Exploring Madagascar

Between courses we were able to visit a national park and learn about the many species of lemurs that live here. Lemurs are native to Madagascar and aren't found anywhere else. We saw Raft, Bamboo, Common Brown, Brown Rufus, and Dancing or Diadem Lemurs.

The Penguins of Madagascar

We call these bulb suction devices "penguins." Whereas most bulb suction devices are disposable, the penguin can be opened up and cleaned and used over and over again. The penguin is used to suction the mouth of the baby to remove mucous and sometimes meconium prior to beginning ventilation with the bag and mask. Our penguins even have little eyes and wings molded into the silicone.

By the way, I learned that there are no real penguins in Madagascar!

First Helping Babies Breathe course

Today we taught our first Helping Babies Breathe course in Tana, the Capital of Madagascar. We taught 39 doctors, nurses, and midwives. They came from all over Madagascar. UNICEF provided the funds for their transportation to the capital. The participants were selected by the Ministry of Health. Each participant will receive a teaching kit and will be in charge of teaching the other providers at the hospital.

Views of the countryside

Madagascar: Fun Facts to Know and Tell

Madagascar is the world's 4th largest island. It is about the size of Texas.

80% of the island's flora and fauna are only found in Madagascar including lemurs (a primate related to monkeys) and the rose periwinkle plant which is the source of 2 anticancer drugs.

The 2 official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. Malagasy is a mixture of Indonesian, Bantu, Arabic, and Malaysian.

Some famous Malagasy proverbs:

"Even one grasshopper is to be shared." Malagasy are prone to share, no matter what little they have.

"Foolish is he who is not better educated than his father."

"Without ancestors, the living would not exist; and without the living, ancestors would be forgotten." One way that the hearts of the children turn to their fathers is in the Famadihana tradition (turning of the bones): a family exhumes an ancestor's body to wrap it in a new red burial shroud. This is a joyous celebration with a feast and traditional music; it represents the continuity of life.

The capital of Madagascar is Antananarivo. Arivo means 1000. So Antananarivo means "city of the thousand." Actually, now there are over 2 million inhabitants.

Helping Babies Breathe in Madagascar

From May 20-June 1, I will be volunteering with LDS Charities in the Helping Babies initiative in Madagascar. 

Neonatal Resuscitation is a major humanitarian initiative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This will be my 9th time serving with the Neonatal Resuscitation program and my 6th time serving in Africa. 

Our courses in Madagascar will be taught in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar and in Toliara in the southern part of the island nation. We are grateful to provide this training as a joint venture with LDS Humanitarian Services and UNICEF.

  
Visit this link for a video which features Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles telling about the Neonatal Resuscitation Training program.

Video:
 "A Child's First Breath"

 Here is a video about Neonatal Resuscitation Training in Africa. I have taught NRT several times in DR Congo with one of the doctors in this video.

Video: 
"Neonatal Resuscitation Training-Africa"




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