Seeing the remains of dead relatives would be akin to a nightmare for most of us Americans. But for the Malagasy, it’s a reason to celebrate.

Tell me, what do you think about rice? More specifically, how would you feel about eating rice every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, for the rest of your life? Not enthused? I’m not surprised. I wouldn’t be either. And yet, for most families here in Madagascar, that’s exactly what they eat. Plain white rice, three […]

I had no clue what I was getting into when I adopted a dog and her six newborn puppies back in April.

Whether public or private, students must pay a fee to attend school here. For many families, it’s more than they can afford.

I’d like to say that living in Madagascar has made me strong, but even the 12-year-old girls put me to shame.

A baby is born healthy and her loving family (and this writer) are determined to make sure she stays that way.

Being a good neighbor here means buying the butchered meat of a cow killed by lightning.

What is it here that makes the night seem especially dangerous? Evil spirits, witchcraft and cattle thieves.

Just two months into his presidency in 1961, Kennedy signed an executive order to form the Peace Corps on a trial basis.

Bates College graduate and former Sun Journal reporter Vanessa Paolella is now a Peace Corps volunteer living in Madagascar. This is the first of a series of columns of what life is like on the unique island in the Indian Ocean.