Seasons Greetings!

Money for Madagascar and all its Partners working at the grassroots would like to wish you all 

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Miarahaba anao nahatratra ny Krismasy 2015. Mirary taona vaovao 2016 feno fiadanana. 

Thank you for your interest, support and encouragement.

Jane’s swim makes a BIG SPLASH in Madagascar…

Last July, one of our supporters Jane Lawrence swam a mile across Ullswater Lake (Lake District, UK) with the hope of raising enough money to install water facilities into a primary school in the Malagasy highlands. Jane raised an amazing £600!

As a result of Jane’s efforts and the kind donations of those supporting her, the children at Ambohidava Catholic Primary School now have access to a working tap which provides them with clean, safe water. 

Money for Madagascar’s ‘Education for Life’ Programme aims to provide clean water to schools, not only for drinking, but also to help them grow food in their own gardens. The dry season in Madagascar’s highlands means over 6 months without rainfall. Lack of water is a real challenge to anyone trying to supplement their diet by growing fruit and vegetables. 

Happily, the newly installed water facilities allow the school to irrigate their land which means the crops have a longer growing season, providing more important nutrition for hungry school children. This is exactly what Jane’s swim has done for Ambohidava Catholic Primary School. The school tells us that the kids are "happy to be drinking water and watering their crops. As well as vegetables and fruit, we also grow lemon grass and Comfrey . The lemongrass makes a nice tea to settle the stomach and is also good to keep the mosquitoes away. The Comfrey is great to eat like spinach and we can also make an insecticide from it to protect our crops.It even has medicinal properties too. We are very excited about our fruit trees. We keep watering them every day so that one day soon we can enjoy their fruit.”

To find out more about what we do and to see how you can get involved visit http://www.moneyformadagascar.org/. To make a donation and help us give more children access to clean water visit http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

by Gregg Smith

Wonderful Nature and Wonderful Work – An Evening with Rainbow Tours at the Royal Geographical Society in London

Irenee at the RGS Event

On Wednesday 25^th November, an eager audience at the Royal Geographical Society were taken on a tour of Madagascar. This was not an average tour but a blend of the beautiful and the beastly, fantasy and reality, and the good work going on to keep this wonderful country and its inhabitants better protected.

The main speakers of the event were Hilary Bradt, who wrote the first English-Language travel guide to Madagascar in 1986, and Irenee Rajaona-Horne, our very own director of Money for Madagascar.

Hilary Bradt

Hilary Bradt has gathered the outlook of a complete expert over her many years travelling to Madagascar, and both her talk – and her slideshow – were utterly enticing. We were shown nature’s most bizarre works, from the twig-nosed snake to the fingernail-sized Brookesia Chameleon. A lovely reminder at the end was Hilary exclaiming “I came to Madagascar for the wildlife, but it was the people who took my heart”.

Julian Cooke, Irenee, Micheline and Tabitha

Now 1986 was a very good year, because it was also the birth year of Money for Madagascar – an organisation that has worked relentlessly for almost 30 years to help the people of Madagascar to enjoy better livelihoods through supporting local NGOs and their inspiring initiatives. Recognising the interconnectedness of all aspects of life, Irenee’s speech centred around how MfM has specialised in helping the most vulnerable (those living in biodiversity hotspots, isolated villages, and destitute children in cities) to work with the environment around them to achieve true sustainability and well-being. Indeed, she mentioned a study they conducted over three years with 49 Malagasy families, whereby on average those who had been involved with MfM had doubled their income over the time period. The message had been made clear by the participants themselves, she quoted: “the work of Money for Madagascar is essential”.

Rainbow Tours

Irenee’s quick tour of the work of MfM was an encouraging addition to the evening, adding to the beauty and the wonders of Madagascar with a close-up on the pivotal work being done to help all of those in need. Thanks to Rainbow tours for hosting such an delightful and enlightening evening. 

To support the work of MfM with vulnerable children, communities in environmental hotspots and isolated rural communities please donate. Thank you!

Mark Robinson

Wonderful nature and Wonderful work – an Evening with Rainbow Tours at the Royal Geographical Society in London

On Wednesday 25^th November, an eager audience at the Royal Geographical Society were taken on a tour of Madagascar. This was not an average tour but a blend of the beautiful and the beastly, fantasy and reality, and the good work going on to keep this wonderful country and its inhabitants better protected.

The main speakers of the event were Hilary Bradt, who wrote the first English-Language travel guide to Madagascar in 1986, and Irenee Rajaona-Horne, our very own director of Money for Madagascar.

Hilary Bradt has gathered the outlook of a complete expert over her many years travelling to Madagascar, and both her talk – and her slideshow – were utterly enticing. We were shown nature’s most bizarre works, from the twig-nosed snake to the fingernail-sized Brookelia Chameleon. A lovely reminder at the end was Hilary exclaiming “I came to Madagascar for the wildlife, but it was the people who took my heart”.

Now 1986 was a very good year, because it was also the birth year of Money for Madagascar – an organisation that has worked relentlessly for almost 30 years to help the people of Madagascar to enjoy better livelihoods through supporting local NGOs and their inspiring initiatives. Recognising the interconnectedness of all aspects of life, Irenee’s speech centered around how MfM has specialised in helping the most vulnerable (those living in biodiversity hotspots, isolated villages, and destitute children in cities) to work with the environment around them to achieve true sustainability and well-being. Indeed, she mentioned a study they conducted over three years with 49 Malagasy families, whereby on average those who had been involved with MfM had doubled their income over the time period. The message had been made clear by the participants themselves, she quoted: “the work of Money for Madagascar is essential”.

Irenee’s quick tour of the work MfM do was an encouraging addition to the evening, adding to the beauty in the wonders of Madagascar with the pivotal work being done to help all of those in need. Thanks to Rainbow tours for hosting the event that pulled these two important messages together and opened several eyes!

by

Mark Robinson

MfM launches Education4Life programme in collaboration with Adsum!

Hands up for 'Education4Life'! 

MfM is excited to announce a collaboration with the Northern Irish foundation Adsum to deliver a joint programme to 34 rural schools over the next three years. The new 'Education4Life' programme aims to improve the life prospects of Madagascar's children by enabling them to access a decent education, providing them with the thinking skills and practical knowledge required to support themselves and cope with societal challenges ahead. 

The 'Education4Life' programme is designed to help communities overcome the major obstacles to educational success for Malagasy children : 

• Poor teaching from under-skilled and under-motivated teachers;
• Total lack of teaching materials and resources; 
• Hunger and consequent inability to concentrate or learn.
• Absence from school due to illness;
• Parental inability to pay school fees.

 Each participating school will benefit from:

• Quality teacher training.
• New teaching materials and a school resource library.
• Training in improved sustainable food production techniques to encourage food security and improved child nutrition.
• A new school kitchen garden providing food for school lunches and potentially a surplus to raise school funds.
• A worm composting unit to ensure soil quality and provide a source of school income.
• A new school canteen providing pupils with regular hot school meals made from garden produce.
• Solar panels providing electricity, light and a source of school income
• Improved sanitation facilities and the promotion of good hygiene practices.
• Activities to engage with parents and help them face the challenge of meeting school costs.

We are looking forward to seeing a huge improvement in the learning opportunities of children in communities with schools built by MfM and Adsum. Over the next few years 'Education4life'  will be equipping thousands of children to climb out of poverty .

Starting to think about Gifts for Christmas and New Year?

The MfM calendar, Christmas cards and alternative gifts are now available from our on-line shop on the MfM website http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/shop.asp

In the 2016 MfM calendar, Ed Kashi and Ailie Tam offer glimpses of a beautiful country where life continues to be hard (though with lighter moments!) for those eking out a living against the odds of poverty, environmental change and global warming.  

This year calendars cost just £7.50 each, inclusive of postage and packing.  All proceeds will be used to fund projects and local organisations addressing the serious environmental, social and economic challenges facing Madagascar.  

This year we have a choice of 2 seasonal greetings cards.

The  'cheeky street children' were photographed at one of our projects helping get children off the streets and into education. Every Christmas MfM tries to bring some extra joy to the street children of Tana by providing a special meal and a small gift to those in our reach.







 Christmas can be a time when we think about the story of a mother and her child. We chose this photo, taken at Akany Avoko Children's home, because we feel it reflects the seasonal story of the joy and the struggle of a mother bringing a child into the world.   

Cards cost £4.50 per pack for 10 cards + envelopes including UK postage.
Please visit our online shop MfM SHOP

Are you looking for a different gift this Christmas...

If you are fed up with giving or receiving yet more socks, toiletries or chocolates… you can bring the gift of joy for someone in Madagascar? It's simple really... visit our online shop and choose an 'Alternative Gift'  that like schooling, hotmeals or precious trees...something that is desperately needed in Madagsacar. Then you either buy it for your friend or you could ask your friend to buy an alternative gift for you. That way you can be sure this year’s Christmas present will be VERY much appreciated by you and your friends and especially by the people in Madagascar whom you have chosen to help. 

Just £7.50 could buy nutritious hot lunches for a street kid for a whole month. £5 could help plant 5 fruit trees in a school yard, providing food and shelter for hungry students for years to come.  

To make an order please shop online at MfM SHOP

Thanks for your support

What have Cakes got to do with Cyclone Chedza?

Lancaster was given an informative treat this May when the local primary school in Quernmore played host to Pastor Helivao, one of Money for Madagascar’s partners. This visit was so inspiring that the pupils and staff decided they would pop on their oven gloves and bake up some sweet treats!

But first, let’s go back a few steps.

In January Madagascar was hit by the deadly Cyclone Chedza, causing rivers to overflow and damage roads and crop fields. Just two days exposure to Chedza cost the country approximately $40 million (USD) in damage and displaced nearly 55,000 people. The government launched a request for international assistance due to the heavy damage.

Biscuits for Sale

Now international assistance can come in many forms – often from huge bilateral donations such as Japan’s contribution to supplies for the Malagasy people; and also from small community projects and events that raise money for inspiring causes. Having heard the stories of how Pastor Helivao’s organisation were helping the people affected by Cyclone Chedza, parents and teachers at the school in Quernmore contributed to the cyclone appeal.

Would you like to buy one?

And the kids began to muster up some scrumptious surprises for the cake and biscuit sale on Friday 17^th July, raising a whopping £300 to help continue Pastor Helivao’s relief efforts through Money for Madagascar. Year 6’s summer fete three days later pushed the total even higher. See the accompanying pictures for an insight into international assistance at the grassroots level!

Yummy!

 It goes without saying then that sharing stories from far apart regions of the world can visibly make a difference. Money for Madagascar helps these stories to spread from Pastor Helivao to others who are eager to help, who in turn create their own inspiring stories – cause-related cake sales - and the spiral continues. Running on generous donations from our supporters, Money for Madagascar can continue to raise awareness and money for these important projects that help to rebuild lives. 

To find out more about what we do visit http://www.moneyformadagascar.org and to make a donation to help the ongoing efforts of our partners please follow this link:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

by

Mark Robinson

More success in the Cyclone Chedza Clean-up!

If you’ve been following our blog recently, you will know that our friends in Madagascar are still recovering from the devastating effects of Cyclone Chedza which hit the island in January. SAF, one of Madagascar’s largest indigenous NGOs and long-term partner of Money for Madagascar, have been using your kind donations to help those affected in Maintirano, an area situated on the west coast which is virtually inaccessible for half of the year.   

Location of Maintirano in Madagascar

Through SAF, 125 families were granted 30,000 Ariary each to help them get back on their feet. Not only this, the head of the organisation, Jean-Pierre is committed to improving the long-term situation of families and reducing the economic exploitation of women. 

This is done through the use of revolving funds, allowing multiple parties to receive loans, and encouraging the recipients to become self-sufficient and sustainable.

Thanks to these interventions, Mrs Noeline’s family can go on making a living: “We can buy fishing materials to repair the nets and the pirogue which were damaged… and my husband can continue to earn money for the family.”

Mrs Tody's New Kiosk

Mrs Rasoa

Mrs Tody has also been able to rebuild her small kiosk and resume work after two months of unemployment and Ms. Rasoa is now able to feed her five children.

SAF is just one of our partners working tirelessly to make a real difference to vulnerable people in Madagascar. To find out more about what we do visit http://www.moneyformadagascar.org and to make a donation to help the ongoing efforts of our partners please follow this link:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Gregg Smith

A Watery Dilemma

This is the second piece in the series by Rosemary Wilson on Preserving and Harnessing the Environment of Madagascar!

So last time, we covered some of the negative reasons behind fossil fuels and decided that a possible alternative would be to harness the power of renewable energy. Today I would like to introduce you to our first:

The basic concept behind hydro is: 

It is a fairly simple concept, though obviously like any mass power production, there is a great deal of engineering involved.

Now, at its centre, Madagascar has a high plateau and mountains. Lower narrow coastal plains surround these. So it has high and low topography. It also has rainfall – most occurs during the summer with more in the northeast than the south. Perfect.

King Julian would be doing the cha-cha right now if he knew about hydro and sending his minions out to carve ‘Hail the Hydropower’ into tree trunks!

We can surmise that Madagascar is a suitable location for hydropower to be a major source of energy. And it is - 68% of the country’s electricity is provided by 6 big hydropower plants; the rest is produced by diesel power plants. However, of course, as mentioned in my previous post, electricity provision throughout Madagascar is extremely minimal, with it only contributing to 2% of the overall energy consumption.

The problem is that Madagascar does not posses a nation-wide electricity grid. Those that do exist are mainly positioned around major towns. This means it is difficult for rural areas to access grid-based electricity whether or not it is produced renewably. You might say: why aren’t off-grid technologies being considered? The answer comes down to money. Most of the rural population relies on farming to survive and they have very little spare money to spend on expensive technologies. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the institution responsible for activities involving electricity in rural areas, has limited finances to promote rural electrification.

On the up side, the REA has sponsored seven small hydropower plants. BUT these are only located within a 120km radius from Madagascar’s capital city. On another positive note, 700 sites have been identified as having potential for hydro throughout Madagascar.

The situation is frustrating. Madagascar has the natural resources. The sites have been identified. As one of the poorest countries globally, Madagascar simply cannot afford the investments. This is the dilemma.

Money for Madagascar is all for sustainable development – development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs - and renewable energy (i.e. hydropower) is one step towards it. It is not an easy task – a small charity like MfM cannot just conjour up the millions that would have to be spent on such engineering feats including building dams and extending the electricity grid. However, aiding education to the Malagasy people could encourage a more sustainable lifestyle, and simply providing a supportive face to hydropower could promote its development.

See our website (www.moneyformadagascar.org) for more info about the work that Money for Madagascar does with its partners at the grassroots.

To make a donation to help the ongoing efforts of our partners please follow this link:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Rosemary Wilson

BACK TO SCHOOL in Ambohidava!

Cyclone Chedza Affects the Capital Tana

In January, Madagascar was struck by the deadly cyclone Chedza. Extreme flooding led to 80 fatalities, displaced more than 50,000 people and caused over $40million (USD) in damage. Many schools were badly affected, disrupting the education of children across the island. One such case is Ambohidava Catholic Primary School in Central Madagascar, which collapsed following the event.

Luckily, three devoted youngsters from Lancaster, UK were ready to pitch in and do their bit to help out. Amelie did a sponsored ‘bounce’- 371 hands-free bounces on her pogo-stick, Reuben and Beth did a sponsored litter pick. Between them they managed to raise around £1,500!

Leaping Amelie

Every penny was sent straight to the Sandrata Association, a Malagasy NGO and partner of Money for Madagascar run by Rasolofohery (Solo) Albert. Specialising in the refurbishment of school buildings, Sandrata Association took on the task of rebuilding Ambohidava primary school. The donations raised by our young fundraisers covered the cost of all the cement, planks, paints, labour and transport.

Before and After

Inside a classroom

The renovations began at the end of April and after working six days a week, the work was completed by the end of May, celebrated by an inauguration on the 31^st of May by children, parents, teachers and the local priest. Association Sandrata tells us that Tantely, one of the students (pictured below), is very happy to find his old school repaired.

Back to School!

Money for Madagascar continues to support those affected by Cyclone Chedza by providing financial support to a range of inspiring organisations and projects across the Red Island. And all of this is possible thanks to fundraisers like Amelie, Beth and Reuben as well as donations from amazing supporters like yourselves. See our website (www.moneyformadagascar.org) for more information on how to get involved and watch this space for updates on Madagascar’s recovery from Cyclone Chedza.

To make a donation to help the ongoing efforts of our partners please follow this link:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Gregg Smith

Hot off the Press - Hilary Bradt runs for MfM

Hilary Bradt Running the Bupa London 10K

Our patron Hilary Bradt recently completed the Bupa London 10K in 1 hour 17minutes - coming 11th in her age group (over 70)! This was an amazing feat as she had just been involved in a bad car crash the week before. 

Hilary says, “After my car crash, when I had bruised ribs from hanging upside down from my seat belt, I thought I would have to cancel the run so am rather proud to have done it. I always run for the wonderful charity Money for Madagascar where ALL the money raised goes to small 'grass-roots' projects throughout Madagascar -- a place dear to my heart -- so if my accident can help them I shall be very happy.”

So please support Hilary by donating through her JustGiving Page. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to MfM. https://www.justgiving.com/Hilary-Bradt1/

If you would like to know more about the ways in which Money for Madagascar is working alongside its partners please visit our website and support our work:

http://www.moneyformadagascar.org/english/

How Can We Protect Madagascar's Tenrecs?

The First in a Series of Blog Posts focusing on Preserving and Harnessing the Environment of Madagascar 

Tenrecs resemble hedgehogs and are native to Madagascar and parts of Africa
Sketch by Rosemary Wilson

Imagine a world with no electricity…

Right, so I’d like you to imagine something for me: imagine a life without electricity. Could you deal with no instant hot water? No microwave meals? How would you get by for a week without internet access to do your online shopping or watch the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory? In the UK we are spoilt. Many of us take ‘the flick of a light switch’ for granted. However, Malagasy people have to deal with issues like these daily – electricity generation only covers 15% of national needs and less than 2% of the rural population even has access to it.

Let me paint you a picture of their lives and some related issues:

For cooking and heating, most rural villages rely on firewood and charcoal that the residents obtain from local forests. Obviously this involves chopping down trees and such deforestation can lead to the disappearance of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity (think! No more lemurs or cute tenrecs) as well as many other environmental problems. Cooking with charcoal also causes illness.

For lighting, more than 85% of the rural population relies on kerosene lamps. Kerosene is dangerous. It emits a toxic smoke that leads to respiratory illness. It doesn’t even provide a good light to work in and is so expensive that households spend about 30% of their income on it. Basically, it is dangerous, toxic and expensive – an all round bad choice.

Kerosene is just one type of oil that Madagascar imports. Oil is also used to produce more than half of the electricity in Madagascar. More bad news – oil is a fossil fuel that means that reserves will eventually run out. It also contributes to global warming. Remember that cyclone that recently struck Madagascar? It is just one of the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, being dependent on imported oil means that Madagascar is relying on foreign nations to provide the oil and offer reasonable fuel costs.

We need a solution that will reduce Madagascar’s dependence on oil and foreign nations, and stop the destruction of its wonderful forests and the habitat of tenrecs and lemurs. A solution that King Julian would approve of! The answer? It’s right on Madagascar’s doorstep – or rather its coastline, rivers, mountains, deep beneath the ground and skies penetrated by beams of intense sunlight. What am I speaking of? Renewable energy.

Next post: Guess what? Something on renewables.

Rosemary Wilson

If you would like to know more about the ways in which Money for Madagascar is working alongside its partners please visit our website and support our work:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Pastor Helivao’s Recent Visit to MfM in Lancaster

One of Money for Madagascar’s long-standing partners Pastor Helivao has just completed a visit to our Lancaster office in the UK. She works with street children, abused and battered women, the homeless, prostitutes, drug addicts and epileptics in around the capital Antananarivo and certain coastal parts of Madagascar. The picture above is of Helivao with a young person who she rescued from the street when he was about nine years old. He has now passed his baccalaureate!

Helivao was able to join the staff and trustees for various meetings and shared some of her thoughts about the relief and reconstruction work that is being carried out in Madagascar in the wake of Cyclone Chedza. She told us of how she and a family that she was trying to help were very nearly drowned when the river burst its banks and the low lying parts of the capital were suddenly engulfed in a surge of water.  She had to make a hole in the roof of the shack and they all had to climb up on a table with their heads through the hole.  The water came up to their waists even then. Fortunately the army had been called in to help and she passed the baby out first, then the soldiers managed to pull her and the rest of the family out through the roof!

The Cyclone Chedza appeal has now raised over £6,000 and part of this money has gone to support the cyclone relief work of Pastor Helivao.  We have been encouraged and inspired by her visit and would like to continue to support her relief work alongside the many regular projects that she and her team oversee.

Please donate whatever you can today! Thank you!

Either use the link below to just giving:
https://www.justgiving.com/Tabitha-Middleton/

or visit our website:
http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

It all started with a stripey tail!

Swansea Supporter!

I was in the train and using 3 hours of enforced idleness to knit a lemur soft toy to raise funds for MfM. We had reached Cardiff and I had got as far as knitting the tail when a crowd of men entered our carriage. The two who sat down opposite me were fascinated by the black and white stripey tail and it turned out that they were builders on their way home from work on the new Cardiff Children’s Hospital and were keen Swansea City football club fans. The club colours are black and white as everyone knows.

One of the men’s wives was expecting their first child in January and his friends thought that a Swansea scarf would be a good present for the baby so they pressed £10 on me and asked me to knit one. They didn’t know me from Adam (or should it be Eve?) and probably thought that they would never hear from me again.

I am delighted to have proved them wrong and have posted the scarf, plus a little bobble hat as a bonus, to the future dad. I hope there will be a sequel to this story in a picture of the baby, wearing both hat and scarf. 

Watch this space!

Theresa Haine

Meditate for Madagascar!

Meditate for Madagascar

Are you interested in Madagascar and the world of yoga and meditation? If so there is a chance to combine both worlds by attending a meditative sit-in!

Our supporter Laura Sewell attends yoga and meditation groups in Oxford and wherever else she can get to. Recently she started raising funds for MfM by selling Malagasy vanilla at a local alternative health centre in Oxford. This has raised both funds and interest in Madagascar. The fundraising idea has caught on and members of local yoga and meditation groups are holding a ‘Meditation Sit-in’ to raise funds for four charities including MfM. The organisers, Teresa Kay, Neville Dowley and Anita Lewis describe the event as follows:

‘We are organising a meditative sit-in. We want to bring together as many meditators as possible to practice with a collective attitude of kindness and well-wishing; and also to experience the benefits of big group practice and help build our meditative community. People from any tradition or none are welcome and whatever your style of practice we can meet in silence. There will be no formal teaching; the event will be led by Anita Lewis and Neville Dowley. It will raise money for the following charities: 

    Rokpa UK (www.rokpauk.org)

    Money for Madagascar (www.moneyformadagascar.org)

    Refugee Resource (www.refugeeresource.org) 

    Prison Phoenix Trust (www.theppt.org.uk)

Date and Time: 18th April 6.30-9.00pm

Venue: Wytham Village Hall, Oxford, OX2 8QA.

Website: www.wytham-village-hall.org.uk

Cost: By donation on the night

Please bring anything you need to sit comfortably. There will be chairs available.

Tea will be provided.

Please let Teresa Kay know by email  (dowleykay@gmail.com )  if you plan to attend. Please forward this email to any meditators that you know who might like to join us. We would love to have as big a group as possible.’

So, whether you are new to meditation or an experience practitioner, why not have a go and support MfM at the same time.