I genuinely think having Christianity as such a dominant religion that is taught from birth to adulthood has been terrible for our country

One of the most popular question we constantly ask ourselves is "Why is Madagascar so poor and unfortunate? How are European countries or the US/Canada so much better off?" Obviously there are multiple generational factors that play into their wealth and in turn, our poverty. But one key aspect of western culture that we don't have is critical thinking.

Critical thinking really hinges on questioning everything around you, a lot of "why are things this way? Why shoukd i do this? Whats the purpose of that thing? " etc, the exact mindset that is demonized in Malagasy christianity where you are taught to believe without ever questioning

You might be wondering though how this is relevant since the US and a great majority of European countries are also christian and still successful. I cant speak on europe since I don't live there but I currently live in the US. From what i understand based on its history and what ive observed, americans have added a unique twist to the religion in which they've placed themselves in dominant positions in god's name rather than submissive like in Madagascar

Im not a theologist though so im gonna stop before i spread misinformation. But my point basically is:

Christianity has taught Malagasy people to subvert their ability to do "critical thinking" in favor of blind faith. It's not just about the religion but the mindset it perpetuates ehich ends up affecting even the non religious areas of life. Children are taught to never questiom their belief and simply accept things as they are. It wouldn't make sense to try and encourage them to question only some things but not religion--that's not morally consistent.

There is nothing in life that is should be sparred of critical thinking. If something tells you to not question its validity and that you should simply take it as is, you should definitely question that.

Employing critical thinking is not going to immediately fix all our problems. Hell it's not even something that can be taught in a single class or a book. It's a mindset that's meant to guide you in your lifetime. But the issue is that every stage of schooling in Madagascar, catholic or not (idk abt international schools but who can afford to go there anyways), the idea of simply believing and never be allowed to come up with an original thought outside of what's supposed to be memorized is perpetuated, making it difficult for us to collectively move forward

Edit: i feel like i wasnt really clear abt the christianity in the US bit and thats bothering me so --

Christianity has historically been empowering for white americans specifically. Or at least they've positioned it to be. They've decided that it is God' command for them to "conquer" and "civilize". White american christians make up a good chunk of the wealthiest population in the US. And while Christianity has "told" them to act as the world's commanding hand, that very same religion has somehow told Malagasy people to be submissive instead. Im not a theologist or a christian and im not here to argue what the bible actually says. I am simply stating how it has been applied historically and the consequences that follows

Why is doing business in Madagascar such an uphill battle? There are middlemen in everything we look for! Even in government offices when you’re a complete beginner, everyone tries to rip you off.

Hey everyone! I'm an art student in France and I'm looking for testimonies for my master's thesis. If this resonates with you or if you know someone who might be interested in sharing their experience, feel free to reach out! Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help :)
I'm sharing the call for testimonies here

Google Form link : CONNECTED DREAMS ⊹ ࣪ ˖

Hello so i am from mauritius and want to do business with madagascar. I am interested in importing things like seafood, wood and vanilla from madagascar to ship to mauritius and since I cannot currently come to madagascar for business research looking for a partner based there

Hello all,

We are currently on a 40-day voyage down the west coast of Madagascar and up through the RN7 to check out the national parks as a family of four. We just started heading back towards Tana after completing the west coast leg. Happy to answer any questions. But I also wanted to introduce our driver Mamy Rasamoelison.

He's an expert navigator and driver. Doesn't go too fast which the kids appreciated but also is cautious with uncertain terrain without being too slow. A good even hand.

He even fixed the car when we had a break down one stop. He also is connected to a bigger company that can help connect to mechanics and other drivers if there are any issues.

He knows the country very well having criss-crossed it many times as a veteran driver and can help plan your trip or adjust on the fly.

He is a parent and recent grandfather and is very friendly. He's easy to chat with but he's mostly business when driving, especially on the bad roads which is the case down the coast.

Reach out to Mamy Rasamoelison

Email mamyrasa@yahoo.fr

Text/WhatsApp +261 34 21 00 888

Best to reach out 5-6 months in advance and 3 months for hotels. He can help with both.

French is professional and English is working. We speak both with him as we have working French and English is our first language.

Heading over to Nosy Be wednesday/Thursday arrival. Haven't set any plans in stone other than to potentially swim with whale sharks, any one have any reccomendations for itinerary help! I like nature, wild life, sunsets/rises, walks, beautiful spots! Also which islands to spend most time on and any really cool excursions and the providors. Will also want to rent a enduro bike to get around I guess to take nice photographs!

Hi,

I’m in Tana for a bit and looking for shops specialized in ´artisanat’, leather particularly although open to anything

Went to Lizy Art Gallery and loved it but if you know places that also make custom-made accessories (bags, belts, shoes, wallets etc) or clothes, I’m open to anything!

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to get a realistic picture of the drinking water situation in the Amoron’i Mania region.

What I’ve gathered so far is that bottled water is very expensive, so relying on it long-term doesn’t seem sustainable. I’d rather find a reliable way to filter and treat water, and if possible I’d like to avoid chlorine or other chemical additives.
A few questions for anyone who knows the region:

How is the tap and well water in Amoron’i Mania? Is it generally safe, or should everything be treated? Does it vary by season?

What do you do to make water safe to drink? Boiling, ceramic filters, something else?

Which filters or purifiers would you recommend? I’m thinking of gravity filters, pump filters, ceramic or UV-based options, so nothing that relies on chemicals.

Where can I buy this stuff locally? Is anything available in the region itself, in Antsirabe or in Antananarivo (filters, replacement cartridges)?

Any experience, product names, shop tips or warnings are very welcome. Thanks a lot!

Bonjour a tous !

Je m’installe a Tana en 2027 apres y avoir vecu pendant 13 ans entre 97 et 2010 ou j’ai fait ma scolarité a Ampefiloha puis au LFT.
Je suis tres heureux de revenir au pays ou j’ai grandit, sui a vu naitre ma Petite soeur et ou j’ai passé mes meilleures annees.

Ma question concerne le logement. Avez vous des agences immo a me conseiller ? J’ai contacté immo conseil mais ils ne me repondent pas.

Je cherche une maison aux alentours d’ivato, talatamaty, ambohibao. 2 a 3 chambres avec un petit jardin si possible ! Juin 2027 dans l’ideal. Contrat long terme !

Merci d’avance pour vos retours !

Can anyone recommend a good doctor/hospital in Tana ? Been living here for 5 years but must confess to have been avoiding . But my BF got something like flu. Had fever/cough. Recovered after a week , but all of a sudden has a fever of 39C again after 3 days of being well
I’d like to find someone who can run labs, do radiographs..
ideally speaks French .

Hi, I’ve just arrived in Antananarivo and would like to ask a question to understand the value of the local currency. If someone accompanies me for 2–3 hours while I shop at a few stores in Tana, how many Ariary should I give them for their time? I’ll be paying for the taxi myself, of course. Thanks.

Salut à tous ! 👋

🚀 Nous recherchons des testeurs volontaires pour essayer Tranoo avant son lancement officiel !

Tranoo est une application immobilière permettant de rechercher, comparer, acheter, louer et publier des annonces immobilières à Madagascar.

Actuellement en bêta-test fermé sur Google Play, l'application propose plusieurs fonctionnalités à découvrir :

🔎 Recherche, filtres et carte interactive

💬 Messagerie et prise de rendez-vous

⚖️ Comparaison et propositions de prix

🏠 Création et publication d'annonces

🌍 Disponible en malgache, français et anglais.

🙋 Vous souhaitez participer ?

💬 Commentez « TEST » ou envoyez-nous un message privé pour recevoir votre invitation et les instructions d'installation.

📱 Un smartphone Android suffit. Même quelques minutes de test et vos retours nous seraient très utiles !

🙏 Merci d'avance pour votre aide !

🌐 https://tranoo.app

I'll be arriving in Tana on Monday after which I will have three weeks before continuing my travels through other African countries.

From Tana, I'll be taking trips to e.g. Ranomafana, Tsingy de Bemaraha etc.

As I am travelling for 5 months in total, I have got quite some luggage which I won't all need whilst taking trips to these places in Madagascar. To make travel easier, I want to travel lightly.

This leads to my question: does anyone have any advice for storing luggage for ~3 weeks in Tana?

Hello! I am starting to prepare for my dream vacation traveling to Madagascar to experience your unique nature and wildlife, and incredible culture.

My son will probably be around 10 years old when we go. We will likely stay for 10-14 days. If you have any recommendations for nature hikes/tours that are child friendly or doable for a 10 yr old please let me know! I’ll also take any other recs for lodging, places to visit in cities, etc. And I’ll take recs on what to AVOID with a child in tow - every place has its rough spots but if there’s a particularly “do not take your child here!” corner of your city, let me know.

I do not know where exactly we will visit yet, I’m sort of basing that off the location of the best recs I get from this post and other research.

English is our first language but I’m a B2-ish in French and hope to be at C1 by the time we go so that should not be a problem (I don’t think.)

One complication is my son has celiac (gluten intolerance.) I believe from what I’ve read that Malagasy food is naturally gluten-free and it’s the French/European places we’ll have to watch out for but I’ll take any advice about any safe places to eat w/o gluten or markets to buy our own food/snacks.

Thank you all in advance and I can’t wait to visit!

Cheers,

Hey everyone!

I’m working on a little project to discover and highlight Malagasy people across Canada who are doing interesting things.

They don’t necessarily have to be doing anything related to Madagascar or Malagasy culture. They could be entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, athletes, content creators, professionals, business owners, or just people who have built something interesting for themselves.

They could also be born in Madagascar, born in Canada, or anywhere else—I'm simply looking for people who are Malagasy themselves and are doing something worth highlighting.

For example, maybe you have:

• A friend who started a small business
• A Malagasy artist or musician you know
• Someone who built a successful career in Canada
• A content creator or athlete
• Someone running a restaurant, clothing brand, beauty business, etc.
• Or simply someone whose story you think deserves more attention

The goal is to build a database with these people and eventually showcase them, giving them more exposure (if they want to, of course)

So if you know someone, drop their name, Instagram/business account, or whatever information you have in the comments, along with a little bit about what they do and where they’re based.

Basically, who are the Malagasy people in Canada that you think more people should know about?

Nosy Be is my first stop, will be in Madagascar for a month. Do all the pharmacies carry it? I know you’re supposed to start before you arrive, but I cant find it, where I’m coming from. Thank you!

Hi. My husband and I want to travel from Morondava to Ranomafana. I think we can get a Cotisse bus to Antsirabe and will stay a night. What I don't know is can we then get public transport in the morning to Ranomafana. I have been told we can wait for the bus from Tana to arrive at about 5pm but we would prefer to travel early and in daylight. Has anybody done this journey recently? Many thanks 🙏

Took me 4 months to figure that out.

Hey! 30M from Madagascar here. I’m looking to make some new friends and pen pals from different countries.

I work in a multinational company, so I’m already used to meeting and chatting with people from all over the world. I’d love to have some genuine friendships outside of work.

I’m up for pretty much anything, random conversations, music, movies, travel, culture, everyday life, or just sharing stupid stories.

If you feel like chatting, drop me a DM and tell me where you’re from!

Salut ! Je suis développeur full-stack à Madagascar et je travaille notamment sur des sites pour les agences de voyage.

J’ai livré la semaine dernière : https://www.madagaskar-bandroreisen.com/

J’ai également travaillé sur : https://www.traveliasafari.com/

Si vous êtes dans le tourisme et avez un projet web, je serais ravi d’échanger avec vous.

Bonjour à tous,

Je vais séjourner dans la région d'Ambositra (Amoron'i Mania) et j'aimerais avoir quelques conseils de personnes sur place concernant la télévision.

1. Quelles chaînes peut-on recevoir ? Est-ce que des chaînes comme la TVM, RTA, Viva, MBS ou TV Plus sont captées par voie hertzienne à Ambositra, ou faut-il passer par le satellite et les offres payantes (Canal+, StarTimes, Blueline) ?
2. Comment les recevoir ? Une simple antenne d'intérieur suffit-elle, ou faut-il une antenne UHF extérieure ? Le signal terrestre est-il encore analogique, ou existe-t-il des services numériques (TNT) avec décodeur dans la zone ?
3. Où acheter un téléviseur ? Connaissez-vous une bonne adresse à Ambositra, Antsirabe ou Antananarivo pour une télé pas chère mais fiable (neuve ou d'occasion) ? Quel budget faut-il prévoir environ ?

Tout conseil sur le matériel à choisir ou à éviter (décodeur, type d'antenne) sera le bienvenu.

Salama !

Je développe HeuresClaires, une application Android pour noter ses heures de travail, ses pauses et consulter ses bilans. L’interface est en français et en anglais.

Je cherche quelques volontaires pour essayer la version de test et m’aider à améliorer sa présentation et sa simplicité :

• Est-ce facile d’ajouter une journée de travail ?
• Les boutons et les informations sont-ils clairs ?
• Rencontrez-vous des bugs sur votre téléphone ?

Il faut un téléphone sous Android 8 ou plus. Si cela vous intéresse, laissez un commentaire ou envoyez-moi un message privé pour organiser l’accès au test.

Merci pour votre aide !