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| Irenee at the RGS Event |
On
Wednesday 25th 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.
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| 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”.
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| 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”.
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| 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
