Make a difference with your trip to Madagascar

Ash Dykes is a Welsh explorer and adventurer who recently became the first person to trek the length of Madagascar from south to north, taking in the Island's eight highest mountains on the way.He has been invited to speak at 10 Downing Street - twice, has been commended by explorers such as Bear Grylls, and was named UK Adventurer of the Year, 2015.

Ash on the summit of Pic Imarivolanitra (also known as Pic Boby) as part of his trek

 Ash has a keen interest in Madagascar, and completed his record-breaking trek there in order to support the Lemur Network, helping conserve some of Madagascar's unique wildlife. In order to allow more people to experience the rugged, untouched wilderness of Madagascar as well as raise money to help local communities and conservation projects, Ash has teamed up with Charity Challenge to offer individuals a once-in-a-lifetime, 12-day trek to Madagascar's second-highest mountain, Pic Imarivolanitra (also known as Pic Boby).

This trek, in late-October and early-November 2017, offers a chance to explore some of the most remote and beautiful areas in the world, and participants have can choose to support a number of different charities through this trek, including Money for Madagascar.

Pic Boby - Madagascar's second-highest mountain, and the highest which can be reached without technical climbing.

Of course, such an adventure is not for everybody. However, the fact remains that Madagascar is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and as such is increasingly becoming a tourist destination. However, the fact remains that the country is also home to some of the poorest people in the world, and its unique wildlife which makes it so special is under threat. An increase in tourism itself, while being beneficial to the Madagascan economy, also brings its own problems - not least the impact it has on the environment.

This is why Money for Madagascar is running a campaign to encourage tourists to Madagascar to give something back to this beautiful and special island. MfM can arrange visits to see the work of our partners working in Madagascar, and there are ways you can directly help such as:

• Donate clothing, left over Malagasy currency, first-aid supplies and stationary to programs to help street children in the capital;

• Plant a tree to help restore Madagascar's rainforest;

• Visit an 'education for life' school to see our work to improve education in Malagasy communities. 

We would also encourage visitors to make a donation to help our work with Malagasy communities, and efforts to conserve Madagasar's wildlife for future generations.

Money for Madagascar encourages people to visit Madagascar, but also to give something back to the Country.

For more information about Ash Dykes' Adventure, click here

We've won £1000 for books for Madagascar schools! 

Thank you for voting! 

We are delighted to have won the Better World Books Literacy Grant competition. Now we can provide hundreds of books to 35 remote rural primary schools and centres for vulnerable children. Many schools have virtually no books at all, so this grant will be a big boost to the education of thousands of children. 

Thank you for voting and spreading the word -

 we did it together!

Ray of Hope for Madagascar Schools

The parents from Manamanjaka Primary School are over-joyed with the arrival of solar energy to their school. Before there was NO ELECTRICITY at all in their village.  Now the students have lighting to support their studies. Before the arrival of the Solar panel last week the parents would walk 25km every Saturday to the nearest town with electricity to charge their phones. Now they can charge their phone at the school which means they can use their phone all week and can save themselves a lot of time and leg-ache. And the teachers are probably the happiest of all. Firstly the arrival of electricity brings light to the classrooms. 

Secondly the modest fees charges for charging phone and batteries will bring a vital income to the school to enable teachers’ salaries to be paid, at last! Not only do they now have power in school which can greatly support their teaching, but also the arrival of solar energy has the ‘power’ to transform the students’ education with potential access to audio-visual  educational resources like language CDs, educational films and potentially much more. 

Energy in Madagascar – A Country Facing a New Dawn?

Madagascar, as with many African countries, has long faced difficult decisions over which energy resources to use. This is not helped by the pressure on individuals and communities living in relative poverty and the pressure on a worldwide stage for countries to embrace renewable energies. Recently in Madagascar though, the response seems to be going well!

So what is this ‘response'?  A memorandum presented by Fluidic Energy (a company offering energy storage in Africa, Asia and the Americas) proposes using renewable, battery-based energy for over 100 (often remote) communities through the introduction of mini grid power systems (1). In many of these remote communities getting any energy is a positive but now there is the opportunity for clean, reliable and renewable power in one of the largest energy projects in the continent.

Fluidic energy and their partners will manage the energy storage for around 400,000 people, mostly using solar energy – already introduced in Madagascar. This builds on another energy positive – last month, 65 million$ was granted to try and enhance Madagascar’s struggling energy sector and build a promising link between World Bank and Madagascar (2).

This makes Madagascar the third country, after Zambia and Senegal, to join the ‘Scaling Solar’ program and it is hoped that this will ease the daily interruption of power. “A reliable supply of electricity will support growth in Madagascar's economy, and improve lives for individuals, families, and businesses,” said Oumar Seydi, IFC Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “’Scaling Solar’ is an innovative World Bank Group initiative that reflects a commitment to supporting developing while protecting the environment” (3). Of course only time will tell how successful this scheme will be, but for Madagascar this seems to be a positive move – a step into the sun!

Energy in Madagascar has made the news in other ways too – by highlighting the problem of Global warming. Recently ‘Earth Hour’ took place – a global movement involving turning off all lights for the hour and managing without electricity. On Saturday19^th March in Madagascar, thousands of people took to rallies including parades, exhibitions and school events… even a candle-lit dance class! All bringing the country together and putting pressure on leaders to react to Global Warming – Madagascar wasn’t to be left out! (4) 

MoneyForMadagascar has already played a part in helping the people of Madagascar to find new, sustainable and reliable energy sources, for instance by supporting partners that provide solar power to 34 rural primary schools in the Education For Life programme. 

To find out more about what we do in Madagascar and to see how you can play a part in Madagascar's new solar solutions, please visit https://www.moneyformadagascar.org. 
If you would like to make a donation to support our work, please click here. Thank you.

By Matthew Ward

References:

1.  Energy Business Review 04/04/2016 http://utilitiesretail.energy-business-review.com/news/fluidic-energy-signs-mou-with-madagascar-to-provide-energy-storage-systems-to-100-communities-in-africa-4855196  
2. Priyanka Shrestha, Energy Live News 24/03/2016, http://www.energylivenews.com/2016/03/24/65m-support-for-madagascars-power-sector/ 
3. Sarah Owermohle, CPI Financial 28/03/2016,  http://www.cpifinancial.net/news/post/35268/ifc-supports-solar-energy-in-madagascar
4.  WWF, www.wwf.com,  19/3/2016 http://www.wwf.mg/?263870/Earth-Hour-2016-in-Madagascar-Shines-a-Light-on-Climate-Leaders