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

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

Thank you Frank!

Money for Madagascar (MfM) would like to say a huge thank you and goodbye to our volunteer Francis (Frank) Philips who has left to start a new adventure in Australia. Frank has been involved with volunteering at the MfM office in Lancaster since 2016. He has been assisting with various tasks, which aid some of the neediest and poorest people in Madagascar.

Frank started working with MfM when he rented a room in the same building as our office, which meant he could easily head downstairs to lend a hand! Frank primarily worked on our social media pages updating Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and our blog pages allowing us to share the stories of our beneficiaries and supporters locally, nationally and on a worldwide scale.

Frank also aided us with key administrate tasks including filing, scanning, database work, and other crucial tasks which help the charity continue providing support to vital projects such as providing education to children most in need, protecting Madagascar’s beautiful and unique environment and helping to provide food, water and shelter to those facing hardship.

This is why volunteers are so important to MfM - volunteers contribute to office work, research tasks, fundraising activities and many other tasks that help MfM support the Malagasy people.

Would YOU like to offer your skills and time to improve the lives and prospects of people in Madagascar, whilst helping to protect their unique environment?

If the answer is yes, then we would love to hear from you! Whatever your skills, if you have interest and enthusiasm, your time can be put to good use!

Volunteering for MfM will give you the opportunity to gain experience and new skills, whilst providing you with the knowledge that your work is really making a difference to people’s lives. Whether you want to work occasionally, from the comfort of your own home or to join our team in the Lancaster office as an intern, we can find a role that will suit your interests and availability!

Frank said of his time volunteering, “Volunteering for Money for Madagascar in their office was very rewarding and enabled me to develop a number of skills which will aid me in the future. It was also fascinating to learn more about the wonderful nation of Madagascar and the people who live there.”

To find out more about volunteering with MfM contact us via email: admin@moneyformadagascar.org or check out our volunteering opportunities page on our website -
https://moneyformadagascar.org/vacancies-and-volunteering-opportunities/

Franks enthusiasm to help those in Madagascar was inspiring and his generous support which will greatly benefit the Malagasy people. He will be greatly missed by all of us here at MfM. We wish him all the best for his new adventure!

Thanks Frank!

By John Garman

Water, water everywhere……well, not in Madagascar.

In Europe, it is difficult to imagine much time without rain – it is just part of our lives. Thousands of miles away in Madagascar though, water can be ‘harder to come by’, and can sometimes be a luxury. Parts of Madagascar are currently suffering from severe drought, particularly in the south – at times like this, they really need help.

Families must make long journeys to collect water because of the drought currently affecting the country

It is thought that the El Nino weather system has decreased the rainy season in Madagascar by one or two months. With the drought, basic needs are increasingly difficult to find. Lakes have become puddles, crops have decreased severely and malnutrition, particularly amongst children, is worryingly high. The droughts have changed the very way in which people live. Families must now wake early and make long distance trips to collect water, bathe and wash clothes, as there is no ‘oasis’ near them – but they must find water somehow.

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet people are having to use what money they have to buy water cans. In a country where 92% of people live on less than a couple of pounds a day, having to then use this just to get water is shocking. but a price they must pay.

The drought exacerbates other issues which affect Madagascar, such as abject poverty. 

This problem adds to a list of issues which Madagascar must face – such as poor infrastructure, a struggling health system and lack of access to education. It is at times like this that we can really make a difference and improve lives. MFM has a strong track record of responding to natural issues such as droughts, using our partners ‘on the ground’ to get what is needed to those who need it most. Subsequently, MFM has played an influential part, for instance by installing easily accessible wells in some of the more remote areas.

If you would like to make a difference and change the lives of those in need, please consider making a donation at    https://moneyformadagascar.org/ Thank you.

Main source - https://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/this-is-what-its-like-when-your-country-runs-out-of-water?utm_term=.rek99OlZk#.xukMMAWLm

By Matthew Ward

Money for Madagascar launches Christmas Appeals

Christmas is a time for giving. While people at home may have plenty, Madagascar is home to some of the world’s poorest people and most endangered species of wildlife. To mark the beginning of advent and the Christmas season, MfM have launched two festive themed appeals: to buy a Christmas meal for each of the 1000 children being cared for by our partners; and our ‘Christmas tree’ appeal to plant a tree in Madagascar and aid the reforestation effort.

MfM supports centres which care for over 1000 destitute children in Madagascar, providing them with a home, education and food. These centres rely on the generous support of donors around the world. One of the biggest costs they face is to provide meals for the children in their care. Just £5 can provide a meal for a child this Christmas and we hope to raise £5000 to provide a Christmas dinner for each of the 1000 children living in our centres.

Madagascar’s rainforests are also home to amazing and unique species of wildlife – but they are under threat. Deforestation is putting extreme pressure on the country’s rainforests, and destroying vital habitats putting many species of flora and fauna at risk of extinction, forever. Just £1 can buy an extra-special ‘Christmas tree’ which will aid in the restoration of these rainforests and also provide a gift to the animals which call them home.

To buy a meal for a child this Christmas, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/help-madagascar2 or text  MFOM77 £5  to 70070 to donate £5.

To plant a tree in Madagascar text   HAZO77 £1   to 70070 to donate £1 or visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/helpmadagascarplanttrees.

A donation of any other amount will also be gladly accepted.

Make this Christmas count. Please share these appeals with your friends and give a present to Madagascar this holiday season. Thank you. 

Madagascar President visits UK

President of the Republic of Madagascar, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, is to making a landmark visit to the United Kingdom today, as part of a wider effort to develop relations between Madagascar and the UK. During his visit, which starts on Monday, September 4^th 2017, President Hery and his delegation will attend events including a trade investment forum and an event at Kew Gardens. He is also expected to formally announce the re-opening of a Malagasy embassy in London.

Madagascar’s former embassy in London closed in 2005 with diplomatic responsibilities since being managed by the country’s UK consulate and the British High Commission in Mauritius. As part of efforts to develop UK – Malagasy relations reports have been circulating that Madagascar are planning to reopen an embassy in London, with some reports suggesting that a building has been secured. If this is confirmed as expected during President Hery’s visit on Monday this will represent a major step in establishing further diplomatic and trade partnerships between the two countries.

During his visit President Hery is also scheduled to make a keynote address to the Madagascar Trade and investment forum in London which aims to attract international investment into Madagascar and showcase the opportunities the country has to offer. The President is also expected attend a special event at Kew Gardens, which undertakes vital work to conserve Madagascar’s unique flora and recent held the 2017 ‘State of the World’s Plants’ symposium with a special focus on Madagascar. Finally the community of Malagasy residents in Britain as well as the Anglo-Malagasy Society have been invited to meet the presidential delegation at a service of thanksgiving at Lumen United Reformed Church today.