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

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.

Stories from Madagascar: Nirina's Story

As part of our ‘Stories from Madagascar’ series of articles where we look at examples of work carried out by Malagasy organisations which we work with, we visit the story of Nirina who was helped by Akany Avoko Faravohitra (AAF), a home for destitute girls which provides them with care, education and support.

Nirina was arrested for marijuana possession when she was 17 and placed at AAF. Before that, she had lived her whole life on the streets. Her mother picked through garbage to make a living, and Nirina dropped out of school when she was seven years old to join her. Nirina was only 13 when she had her first child, and now she lives at AAF with her sons, four-year-old Norbert, and nine-month-old Tsiry.

Thanks to AAF, Nirina feels safe for the first time in her life, and she is proud of the difference in how she parents her children now. The social workers at AAF taught her that it is good for her baby’s development if she talks to and plays with him, something she had never heard before. She learned to weave raffia at AAF and has become an accomplished artisan, but is facing a lot of uncertainty since she is now a legal adult. Her dream is to rent a small house near her older child’s school, and support her family with her handicrafts, but she needs financial support to begin living independently.

Centres such as AAF provide a life-changing experience for some of the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet. However, AAF have found themselves in a situation where have been left unable to pay their bills or even buy food for the girls living at the centre until their next instalment of funding arrives in mid-August. Money for Madagascar is currently running an emergency appeal on behalf of the centre: please click here if you wish to donate to help Akany Avoko, Faravohitra stating that it is for the ‘AAF Appeal.’ Any donation, big or small, will be gratefully received.