Top Award for Irenée!

Here at Money for Madagascar, we would like to congratulate our very own Director, Irenée Rajaona-Horne for the recognition she has received in Madagascar in relation to her work in the country. Irenee has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National – an award for outstanding contribution which is presented by the Government of Madagascar.

The ceremony celebrating Irenee’s tireless efforts over the years – efforts that have only grown since her relationship with Madagascar began in 1996 as a Quaker volunteer at Akany Avoko’s Children’s Centre, was held on the 13^th May 2016 at one of the schools that benefits from MfM and Adsum’s Ed4Life programme.

The day consisted of spending the morning with the staff that work at the school and the children that attend the school, along with their parents. Irenee, along with people attending the ceremony, learnt all about how far the programme had progressed since its introduction and reiterated the importance of MfM’s work in Madagascar.

Guests and dignitaries, which included MfM’s Malagasy partners, colleagues and Akany Avoko graduates who worked with Irenee for 10 years in Ambohidratritimo before she moved to the UK, arrived at 12pm, with the knighthood being awarded at 12.30pm. Also in attendance was Chris Sewell who was representing MfM’s trustees. Following on from this, all who had gathered shared a meal together.

To find out more about Irenee’s work in Madagascar and get involved, please visit www.moneyformadagscar.org – who knows, one day you could be receiving the Chevalier de l’Ordre National yourself!

To make a donation, please click here. Thank you for your support.

Knight from Llangadog

Theresa is made a Knight of the National Order of Madagascar

During her recent trip to Madagascar Theresa Haine was 'flabbergasted' to be made a Chevalier de l’Ordre National Malagasy in recognition of  her work as Coordinator of the charity Money for Madagascar.  

Theresa’s passion and compassion for the Malagasy poor dates back to 1967 when she taught at a rural secondary school with no electricity and no running water.  (Fifty years on most schools in Madagascar are still without power, water or indeed books!)

Theresa recalls “On completing my teaching assignment in 1971 I knew I couldn’t just walk away.  Having seen the poverty, but also the ingenuity and hard work of the Malagasy people I was determined to find a way to help. So in 1986, when Barbara Prys-Williams called on Friends to start the first British charity dedicated to helping Madagascar I jumped at the chance to get involved. Before long I was a Trustee of Money for Madagascar.”

On hearing the news of Theresa’s Knighthood Barbara (now a Patron of MfM) expressed her delight in this “richly deserved award.” Adding “Many have worked hard for Money for Madagascar but no-one has approached Theresa in her long-term devotion to and belief in the cause. Money for Madagascar has been in existence for twenty-seven years. For twenty-four of those, Theresa has been centrally involved, first as a trustee and then in the demanding role of coordinator. Her compassion for those suffering and determination to do something to help has been awe-inspiring.”

Not wishing to dwell on the personal achievement of her knighthood Theresa is quick to point to the achievements of MfM such as building over 100 classrooms, planting forests the size of 60 football pitches, feeding and educating thousands of destitute children, training hundreds of impoverished and vulnerable women and girls, and helping forest communities to prosper whilst caring for their unique environment. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of MfM's Malagasy partners and the kind support of MfM's donors.

Guard of Honour

The public ceremony to make Theresa a Knight of the National Order of Madagascar was conducted hundreds of kilometres from the Madagascar’s capital in the small village of Ambohipo. Theresa was both delighted and moved by the ceremony reflecting..

“The Malagasy have taught me so many things about good human relationships that we are in danger of losing in the west and this occasion was a perfect example.  It was held with all possible ceremony (A uniformed officer presented the award with a guard of honour complete with gleaming white gloves!) but it was not held in an anonymous public building but rather in a village in an area where MfM has done a lot of work. So the crowds were made up of friends and supporters most of whom would not have been able to attend a ceremony held in some distant city.”

Celebration Dance

UK, Malagasy and Welsh flags salute decades of collaboration and friendship 

“As the sun shone on the green, white and red of the Welsh and Malagasy flags we gave thanks for the friendship between our people… for those who have gone before us, and those whose lives still depend on us.”