Madagascar: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems (Summer)

Homestays

“Before I came to Madagascar, I was excited to stay with a host family, but I didn’t realize how little they would be my ‘host’ family and how much they would [become] a second family to me.”

Elizabeth Laferriere, Luther College

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.

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.

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 ten days 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 with 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.

Credits: 9

Duration: 7 weeks

Program Base: Antananarivo

Language Study: Malagasy

Prerequisites: None, although students with a background in French will have many opportunities to use their French language skills. Read more...