THE TEAM
Hi, I’m Beth, an artist and environmental social scientist originally from Devon, UK.
I first came to Madagascar in 2017 for a 6-month coral conservation and Divemaster internship, eager for an adventure in a continent that I loved but a country I knew nothing about. Little did I know the profound impact this place would have on my life. It took my heart by storm, and I fell head over heels for the people, culture, way of life and beauty it encompasses. Madagascar has taught me so much about love, joy and a life centered in the present, and I am so grateful to have been embraced with such a rich and infectious sense of warmth, community, and grace. It was then no surprise that I did not leave. After my internship, I became the Education Officer and Volunteer Coordinator ReefDoctor NGO. I was responsible for teaching marine and environmental conservation to a group of 20 kids from our local fishing village and I had so much fun creating the curriculum and educational material. That’s when something clicked. Not only did I realise that education was at the centre of conservation and community development, but also that I could finally combine my two greatest passions, conservation and illustration, in a way I believed could truly make a difference. That’s when Zara Loko was born. A dance between art, education, positivity, sustainability, women empowerment and inspiring young, bright minds.
Since then, I have been lucky enough to travel the country with my best friend; survive countless dodgy adventures and taxi brousse rides; enjoy many an evening accompanied with Malagasy music, sunsets, sambosa, beer and boogies; and, be embraced with open arms and so much love by what feels like my second family in Tana. I have had the pleasure of working alongside an inspiring and dedicated team to bring these books to life, and can proudly say that we have published the first two.
After two years in Madagascar, I returned to the UK to study a degree in Environmental Science, very aware of my privileges which have allowed be to do so. Whilst studying, I completed the illustrations for the third book, continued to educate primary school children in marine conservation/ climate issues, and hiked, camped and surfed my way around Cornwall and Devon -the beautiful places I currently get to call home. I feel so lucky to love what I do, and I look forward to continuing to combine sustainable development and conservation with art and education in the future, and, of course, returning to the country that started this adventure in the first place.
BETHANY ROSE DICKENS
PROJECT COORDINATOR, AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR
TAHIRY RAJAONARISON
Hey! My name is Tahiry, which translates to ‘savings’, but you can call me Tax. Here’s a little bit about me. I am from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and I love learning about different cultures. My greatest dreams are to travel to Japan and eat all the different dishes of the world. I strongly believe my greatest gift is my family and friends, who I value time with so much.
I have had many blessings in my life. After studying Communications at University in Tana, I was able to complete one of my childhood dreams of becoming a missionary in South Africa. Those two years were some of the best of my life and it was there I picked up the English language. ​On my return, I was then incredibly lucky to work as the Education Officer for ReefDoctor NGO. It was here I developed a greater love and depth of understanding for the environment and became dedicated to being part of the change to protect my country.
Beth and I met and worked together at ReefDoctor. We loved it there. We taught children about the importance of conservation using as much imagination as we could, from creating theatres and little films with the kids, to taking them on as many field trips as possible. We knew that our impacts were small, but that just making a little difference was better than nothing. When Beth excitedly told me about the idea for the books, I had a great feeling. Beth is a talented artist and I have lots of experience in translation and education.
Nelson Mandela is a great inspiration of mine and I strongly believe in his quote, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. I truly believe that the books we are creating have the power to create a positive change and I'm excited to be a part of it!
TRANSLATOR
Vakoka Vakiteny are the wonderful publishing company I am working with, based in Madagascar. ‘Vakoka’ means something precious and worthy of protection and ‘Vakiteny’ means reading. The company is comprised of 3 people, Mparany & Sophie Rakotondrainy and Ms Hanta - a few good hearted people wanting to improve the future of this country. As a company they believe the mother tongue is a precious thing and want to promote and strengthen the use of the Malagasy language in all contexts. They focus on supplying educational and story books freely to schools across Madagascar, particularly along the RN7, the road from the capital, Tana, to Toliara. They put large emphasis on employing the Malagasy people and all printing is done in Tana. This is a not for profit initiative, founded out of the kindness of their hearts, and I really look forward to working with them!