L J Padayachy

Tag: Madagascar

  • Discovering Mindfulness in Madagascar’s Countryside

    Discovering Mindfulness in Madagascar’s Countryside

    Discover inner peace in Madagascar’s quiet highlands, where rolling hills and red earth paths offer profound solitude away from city noise. A personal journey of self-discovery in rural Madagascar’s understated countryside.

  • Why Investing in Experiences is Priceless

    Why Investing in Experiences is Priceless

    The Moment I Almost Didn’t Click “Book Now” My cursor hovered over the button for a solid five minutes. The total at the bottom of the screen kept staring back at me, unblinking: three months in Madagascar, comprehensive itinerary from Antsirabe to Toliara, internal flights, guides, accommodations – the number was eye-watering. I’d just wrapped…

  • Discovering True Relaxation: Lessons from My Grandfather

    Discovering True Relaxation: Lessons from My Grandfather

    A retiring UN official discovers the difference between managing stress and actually relaxing after 30 years in international diplomacy. Lessons from the Seychelles on finding peace.

  • Discovering Adventure: My Tsingy de Bemaraha Experience

    Discovering Adventure: My Tsingy de Bemaraha Experience

    Last week at Tsingy de Bemaraha in Madagascar, I discovered something unexpected about myself. I actually enjoy being scared or was it the adventure that I enjoyed.

  • What I’m Really Curious About After 30 Years of International Work

    What I’m Really Curious About After 30 Years of International Work

    Don’t wait until you’re shaking in a conference room to realize that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential for doing the work that matters.

  • From Conference Rooms to Bamboo Roads: Finding Purpose When Institutions Falter

    From Conference Rooms to Bamboo Roads: Finding Purpose When Institutions Falter

    Several budget freezes have occurred. Delayed fieldwork. The vacant posts were quietly absorbed into the budget as part of “efficiency savings.” The hallway talk shifted—from bold ideas to cautious speculation. “It’s just the cycle,” I was told. “Political winds. We’ve been through worse.” But this time felt different. Foundations were no longer shifting—they were splitting.

  • A Life-Changing Airport Encounter: My Meeting with Swami Krishnananda

    A Life-Changing Airport Encounter: My Meeting with Swami Krishnananda

    At 19, disciplined practice dominated my world. My karate training had conditioned my body for the past 4 years. Additionally, the classical guitar, the flute, and the readings consumed my evenings. I was unaware that someone would soon occupy the empty seat beside me. This person would reshape my understanding of these pursuits.

  • Exploring Independence Avenue: A Cultural Journey in Toamasina, Madagascar

    Exploring Independence Avenue: A Cultural Journey in Toamasina, Madagascar

    Walking along Independence Avenue in the city of Toamasina is a spectacle. It’s as if you’ve walked into a living museum where Madagascar’s past and present collide. Avenue de l’Indépendance is the main artery of Madagascar’s biggest port city. It isn’t merely a street. It’s the very pulsing heart of this coastal gem. Its veins of asphalt…

  • Transforming Communities: Lessons from Madagascar’s HIV Response

    Transforming Communities: Lessons from Madagascar’s HIV Response

    Working in Madagascar’s HIV and AIDS response has offered invaluable insights and reshaped my understanding of community improvement. Madagascar’s HIV prevalence remains relatively low compared to mainland African countries. The approach has gone beyond traditional healthcare interventions to embrace HIV and AIDS as a development issue requiring multi-sectoral collaboration.

  • Commemorating the 1947 Malagasy Uprising

    Commemorating the 1947 Malagasy Uprising

    It is March 29th in Madagascar—a day when the island nation pauses to remember one of the most significant chapters in its journey to independence.