please contact the head of the association Dr. Klaus-Christian Küspert on kuspert@smbara.org.

Finally everything is OK with Uncle Tefy

Tojo has been successful in Antananarivo. He managed to transfer a readable version of the manuscript to the printing house. He returned to Toliara with this good news yesterday, and according to the printing house the test print will also come very soon. So now it won’t take long time before we finally can see Uncle Tefy in a real hardcover book!

Tojo is on his way to Antananarivo

We estimated Tojo to go to Antananarivo to meet the printing house in the middle of next week. Fortunately he has already finished the new version of the manuscript which will be readable for the printing house, so he left Toliara a few hours ago. When he comes to Antananarivo tomorrow morning he will meet the printing house at once and look at the files together with their technician.

Have a nice trip, Tojo, and good luck! We really hope that the printing house now can open and use the files, so that we soon will be able to see the test print of Uncle Tefy.

Solutions for Uncle Tefy

Tojo is searching for solutions to make the manuscript of Uncle Tefy readable for the printing house. His own suggestion is to go to Antananarivo himself to talk to the people and try to transfer the file directly from his computer to the printer server. Anyway he will of course make a backup file with an older version of InDesign. He hopes to find the needed software soon, hopefully this afternoon. Then he has to do the layout work once again as he did with the version before. Anyway this will only imply a temporarily suspension of the printing.

Delays for Uncle Tefy

We have had a meeting with the printing house in Antananarivo printing our new book Uncle Tefy and have got the information that they are not able to read the files containing the manuscript on the CD we sent them. The reason is that the printing house has an older version of InDesign not being compatible with the newer one we have used. They are also not able to upgrade their system.

This means that the test print of Uncle Tefy must be delayed and probably that Tojo has to do all the work once again with an older version of InDesign. But we are not giving up, and still hoping to see the test print of the book soon.

The baobab alley at sunrise

The famous baobab alley is located here in Morondava, and we went to take pictures of it this morning at sunrise. Many children in the highland have never seen a baobab, and some of them wonder whether it is true that they exist or if they are a fairytale.

We want to show the whole island in our geographic picture book. This will take a long time, but at least we now have the southern towns Toliara, Fianarantsoa and Antsirabe – and the baobab alley in Morondava.

Uncle Tefy at the printing house

The manuscript for the new book Uncle Tefy which we burnt on a CD and sent to the printing house in Antananarivo by post has arrived. To do the test print can take some time, but we hope that we can see it soon. After that, the printing of the 3000 copies can start.

Our homemade test print for doing the last corrections and looking at the layout.

Atlas/ geographic picture book for Malagasy school children

We have decided that the structure of the new Vakoka Vakiteny book, the atlas about Madagascar is going to be the six provinces. The target group is children in grade 5 (about 10 - 11 years old).

For each province we want to show pictures and explain about the major towns, agriculture and what people live from, environment and nature special for the area, and also about rivers, lakes and mountains in the province. For each chapter we also will have a small interview with a child living in a place special for the province (e.g. rain forest) with pictures.

The six Malagasy provinces are:

• Antananarivo with the big cities, vegetables (i.e. potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, etc.) and three major lakes.

• Toliara with the dry forest, goats, big mango trees, dry rivers and lack of water.

• Fianarantsoa with the rice fields, tea plantation, zebus and forest.

• Mahajanga with the hot climate, the sea, mangrove forest and the Betsiboka river and Kinkony lake.

• Toamasina with the rain forest, coffee and pepper plantations and the largest lake in Madagascar.

• Antsiranana with the famous island Nosy Be, vanilla plantations and the highest mountain in Madagascar.

We hope that we can make the six provinces known to the children through many photos and easy explanations. The work starts already the first week of September where we will go to Morondava and afterwards to Mahajanga to take pictures.

Books for “ONG Bel Avenir” and “AVAT”

The big NGO Bel Avenir working with children and schools in the south of Madagascar has decided to buy 12 books from Vakoka Vakiteny. The project AVAT working with street children and women in Antananarivo has bought 15 books from us with the help of people in Germany.

We hope that we can spread our books even more with the help of NGOs and projects, and hope that we can establish even more cooperation with these and similar associations. Thank you very much!

News from “Uncle Tefy”

We are putting the finishing touches on the manuscript of the new book “Uncle Tefy”. The text has been given to two professors in Malagasy here in Toliara to do the last corrections, and the negotiations with the printing house in Antananarivo are finished. We have got a good price for the 3000 copies we are going to print.

Tojo makes the last check on the pictures while using the pad he got as a gift from the company Otterbach in Rastatt in Germany where he had his training in July. This is of great help, and now we are able to do the layout in InDesign and PhotoShop instead of Microsoft Publisher and Adobe PDF as before. This will make a great difference when it comes to the quality of the print.

Tojo working on the pictures in our home office in Toliara.

Our deadline for giving the manuscript to the printing house is August 23, and we hope to see the first test printing within the end of the month. At that time Sophie and Mparany will be present at the printing house to survey it.

Back in Madagascar

The team of Vakoka Vakiteny came back to Madagascar Wednesday July 28, and we arrived in Toliara Saturday July 31. But already in Antananarivo on the day we arrived, we made contact to a project interested in our books. The project, called AVAT, takes care of street children and unemployed women and they were very interested in receiving books from us.

Today was the first working day for us, and we now begin to make plans for our further work. The next newsletter is now on its way. If some of you haven't received it before, please send us a short e-mail with your address, enabling us to send the newsletter to you. It will be ready before end of the week.

Markt der Möglichkeiten, Schopfheim

Vakoka Vakiteny participated on the market of opportunities in Schopfheim last Sunday. Situated in the old Kulturfabrik (“culture factory”), this Africa bazaar showed a wide range of ways to support Africa where our initiative was one of it. Around 10 associations or projects had built up their stands where they told about their work, showed pictures and sold articles.

The stand of Vakoka Vakiteny contained many different items; Malagasy handicraft, vanilla and canella, t-shirts and information material. It was decorated with many pictures of Malagasy children and we exposed some of our books. People were very interested in our work in Madagascar, so many of them also contributed with donations. We were also interviewed by the free radio channel Kanal Ratte. This interview will be sent on the radio frequency 104.5 (UKW) / 89.35 (cable) this week or on their web page www.kanal-ratte.de.

It was a very pleasurable day and we had many inspiring conversations with people. We want to thank Mrs. Marion Kienzler, cashier of the association “Madagaskar Schul- und Kinderbücher e.V.” in particular for preparing everything for the marked and Dr. Klaus-Christian Küspert for driving us and covering the petrol expenses from east Bayern to Schopfheim and back.

Dance: Mparany as Dangaligny, Tojo as Konaky, and Sophie

Visit at Cadolzburg elementary school

Today, July 23 the team of Vakoka Vakiteny, together with Dr. Küspert, presented Madagascar and our work for around 80 9 year old children in Cadolzburg near Fürth/ Nürnberg. The focus of the presentation was children in the world, so we showed pictures and told about the everyday lives of children in Madagascar – work, school and leisure time. The children were very interested, and the presentation actually was a conversation with the children.
 

Tojo and Mparany played a scene from the book “Dangaligny and Konaky”, and we danced to Malagasy music. After 60 minutes and end of the presentation, the children almost refused to go to brake, but they still wanted to ask a lot of questions about Madagascar and the books.

It was a really great experience to be in such a close dialogue with the children. Thank you all!

Article about Vakoka Vakiteny presentation

Article and pictures from our presentation in Bühl on the Schüttekeller web page (in German). A big thank you to their web master, Mr. Klaus Zimmermann.

Events in Baden-Baden, part 4

Friday July 16 at the Bookstore Mäx und Moritz, Sophienstraße 9, Baden-Baden

The last event in Baden-Baden was again in Mrs. Wasserburger’s bookstore, and this time the presentation about our work was for adults. Mrs. Christel Schelshorn made a small introduction before the presentation because she has been the connection between Mrs. Wasserburger and the team of Vakoka Vakiteny.

During our presentation we told about Madagascar, history, language, nature – and of course our literature work. Sophie also read a small passage of the book Dangaligny and Konaky.

After the presentation we had many interesting discussions together with people from the audience, and we were very glad to see representatives from the French German society there too. We received donations and recruited members for the association “Madagaskar Schul- und Kinderbücher” supporting Vakoka Vakiteny. Thank you all for a nice evening.

Discussions after the presentation: Mparany, new member of the association Mrs. Carina Moser, Mrs. Wasserburger, Sophie, Klaus-Christian Küspert and Tojo.

Events in Baden-Baden area, part 3

Friday July 16 at the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium, Gernsbach

The cooperation between the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium and Madagascar is not new, and the school has done much aid for the country already. Mparany visited this school when he was in Germany in 2005, and he was very glad to be back again. However, this is the first time that Vakoka Vakiteny is in contact with the school.

When we came to the school in the morning we were received by French teacher Mrs. Beatrix Rauffmann also responsible for the north-south relations at the school, and the school director Mr. Stefan Beil. But the idea to invite Vakoka Vakiteny originates from the former headmaster, Mr. Willig who also was present at the school.


The team from Vakoka Vakiteny explained about the work among the Malagasy children for two school classes in the school canteen. We were very surprised and happy that so many pupils had questions and comments about what we had told, and we tried to answer them as best as possible.

Everyone is dancing Malagasy dance: pupils, Dr. Küspert, Mrs. Rauffmann and Mr. Willig

After the second presentation Vakoka Vakiteny received a check on 2000 € from the deputy school director Mr. Dietmar Laux. The money had been collected through a run arranged by the school and completed by the pupils.

We promise the school to send regular information about the work and the use of the money. Thank you very much!

Events in Baden-Baden area, part 2

Thursday July 15 at the Schüttekeller in Bühl

Vakoka Vakiteny was invited to the association “Eine-Welt-Verein Keniahilfe” in Bühl Thursday evening. Head of this association, Mr. Hansjörg Willig arranged this event, and we were much honored to be there.

We also received high guests from the Malagasy embassy in Berlin; business wearer Léa Raholinirina and counselor Brigitte Rasoanirina. We want to thank them for their coming.

Our team, together with Dr. Klaus-Christian Küspert, presented the work in Madagascar and the situation the country now is in, concerning language, education, environment and politics.

Vakoka Vakiteny received a check on 4000 € from the association Keniahilfe, which was handed over by Mr. Willig. We were totally baffled, but of course very glad to be given such a large sum. Thank you. We will use the money well!

Article written by Philipp Rauffmann for Badisches Tagblatt about this evening:

Events in Baden-Baden, part 1

Thursday July 15 at the Bookstore Mäx und Moritz, Sophienstraße 9, Baden-Baden

Vakoka Vakiteny presented the publishing company for the pupils from two classes from the Vincenti elementary school in Baden-Baden together with their teachers Mrs. Karin Soukup and Mrs. Ursula Groß. Vakoka Vakiteny also received a gift from the class fund.

Mparany and Tojo played a scene from the book Dangalingy and Konaky, and we danced together with the children. We also showed pictures from Madagascar and talked with the children about our work.

We want to thank the owner of the bookstore, Mrs. Marianne Wasserburger for inviting the school and permitting us to use her premises.

Tojo dancing with Dangaligny and the children.

Explanation about a book: Pupil, teacher Karin Soukup and Tojo.

Buffet together with the French-German society

This evening the team of Vakoka Vakiteny was invited to a dinner buffet together with the French-German society in Baden-Baden celebrating the French national day July 14. This association was also the one arranging the old-timer meeting last weekend which Vakoka Vakiteny had the pleasure to join.
 

It was a very nice and interesting evening together with French and German people. Vakoka Vakiteny got the chance to hand over a painting and some gifts from Madagascar and the society wished the team good luck and much success in Madagascar.

Vakoka Vakiteny handing over the painting:

Secretary Mr. Dr. Stier and Vice President Mr. Kesselhut together with the Vakoka Vakiteny team.

We want to thank the French-German society for the hospitality and support.

Old-timer meeting in Baden-Baden

Vakoka Vakiteny had a stand at the famous old-timer meeting in the German city Baden-Baden Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of July. We were selling handmade cars made from old tin cans in Madagascar and other Vakoka Vakiteny products. People were very friendly, and there was still quite much activity at the old-timer meeting despite the heat (40°C)!

Vakoka Vakiteny will also be part of a buffet on Wednesday 14th arranged by the German-French society also organizing the old-timer meeting.

Vakoka Vakiteny meeting Baobab Books in Basel

Yesterday July 9th the team of three from Vakoka Vakiteny went to Basel to meet with Mrs Sonja Matheson from Baobab Books Publisher. Baobab Books publish books in the German speaking world written by Asian, African and Latin-American writers promoting diversity and expressing the value of social migration.

 

Baobab Books are very interested in Vakoka Vakiteny and our work. We want to thank them for the interesting and motivating meeting where the base for further cooperation was set. Vakoka Vakiteny received the book “The amazing tree” by John Kilaka from Tanzania as a gift. This beautiful book will be an inspiration for our further work.

 

Hopefully there will soon be a close cooperation between Baobab Books and Vakoka Vakiteny.

 

More information about Baobab Books on http://www.baobabbooks.ch/en/.

Vakoka Vakiteny in Germany

Yesterday, Thursday June 24^th Mparany and Tojo came to Germany. Sophie had already been there for one week, so now the team of Vakoka Vakiteny is complete and ready for the events beginning in about two weeks!

Vakoka Vakiteny in cooperation with “Grønn Hverdag”

June 14^th, Sophie Küspert-Rakotondrainy from Vakoka Vakiteny had a meeting with May Lise Talgø from the environment organization Grønn Hverdag (which meens “green living”) in Stavanger, Norway. Vakoka Vakiteny accepted to join Grønn Hverdag’s book project which will be accomplished together with their Malagasy partner Green Pilots in Antsirabe and Foul Point, Toamasina.

The intention of this project is to publish a book which contains traditional stories from Madagascar. These stories shall show how the nature can help itself, and how important it is with an intact ecosystem, for example how the lemur indri-indri contributes to growing trees.

How much Vakoka Vakiteny will be involved is not yet decided, but we will at least be in charge of the layout and printing of the books, which is estimated to be in about 1000 copies.

Vakoka Vakiteny’s summer program in Germany

There has been made some minor changes in our summer program in Germany. The new dates for our presentations, meetings and events are:

Saturday 10^th of July, whole day

Baden-Baden: Stand at the old-timer meeting

Thursday 15^th of July, 10AM

Gernsbach: Bookstore Mäx und Moritz – Lectures for children

Thursday 15^th of July, 5PM

Bühl: Meeting with the association Eine-Welt-Verein Keniahilfe e.V.

Friday 16^th of July, 10AM

Gernsbach: Presentation for the children in the secondary school Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium

Friday 16^th of July, 5PM

Gernsbach: Bookstore Mäx und Moritz – Lectures for adults

Special guests: Counselors from the Malagasy Embassy in Berlin

Sunday 25^th of July, whole day

Schopfheim: Participation at the bazaar Markt der Möglichkeiten

We want to invite you to join us at these events if you are in the area.

Welcome!

Do you want to join the association?

If you want to become a member of the association supporting Vakoka Vakiteny, you can easily fill out a form and send it to kuspert@smbara.org. As a member you will get continuous information about our work. You can decide for yourself how much you want to donate, either monthly or yearly.


Here are the forms in English and German:

Print out the form, fill it out and send it back! It's easy :-)

Please see also this for more information about the association.