Covid-19 hits Madagascar

As Covid-19 hits Madagascar...
What is MfM doing to help?

MfM has moved quickly to adapt our work. We have paused activities that could spread of the Coronavirus and focussed on preventative activities that can strengthen our communities. 

MfM works with trusted Malagasy partners. In times like this, it is essential that we stick together, stay strong and help each other. From residential children’s centres to rainforest conservationists, each partner must face corona in their own way, doing their best to protect and support their staff teams and their beneficiaries. MfM is working to support our partners and raise the funds they need to face this challenge.

Here are some of the actions we are taking to respond to Covid-19 in Madagascar:

• Reinforcing public health messages in our communities
  
• Offering emergency grants to children's centres so they can still afford food and medicine despite hyperinflation.
  
• Distributing small grants to families, who cannot afford to feed their children.  This lifeline is essential until school canteens and feeding centres are allowed to reopen.
  
• Distributing small grants to families, who cannot afford to feed their children.  This lifeline is essential until school canteens and feeding centres are allowed to reopen.  
  
• Improving access to safe hand-washing facilities.
  
• Making and distributing washable facemasks. 
  
• Reducing the spike in environmental destruction and poverty that this crisis will trigger by creating new conservation jobs.
  
• As soon as possible… scaling up sustainable livelihoods training - to replace hunger and poverty with food security.

One size does not fit all…

In urban areas that are under lock-down we are working with partners like Ankizy Gasy to distribute small grants to prevent acute hunger.  In remote areas, like Melaky, there is still time to strengthen public information and health campaigns before the virus arrives.

What can be done in the rainforests?

The sudden halt to tourism is strangling livelihoods around national parks like Andasibe - Mantadia.  This is likely to trigger a spike in pressure on the forests, as redundant workers take desperate measures to feed their families.  Patrols need to be increased to protect existing forests.  Help and employment is needed for redundant workers to be able to feed their families, without needing to plunder the forests.  Scaling up conservation could be a win-win solution.  We are currently discussing with our partners how this might be done whilst adhering to government guidelines on social distancing.

When public meetings are allowed, intensified training in sustainable food-growing  will also be needed to reduce hunger, build food security and rebuild lives and livelihoods.

A single donation can help alleviate immediate hunger and suffering. A regular donation will help to rebuild lives when the peak of the crisis has passed. A legacy in your Will could underwrite our long-term commitment to these Madagascar communities. We are sincerely grateful for any support you can give. Click here to donate. Thank you.

To find out more about our Covid-19 Appeal click here. 

Lanes Vets backing MfM's Rainforest farmers

We thank the Lanes Vets for choosing to back Money for Madagascar as their charity of the year for 2020. It is wonderful to have their recognition in support of our work with vulnerable farmers in Madagascar. 

Fundraising efforts will support subsistence farmers living around Madagascar's fragile rainforest.  The forest people in Betampona used to survive by chopping down the rainforest and hunting lemurs. When forest people learn sustainable farming methods they can feed their families whilst also preserving the endangered rainforest. Small grants provide veterinary care such as vaccinations to support forest farmers.  Training and support are vital to help people to help themselves. This project will help lift vulnerable people out of poverty , whilst also helping conserve Madagascar’s unique Betampona Rainforest

To find out more click here , or for ideas for how you can fundraise for this project click here. 

MfM and MIA Green Partnership

MIA, short for Made in Africa, is a chocolate company that creates ethically sourced and locally manufactured chocolate in Madagascar. 

MIA launched it's 'One for Change' with MfM in 2018 in which they committed to reinvesting 1% of their profits back into community-based projects that help tackle poverty in Madagascar.  To complement ths vital social work, MIA has now launched their MIA Green programme, which commits to off-setting carbon from chocolate shipments, by investing in Money for Madagascar's reforestation programme. MfM has ambitions to plant 200,000 trees to help restore Madagascar's unique Andasibe-Mantadia rainforest and is delighted to have MIA on board to help us achieve this goal.  

MfM and MIA are committed to integrating the local people into their schemes, so the planted trees can flourish along with the people. The Green Program partnership has been featured in the March edition of Kennedy’s Confection – The UK’s oldest chocolate confectionery magazine!

The full feature can be found in the March edition of Kennedy's Confection, with more information on the scheme and goals.

MIA’s website can be found here, with more information on MIA Green found here.

MIA Chocolate: Carbon Capture and Conservation in Madagascar

MIA Chocolate is a company who craft all their items in Africa, namely Madagascar. MIA Green is their new program, implemented underneath their 1 for Change fund, in which 1% of company sales will go towards tree planting and rebuilding lemur habitats in Madagascar.

Money for Madagascar (MfM) is proud to partner with MIA and our initial contribution will fund 60 trees. Tree replanting is close to our forest-friendly sustainable livelihood activities. Brett Beach, the co-founder of MIA has been interviewed on the Confectionary News podcast, discussing the importance of sustainability and the MIA Green program. You can listen to it here. We look forward to seeing the future development of this program and partnership!

Learn more about MIA Green here.

Gwin Dylanwad Wine and Pair a Privy

One of our regular supporters, Dylan Rowlands has recently celebrated his 60th birthday! Dylan's 60th birthday marks a century since his great grandfather, Thomas Rowlands, died. Thomas spent over 50 years working in Madagascar helping local Malagasy and wrote books about his experiences.

Dylan owns a cellar shop, café and bar in Wales. The wine shop has wines sourced from across the globe, with only the highest quality of wines chosen.


In memory of his great grandfather and as a support to Money for Madagascar (MfM), Dylan has themed the front of his shop around our Pair a Privy appeal which involves raising funds to purchase a lifesaving toilet block for an isolated school in Madagascar.

We thank Dylan for his generosity and look forward to seeing what he will achieve with his fundraising.


If any MfM supports are in the area, why not try out Dylan's fine wines and lovely food.














Dylan's website

Pair a Privy Appeal

80 Years

of Walking the Walk

Theresa and friends of MfM Walking for Madagascar 2013 

Theresa is celebrating a life-time of 'walking the walk' for Madagascar by walking 80 miles for 80 years of her life... trekking  along Britain's iconic Hadrian's Wall. Please join in by sponsoring Theresa.https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jtheresa-haine
Theresa will be joined by MfM Patron, Hilary Bradt (Author of the Bradt Guide to Madagascar) and other MfM supporters. If you fancy joining her along the way check out the itinerary below. 

MAFAIJIJO SCHOOL WELL PROJECT

Craft Stall in Cockermouth (Sat 8th Dec)

Money for Madagascar have a Craft stall at Wild Zuccini in Cockermouth this Saturday 8th December.  All our supporters are welcome to come along and support us between 10am and 3pm.

FUNDRAISER – Saturday 1^st December

Jan and Charlie are holding a fundraiser in support of Money for Madagascar at their home this Saturday 1^st December between 11 am and 11 pm at 11 Parkway Road, Dudley, DY1 2QA.  Lots of Madagascan Music, Food, Craft Goods and Christmas gifts will be available.  All supporters in the area are welcome to join them.  Come along and get some wonderful Madagascan xmas gifts whilst supporting this worthwhile charity.

Wales-Madagascar

Bicentenary Concert

Here are some more photos from the concert - more are available here:

Niddum Ensemble

Paddy Bush and Justin Vali

Craft stall

Wales - Madagascar Bicentenary Concert

Wales-Madagascar

Bicentenary Concert

Justin Vali and Paddy Bush were joined on stage by some fine musicians from Madagascar and Wales, and a great time was had by all attending.  Here's a couple of photos from the event, more later.

Justin, Paddy and friends on stage

Justin played the Valiha and other traditional Malagasy instruments

Click here for a video of a sample part of the event.

Wales-Madagascar

Bicentenary Concert

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Cardiff

 Saturday 22nd September 2018 

A special fundraising concert of Malagasy and Welsh music to celebrate
200 years of cultural connections between the two countries. See here for more information.

Justin Vali  Quintet

Justin Vali ranks among the greatest living players of traditional Malagasy music on the valiha, a bamboo tube zither which is considered to be the national instrument of Madagascar.  He will be joined on stage by Paddy Bush, a singer, songwriter and performer on many exotic instruments. 

Nidum  Ensemble

Formed of young professional musicians, The Nidum Ensemble is a dynamic, diverse and innovative group made up of young Welsh musicians from orchestras including The Royal Philharmonic, The London Symphony, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, The BBC Symphony and The BBC National Orchestras.

There will be crafts from Madagascar on sale in the foyer and also a showing of a short film about the first missionaries before the concert and during the interval.

Tickets: £17.50     Concessions: £15.00    Children under 12 free

Available from the College: 02920 391391 or See venue website for tickets

Right now, vanilla is not as ‘sweet’ as you may think – here is why.

Vanilla is a highly used product to say the least, it features in a wide variety of desserts, yet there is ultimately a ‘dark side’ surrounding its production. Madagascar is home to 60 – 80% of worldwide Vanilla, (1) yet is suffering due to a large-scale vanilla shortage, making it more expensive than silver. (2) As vanilla is key to so many elements of food, Malagasy farmers are under huge pressure to produce during this shortage. Due to factors such as unpredictable crops thanks to adverse weather, and also the widespread poverty of these farmers, success in the grass-roots Vanilla market is anything but easy.

Vanilla now costs more than ten times as much as it did a few years ago - at a staggering $600 (£429) per Kilo. (2)The many companies that use Vanilla are angered by this surge in price due to lack of consistent growth, yet what are the poor farmers to do when they find it hard enough to make a stable living? The Vanilla harvest can be complicated enough, without even considering the current unstable market and unpredictable weather – even in a good season, each plant must be individually pollinated and nurtured for around 5 years to produce the required seed pods – far from a quick fix for farmers. As it takes so long to produce, when there is a shortage due to adverse conditions, this will be a threatening situation for the Malagasy farmers – where else can they turn for the crop and cash they need to survive?

Some things are for sure though – the price of Vanilla seems set to continue to rise and farmers seem set to continue to struggle – so? The Malagasy farmers really do need a helping hand. There are many ways in which we can do a little but make a big difference in Madagascar. Only a few pounds can ensure shelter, hygiene, education or sanitation. If you would be interested n making such a difference, please consider making a donation at www.moneyformadagascar/donate , Thank you.

Written by Matthew Ward

(1)  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bittersweet-story-vanilla-180962757/

           (2)  http://www.cookinglight.com/news/vanilla-shortage-worldwide-madagascar

(3)  https://themarketmogul.com/vanilla-prices-reaching-value-gold/

One of the largest islands in the World, Lemurs, Vanilla, Pepper, Poverty and…….rare medicinal cures ???

Image from Science Daily

Madagascar is an amazing and complex country, filled with often either rare or unique animals and plants; furthermore, a large proportion of world vanilla originates from Madagascar – one of the world’s largest islands. These are some of Madagascar’s ‘highlights’, though unfortunately it’s poverty is also a complex situation, as it can be difficult for people to find their basic needs such as food, water, shelter or health care.

Now though, another interesting detail has emerged – potentially one which could offer life – changing benefits. Madagascar has hundreds of unique plants – yet now, after several decades of research, plant scientists have uncovered a fascinating detail about a plant called Madagascar periwinkle – that it produces a cancer – fighting compound named vinblastine.

A team from the John Innes Centre in Norwich have found that the compound which is found in the leaves of the Periwinkle, can be used to create much needed drugs to fight against Testicular, Breast, Bladder and Lung Cancer.

This plant has been known since the 1950s. What is new and significant about this discovery is that scientists have only just understood how the plant produces vinblastine, and they hope to use the natural product to understand how the compound is produced and thus synthetically produce it to offer a cancer treatment quicker, more effectively and to more people.

This is an example of Madagascar continuing to surprise and produce. There is a problem, though. Madagascar is also one of the poorest countries, in which some people are forced to exploit the environment, merely to survive. It is clear that there are two key elements to work on to allow this amazing country to survive and thrive. It is important to help the people, ensure they get things such a good education, food or sanitation, which can then allow them to succeed and not need to destroy the land – if we help the people, then both they and the natural environment will both win.

If you would like to know more about how this could be done, or to make a donation – and make an immediate impact to Madagascar, please see our website at https://moneyformadagascar.org/ Thank you.

Sources –

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142809.htm

https://www.genomeweb.com/scan/week-science-170#.WvSFjXfw_IU

Written By Matthew Ward

NY AKO Concert in Lancaster – 14th June 2018

Money for Madagascar (MFM) is hosting the wonderful and amazingly talented NY AKO group on 14^th June 2018 at Lancaster Methodist Church, Scotforth Rd. Lancaster LA1 4TE at 7:30pm.

This family-friendly event will feature traditional Malagasy music and dance from around the Island. There is a suggested donation of £10 at the door (£5 for concessions) with donations going to our partners and projects across Madagascar, which support some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

Madagascar is a beautiful country with amazing people but it also one of the poorest in the world today with many facing water and food shortages, as well as poor education. This immense poverty also puts pressure on Madagascar’s beautiful and unique environment and this is why funding these projects through is so vital. Our projects support the Malagasy people in their day-to-day lives helping to reduce poverty, improve education, and also preserve and protect Madagascar’s beautiful and unique environment.

Madagascar also supports projects, which help the Malagasy people start their own businesses. Less than 20% of the population in Madagascar are in formal employment and so we work with partners who offer training, small grants, tools and materials, which help thousands of poor Malagasy start their income generating enterprises. By attending the Ny Ako performance you can actively help the Malagasy people!

For more information about our projects visit https://moneyformadagascar.org/ or to make a donation visit https://moneyformadagascar.org/make-a-donation/

Thank you

Written by John Garman

Benjamin's Lemur Bounce!

Money for Madagascar (MFM) would like to say a huge thank you to Benjamin and his classmates who have raised an incredible £1060.53 so far which will be used to help replenish the decreasing rainforest and lemur habitats in Madagascar. Benjamin and his classmates bounced like the lemurs of Madagascar non-stop for 30 minutes, all to aid the vital projects which MFM supports!

Due to the extreme poverty in Madagascar, huge amounts of pressure are placed on its beautiful and unique environment resulting in mass deforestation which in turns puts unique flora and fauna (80% of which is found only in Madagascar) at risk of extinction. This in turn puts mass pressure on Madagascar’s unique species, including Lemurs, who struggle to survive in smaller and smaller forests.

Many of the poorest who live on the rainforest margins in Madagascar struggle to find enough land to grow the food that they need to survive. This land degradation means they are forced to clear the rainforest to grow food and produce to feed themselves, resulting in severe impacts on the lemurs and other native species. It is hard for the Malagasy people to consider the consequences of their actions when they are trying to feed their families. 

This is why our projects are so vital, our partners work with those who live in areas affected by land degradation and provide them with training and resources to sustainably grow vegetables, rice, and fruit trees resulting in less pressure on the Malagasy rainforests and also the Lemurs! By providing agricultural training, environmental education, tools, seeds, livestock, small grants and technical support, we have helped thousands of villagers to improve their quality of life, whilst also protecting the rainforests. We also help by planting and sustaining new forests. For example, we work with our partner Mitsinjo who are planting precious wildlife corridors to help preserve the distinctive flora and fauna around Madagascar’s Andasibe National Park - https://associationmitsinjo.wordpress.com/

MFM would like to say a massive thank you to Benjamin and his classmates for their incredible fundraising efforts and for all the jumping! Their willingness to help those in need is inspiring and will so greatly benefit the Malagasy people and their environment!

Well done!

It costs only £3 to plant and sustain an indigenous rainforest tree so why not show your support for Benjamin and his classmates by making a donation here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/help-madagascarlemurs

To find out more about our projects protecting Madagascar’s environment visit: www.moneyformadagascar.org

Written by John Garman

Bicentenary celebrations

What are we celebrating? An amazing piece of almost-forgotten history that started in disaster when, in 1818, all but one of the first group of Welsh missionaries, sent by the London Missionary Society, died of fever within eleven weeks of landing in Madagascar. The survivor, David Jones, went back to Mauritius to recover but later returned to Madagascar. A third young Welshman, David Griffiths, and his wife Mary arrived there in 1820. 

What followed was truly astonishing: Mary and the two Davids went up to the capital, learnt Malagasy and started schools, with girls included from the very beginning. By 1824, scarcely three years after their arrival, over 2,000 children were in school and being taught in their own language. The two Davids built a chapel and started preaching in Malagasy.  With the help of their most able pupils they then set about translating the Bible and the first complete edition was published in 1835.

At the request of King Radama and using the Roman script, they created a written form of the Malagasy language which is almost perfectly phonetic. As a result, learning to read has been a relatively painless process for generations of Malagasy children ever since.

Various events are planned to mark this bicentenary. Ny Ako, a group of Malagasy singers and dancers, will be touring the UK from 31st May - 18th June. Their programme will be detailed in another blog.  The Welsh Independent Chapels have plans for celebrations from 8^th – 10^th June in West Wales, from where the first two missionaries came, including a play, a concert and a service of thanksgiving.

Theresa, Co-ordinator of MfM for many years, is putting on a concert in Cardiff on 22^nd September featuring Welsh and Malagasy musicians. Details of this will be included nearer the time in another blog. 

Music reaches every part of life in Madagascar and when King George IV sent King Radama the gift of a piano he was overjoyed.  Some of the music composed by him in the 1820s will be performed in this concert.

Paddy Bush, brother of the singer Kate Bush, is Irish, not Malagasy, but he is a fine performer on the Valiha, the national instrument of Madagascar, and will be joining Justin Vali and his group in the Cardiff concert.

We look forward to seeing MfM supporters at one or more of these events.

To find out more information email info@moneyformadagascar.org or to make a donation visit www.moneyformadagascar/donate

By Theresa Haine