World Environment Day

Since I arrived almost everything I have done has been about World Environment Day. On Wednesday afternoon we held Environment Education (which in truth differs only slightly from Club Atsatsaky). We were making a mess again with the kids. This time they were making their crowns for the parade on Saturday morning. We put the pioneers in place around the classroom, all manning a station. There was the glitter station, the pipe cleaner station, the painting station etc. The kids were given the crowns in the next room and then let in a few at a time (in theory - in practice about 50 of them descended on us at once). I was picking green glitter out of my hair and clothes for three days afterwards.

World Environment Day actually started on Friday night when a camion load of people from the office in town arrived at the campsite. After a hasty dinner we headed up to the Chef's office for a major gathering to show a film that Jo and Forrest have made about Sainte Luce. It's amazing and should soon be available for your viewing delight on the Azafady website. I'll let you know when it is! Followed by the Stitch Sainte Luce video (the place to go for all your present ideas people!) and a music video the boys made of a local group. Amazing dancing and drumming. It is beyond me how the girls can move their feet so fast and their arms so gracefully at the same time. I certainly did not look like that when I gave it a go on Saturday night...

The crowns made an appearance again early on Saturday morning when some of the kids from the village came to camp, ready to walk up to Manafiafy for the parade to start. Lisa has brought back a onesie from the UK and we had the help from stitch Sainte Luce to attach a tail to it. We had been making the head for the costume back in town. As the day drew closer, however, Rivo, who was going to wear it became a bit ill and backed out. At the last minute Ginny stepped in and wore the costume, heading the parade, surrounded by an ever increasing group of kids in their crowns, singing their conservation club song.

At the Chef's office I split off from the parade with the ACP team in order to set up the ACP stand, putting up photos and the posters we had spent the last fortnight making. I made it up the road a little later on to meet the parade coming back from Manafiafy. All the different associations were represented in the parade, with banners and matching sarongs or jackets. The procession made it's way into the square outside the office and surrounded the edge. We all stood for the raising of the flag and a beautiful rendition of the anthem by the choir. Then came the speeches. Unfortunately the sound system that had worked the night before failed when it came to this moment, so only those closest to the speakers could hear what was said.

The kids performed their play and song, this time with Ali in the variky (lemur) costume, leaping about. General fun and merriment followed, with vast amounts of face painting. mostly flowers and abstract designs. I think I managed a few lemur faces quite well, but I'm not sure about the result of the boy who requested a shark... As the light faded the stalls disappeared and the music was turned up (different speakers had been found for this purpose). I danced manically, avoided the moonshine (Toko gasy) which I could barely get to my lips when i did try it, and we all staggered home, happy and exhausted at the reasonable time of 10.30 (very late comparatively).

Sunday was spent clearing up and lying on the beach (it's a tough job but someone's got to do it) and general packing up. On Monday we came back in the Camion. Bumping along I listened to the Flight of the Concords and couldn't help but laugh out load a couple of times and now everyone thinks I'm crazy! Good times!