They came from the streets, the fields and the classrooms..

MfM Trustee Martin Wilkinson has just spent a month visiting projects across the length and breadth of the Madagascar. On Martin's final day MfM Partners gathered together from across the Island, joining him to celebrate 25 years of MfM.
MfM is not renowned for throwing parties! On the contrary they pride themselves on their no-frills approach to development work, ensuring that every last penny reaches the people in greatest need. But when Akany Avoko Children’s Home offered to host a party to say thank you to MfM everyone was delighted.






Leaving behind for one evening their special needs school, homelessness projects, training programmes, primary schools, farmers and forests, representatives from large and small NGOs alike gathered for a rare opportunity to relax, exchange ideas and celebrate their achievements.
Martin, clearly touched by the event, shares his experience with us…

Music for Madagascar

Stars of the show (left to right):

David Galvani, wife of the Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Tse, Bernadette King, Luca Galvani, Marco Galvani.

On 11th June the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead echoed to the wonderful sound of music in a concert given by MfM Trustees, Supporters and Malagasy Partners.

The evening swung into song with Trustee Bernadette King, and her accompanist David Galvani performing Schubert songs, which provoked prolonged and enthusiastic applause from the audience. The second half of the concert included three pieces composed by David’s son Marco. David's younger son, Luca, also delighted the audience with his beautiful performance on the flute. Thank you boys – you surely have a great musical future !

The concert was brought to a rousing conclusion with some Malagasy piano music performed by our Partner Rahajary Tsialinarivo (a.k.a. Tse), who is the director of our Malagasy Partner NGO 'SAF'.

The evening ended with a five star buffet and a competition to guess the weight of Bernadette’s pet pig. A thoroughly good time was had by all and well over £1,000 was raised for MfM’s work in Madagascar, which is now the third poorest country on earth.

With sincerest thanks to all who made the event a great success,
Theresa Haine , Co-ordinator of MfM

Check out our 'Events' page to find out what's coming up next. Could this be your chance to get a free Bradt Guide to Madagascar?

Ain't No Mountain High Enough...

One of the 25 summits Laura reached in support of MfM

Regular readers will remember intrepid MfM supporter Laura Sewell's plan to embark on a Lake District 25 peak challenge to celebrate Money for Madagascar's 25th anniversary.

Well, after summiting 25 peaks and covering more than 50 kilometres in just two days, Laura returned home, in one piece, and emailed us just a few days ago.

Laura's semi-conscious colleagues were too exhausted to complain as they were manhandled into a rudimentary "25"...

Despite "crazy" weather conditions and a punishing schedule, Laura successfully completed her challenge, raising more than £650 for sustainable community-lead projects in Madagascar.

Laura hopes to take the total beyond £1000 so please visit her Just Giving page at:  http://www.justgiving.com/25peaksfor25years to make a secure Gift-Aided donation.

Our hero...

Our work in pictures

Hot off the press this week is "Madagascar, our work in pictures", a multimedia presentation exploring the work of Money for Madagascar and celebrating the achievements made possible by your financial support and the tenacity and expertise of our Malagasy partners.

View the two-part video here:

Part 1

Part 2

Or on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIZocDocQsA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLzCh6P0d1w

The video, compiled and edited by trustee Chris Sewell, is voiced by none other than his daughter, the intrepid Laura Sewell who, as we speak, is recovering from a sponsored 25 peak challenge in support of Money for Madagascar (more on that to come!).

We hope you enjoy it and please feel free to share the Youtube links with anyone you feel might be interested in our work. Alternatively, if you would like a DVD version posting to you then please contact irenee@moneyformadagascar.org.

Britain and Madagascar just got a bit closer!

This week the British Foreign Office announced its intention to open a new British Embassy in Madagascar. This is fantastic news for Brit's thinking of visiting, volunteering or doing business in Madagascar. It is also good news for our Malagasy friends who wish to visit the UK, as they will be able to apply for their visas in Madagascar. To read the announcement in ‘The Independent’ see: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/foreign-office-makes-diplomatic-push-with-string-of-new-embassies-2282112.html

If you are in the mood to celebrate Anglo-Malagasy relations, as well as the Money for Madagascar concerts in June and November, the Anglo Malagasy Society is also having a party! to celebrate 51 years of Malagasy Independence and 50 years of the Anglo-Malagasy Society the AMS is holding a big party in London on the 26th of June. There will be food, dancing and the launch of the new album of acclaimed Malagasy acoustic guitarist Modeste. The event will also include a charity auction, which will benefit Malagasy charities such as Money for Madagascar. For more info see the AMS website www.anglo-malagasysociety.co.uk

25 Peaks for 25 Years!

Our 25 peak hero - Laura Sewell

In 2008 and 2009 Money for Madagascar supporter Laura Sewell travelled thousands of miles to work as a volunteer at Akany Avoko, a children's home near to Antananarivo supported by Money for Madagascar.

As if this weren't enough she has now decided to help celebrate our 25th anniversary year by setting herself another incredible challenge. On the weekend of the 28th and 29th of May Laura will be taking part in a sponsored 25 peak hiking challenge in the Lake District. That's one peak for every year of our existence - and all within the space of one weekend.

Please support her by making a secure donation, at www.justgiving.com/25peaksfor25years. Whether it be 10p or £10 per peak, every little helps!

I'm sure you'll join us in wishing her the very best of luck for what will be an extremely demanding 48 hours. Go for it Laura!!!

Save the date!

Money for Madagascar Celebrations are stepping up!

If you can't make the concert in Birkenhead next month then don't miss our celebrations at the Union Chapel in Islington, London on Saturday the 12th of November 2011.

The day will have something for everyone: Malagasy crafts and stalls, a presentation about the inspirational work of the charity, a delicious Malagasy meal and a live concert from the renowned Malagasy musician, 'Nogabe'.

So tell all your friends to save the date and join us to celebrate!

There will be a choice or 2 tickets to purchase, either an all-day ticket which includes the meal, or a ticket exclusively for the Nogabe concert.

Details of where to buy tickets will be coming soon...

Celebration in Swansea

On Saturday 16^th April about sixty MfM friends and supporters sat down for a meal in celebration of 25 years of work in Madagascar. 

The Malagasy first course (a choice of coconut chicken with green peppercorns, pork meatballs with ginger and garlic and a tasty bean casserole) was very popular, and the wonderful Welsh desserts brought oohs and aahs from everyone.  

The Mayor and Mayoress of Swansea came and we discovered that the mayor’s father had spent some time in Madagascar after the second world war working as a doctor !   

This picture shows the Mayor with Hilary Bradt, a very generous and supportive patron, and Barbara Prys-Williams who dreamed up MfM in Swansea 25 years ago.

With crafts to buy and exhibitions to look at, there were no dull moments and a thoroughly good time was had by all.  Very many thanks to all who gave so unstintingly of their help.

Further 25th birthday celebrations are planned throughout 2011 to which you are cordially invited- please visit our Events page to learn more.

Hand-washing Malagasy style

A few years ago MfM gave some money for cyclone relief in an area of the central highlands where a particularly bad cyclone had flooded all the ricefields and ruined the rice crop.  There was great concern that the children were in danger of becoming seriously malnourished so part of the money was spent on a feeding programme at three remote primary schools.  The rest went on seed potatoes which their parents could grow on the hillsides out of danger of the floods. 

Children use an improvised handwashing contraption

We arrived at the first school just as the children were getting ready for their lunch.  There is no water supply to the school so the older children fetched some in buckets from the well which was some distance away.  They then filled half a dozen empty plastic bottles. These had holes drilled in the lids and were attached to a plank. One child squeezed gently while another washed their hands in the fine spray of water that came out.  Some 300 children washed their hands by this method in a very short time.  I fear that British children would be more likely to use the bottles as water pistols, unlike the Malagasy children who were impeccably well behaved! The ingenuity shown by this school in creating an innovative solution using receycled materials is typical of what we see in communities across Madagascar in the course of our work.

Pupils at Akany Avoko primary school.

In a country where diarrhoeal diseases are responsible for almost 10% of all deaths providing access to clean water is a vital part of our work. In addition to building or improving wells Money for Madagascar has also sent funds to enable Akany Avoko Children's Home to construct a rainwater capture and storage system to enable students at its primary school to wash their hands in clean, fresh water. 

All of the projects that Money for Madagascar funds depend on local resourcefulness and ingenuity for their success. Your support enables us to back the Malagasy people in finding small-scale solutions to the big problems facing the country, its wildlife and people.

Happy birthday to us!!

This year Money for Madagascar celebrates its 25th birthday. That's 25 years of funding ingenious, driven, Malagasy people to solve the problems that their communities face.

Our 25th birthday seems like a great excuse for a party (or three!!)

 We have a number of events planned to celebrate our 25th anniversary year, please visit our Events page for the latest details.

Please join us at one or more of them to learn more about our work and of course to enjoy a great party!