Madagascar: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems -- Summer

Homestays

“Thanks to the amazing hospitality of my host families, I felt like a family member and an actual resident of Madagascar.”

Gracie Tewkesbury, Duke University

SIT student meeting her homestay family in Tana

Antananarivo (Tana)
Students experience contemporary Malagasy perspectives and cultural values through a homestay in Tana with a middle class family. In Madagascar's capital city, students will be exposed to an array of urban issues and will witness the influence of globalization and other international forces, including the media, business, and capitalism, on middle class Malagasy life. During their time in Tana, students may also witness the Hira Gasy, an ancient Malagasy festival dating back centuries, consisting of traditional songs, dance, theater, and other forms of entertainment.

In Tana, students will observe the importance of family in Malagasy culture and witness firsthand the concept of ancestor veneration and its importance in everyday lives. Students may have the opportunity to participate in Famadihana, or turning of the bones, a traditional funeral ceremony in which Malagasy families come together to revere their ancestors.

Through cultural experiences with their homestay, students will witness a family's deep connections to their ancestral village. Students thereby gain a far better understanding of the impact of clan in Malagasy culture and the manner in which these identifications impact society and politics in Madagascar today.

SIT Students and Malagasy peers in a lecture during the rural homestay

Andasibe
Students will spend one week in rural Andasibe, located in the center-east of Madagascar. Through direct immersion in a rural environment, students will witness the challenges facing Malagasy rural families and communities, including access to health care, education, and government services. During this part of the program, students also have the chance to engage with Malagasy peers, as well as traditional medicine healers and specialists.

In Andasibe, students are exposed to the concept of village interconnectedness and witness Malagasy social responsibilities in a rural setting.