A Watery Dilemma

This is the second piece in the series by Rosemary Wilson on Preserving and Harnessing the Environment of Madagascar!

So last time, we covered some of the negative reasons behind fossil fuels and decided that a possible alternative would be to harness the power of renewable energy. Today I would like to introduce you to our first:

The basic concept behind hydro is: 

It is a fairly simple concept, though obviously like any mass power production, there is a great deal of engineering involved.

Now, at its centre, Madagascar has a high plateau and mountains. Lower narrow coastal plains surround these. So it has high and low topography. It also has rainfall – most occurs during the summer with more in the northeast than the south. Perfect.

King Julian would be doing the cha-cha right now if he knew about hydro and sending his minions out to carve ‘Hail the Hydropower’ into tree trunks!

We can surmise that Madagascar is a suitable location for hydropower to be a major source of energy. And it is - 68% of the country’s electricity is provided by 6 big hydropower plants; the rest is produced by diesel power plants. However, of course, as mentioned in my previous post, electricity provision throughout Madagascar is extremely minimal, with it only contributing to 2% of the overall energy consumption.

The problem is that Madagascar does not posses a nation-wide electricity grid. Those that do exist are mainly positioned around major towns. This means it is difficult for rural areas to access grid-based electricity whether or not it is produced renewably. You might say: why aren’t off-grid technologies being considered? The answer comes down to money. Most of the rural population relies on farming to survive and they have very little spare money to spend on expensive technologies. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the institution responsible for activities involving electricity in rural areas, has limited finances to promote rural electrification.

On the up side, the REA has sponsored seven small hydropower plants. BUT these are only located within a 120km radius from Madagascar’s capital city. On another positive note, 700 sites have been identified as having potential for hydro throughout Madagascar.

The situation is frustrating. Madagascar has the natural resources. The sites have been identified. As one of the poorest countries globally, Madagascar simply cannot afford the investments. This is the dilemma.

Money for Madagascar is all for sustainable development – development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs - and renewable energy (i.e. hydropower) is one step towards it. It is not an easy task – a small charity like MfM cannot just conjour up the millions that would have to be spent on such engineering feats including building dams and extending the electricity grid. However, aiding education to the Malagasy people could encourage a more sustainable lifestyle, and simply providing a supportive face to hydropower could promote its development.

See our website (www.moneyformadagascar.org) for more info about the work that Money for Madagascar does with its partners at the grassroots.

To make a donation to help the ongoing efforts of our partners please follow this link:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Rosemary Wilson

BACK TO SCHOOL in Ambohidava!

Cyclone Chedza Affects the Capital Tana

In January, Madagascar was struck by the deadly cyclone Chedza. Extreme flooding led to 80 fatalities, displaced more than 50,000 people and caused over $40million (USD) in damage. Many schools were badly affected, disrupting the education of children across the island. One such case is Ambohidava Catholic Primary School in Central Madagascar, which collapsed following the event.

Luckily, three devoted youngsters from Lancaster, UK were ready to pitch in and do their bit to help out. Amelie did a sponsored ‘bounce’- 371 hands-free bounces on her pogo-stick, Reuben and Beth did a sponsored litter pick. Between them they managed to raise around £1,500!

Leaping Amelie

Every penny was sent straight to the Sandrata Association, a Malagasy NGO and partner of Money for Madagascar run by Rasolofohery (Solo) Albert. Specialising in the refurbishment of school buildings, Sandrata Association took on the task of rebuilding Ambohidava primary school. The donations raised by our young fundraisers covered the cost of all the cement, planks, paints, labour and transport.

Before and After

Inside a classroom

The renovations began at the end of April and after working six days a week, the work was completed by the end of May, celebrated by an inauguration on the 31^st of May by children, parents, teachers and the local priest. Association Sandrata tells us that Tantely, one of the students (pictured below), is very happy to find his old school repaired.

Back to School!

Money for Madagascar continues to support those affected by Cyclone Chedza by providing financial support to a range of inspiring organisations and projects across the Red Island. And all of this is possible thanks to fundraisers like Amelie, Beth and Reuben as well as donations from amazing supporters like yourselves. See our website (www.moneyformadagascar.org) for more information on how to get involved and watch this space for updates on Madagascar’s recovery from Cyclone Chedza.

To make a donation to help the ongoing efforts of our partners please follow this link:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Gregg Smith

Hot off the Press - Hilary Bradt runs for MfM

Hilary Bradt Running the Bupa London 10K

Our patron Hilary Bradt recently completed the Bupa London 10K in 1 hour 17minutes - coming 11th in her age group (over 70)! This was an amazing feat as she had just been involved in a bad car crash the week before. 

Hilary says, “After my car crash, when I had bruised ribs from hanging upside down from my seat belt, I thought I would have to cancel the run so am rather proud to have done it. I always run for the wonderful charity Money for Madagascar where ALL the money raised goes to small 'grass-roots' projects throughout Madagascar -- a place dear to my heart -- so if my accident can help them I shall be very happy.”

So please support Hilary by donating through her JustGiving Page. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to MfM. https://www.justgiving.com/Hilary-Bradt1/

If you would like to know more about the ways in which Money for Madagascar is working alongside its partners please visit our website and support our work:

http://www.moneyformadagascar.org/english/

How Can We Protect Madagascar's Tenrecs?

The First in a Series of Blog Posts focusing on Preserving and Harnessing the Environment of Madagascar 

Tenrecs resemble hedgehogs and are native to Madagascar and parts of Africa
Sketch by Rosemary Wilson

Imagine a world with no electricity…

Right, so I’d like you to imagine something for me: imagine a life without electricity. Could you deal with no instant hot water? No microwave meals? How would you get by for a week without internet access to do your online shopping or watch the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory? In the UK we are spoilt. Many of us take ‘the flick of a light switch’ for granted. However, Malagasy people have to deal with issues like these daily – electricity generation only covers 15% of national needs and less than 2% of the rural population even has access to it.

Let me paint you a picture of their lives and some related issues:

For cooking and heating, most rural villages rely on firewood and charcoal that the residents obtain from local forests. Obviously this involves chopping down trees and such deforestation can lead to the disappearance of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity (think! No more lemurs or cute tenrecs) as well as many other environmental problems. Cooking with charcoal also causes illness.

For lighting, more than 85% of the rural population relies on kerosene lamps. Kerosene is dangerous. It emits a toxic smoke that leads to respiratory illness. It doesn’t even provide a good light to work in and is so expensive that households spend about 30% of their income on it. Basically, it is dangerous, toxic and expensive – an all round bad choice.

Kerosene is just one type of oil that Madagascar imports. Oil is also used to produce more than half of the electricity in Madagascar. More bad news – oil is a fossil fuel that means that reserves will eventually run out. It also contributes to global warming. Remember that cyclone that recently struck Madagascar? It is just one of the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, being dependent on imported oil means that Madagascar is relying on foreign nations to provide the oil and offer reasonable fuel costs.

We need a solution that will reduce Madagascar’s dependence on oil and foreign nations, and stop the destruction of its wonderful forests and the habitat of tenrecs and lemurs. A solution that King Julian would approve of! The answer? It’s right on Madagascar’s doorstep – or rather its coastline, rivers, mountains, deep beneath the ground and skies penetrated by beams of intense sunlight. What am I speaking of? Renewable energy.

Next post: Guess what? Something on renewables.

Rosemary Wilson

If you would like to know more about the ways in which Money for Madagascar is working alongside its partners please visit our website and support our work:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Pastor Helivao’s Recent Visit to MfM in Lancaster

One of Money for Madagascar’s long-standing partners Pastor Helivao has just completed a visit to our Lancaster office in the UK. She works with street children, abused and battered women, the homeless, prostitutes, drug addicts and epileptics in around the capital Antananarivo and certain coastal parts of Madagascar. The picture above is of Helivao with a young person who she rescued from the street when he was about nine years old. He has now passed his baccalaureate!

Helivao was able to join the staff and trustees for various meetings and shared some of her thoughts about the relief and reconstruction work that is being carried out in Madagascar in the wake of Cyclone Chedza. She told us of how she and a family that she was trying to help were very nearly drowned when the river burst its banks and the low lying parts of the capital were suddenly engulfed in a surge of water.  She had to make a hole in the roof of the shack and they all had to climb up on a table with their heads through the hole.  The water came up to their waists even then. Fortunately the army had been called in to help and she passed the baby out first, then the soldiers managed to pull her and the rest of the family out through the roof!

The Cyclone Chedza appeal has now raised over £6,000 and part of this money has gone to support the cyclone relief work of Pastor Helivao.  We have been encouraged and inspired by her visit and would like to continue to support her relief work alongside the many regular projects that she and her team oversee.

Please donate whatever you can today! Thank you!

Either use the link below to just giving:
https://www.justgiving.com/Tabitha-Middleton/

or visit our website:
http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

It all started with a stripey tail!

Swansea Supporter!

I was in the train and using 3 hours of enforced idleness to knit a lemur soft toy to raise funds for MfM. We had reached Cardiff and I had got as far as knitting the tail when a crowd of men entered our carriage. The two who sat down opposite me were fascinated by the black and white stripey tail and it turned out that they were builders on their way home from work on the new Cardiff Children’s Hospital and were keen Swansea City football club fans. The club colours are black and white as everyone knows.

One of the men’s wives was expecting their first child in January and his friends thought that a Swansea scarf would be a good present for the baby so they pressed £10 on me and asked me to knit one. They didn’t know me from Adam (or should it be Eve?) and probably thought that they would never hear from me again.

I am delighted to have proved them wrong and have posted the scarf, plus a little bobble hat as a bonus, to the future dad. I hope there will be a sequel to this story in a picture of the baby, wearing both hat and scarf. 

Watch this space!

Theresa Haine

Meditate for Madagascar!

Meditate for Madagascar

Are you interested in Madagascar and the world of yoga and meditation? If so there is a chance to combine both worlds by attending a meditative sit-in!

Our supporter Laura Sewell attends yoga and meditation groups in Oxford and wherever else she can get to. Recently she started raising funds for MfM by selling Malagasy vanilla at a local alternative health centre in Oxford. This has raised both funds and interest in Madagascar. The fundraising idea has caught on and members of local yoga and meditation groups are holding a ‘Meditation Sit-in’ to raise funds for four charities including MfM. The organisers, Teresa Kay, Neville Dowley and Anita Lewis describe the event as follows:

‘We are organising a meditative sit-in. We want to bring together as many meditators as possible to practice with a collective attitude of kindness and well-wishing; and also to experience the benefits of big group practice and help build our meditative community. People from any tradition or none are welcome and whatever your style of practice we can meet in silence. There will be no formal teaching; the event will be led by Anita Lewis and Neville Dowley. It will raise money for the following charities: 

    Rokpa UK (www.rokpauk.org)

    Money for Madagascar (www.moneyformadagascar.org)

    Refugee Resource (www.refugeeresource.org) 

    Prison Phoenix Trust (www.theppt.org.uk)

Date and Time: 18th April 6.30-9.00pm

Venue: Wytham Village Hall, Oxford, OX2 8QA.

Website: www.wytham-village-hall.org.uk

Cost: By donation on the night

Please bring anything you need to sit comfortably. There will be chairs available.

Tea will be provided.

Please let Teresa Kay know by email  (dowleykay@gmail.com )  if you plan to attend. Please forward this email to any meditators that you know who might like to join us. We would love to have as big a group as possible.’

So, whether you are new to meditation or an experience practitioner, why not have a go and support MfM at the same time. 

Money for Madagascar seeks a new Chair

Money for Madagascar is looking for a new Chair to provide strategic leadership as we embark on a new phase of development in Madagascar as well as in the UK. 

Could you be the Chair we need to help us grow and increase the impact we have in Madagascar? Do you have the skills to lead and guide us?

We are essentially a funding body with recent expenditure in the region of £250,000 per year. We are engaged in a holistic programme providing funding for clean water and sanitation; disaster relief; health, education and welfare; environmental sustainability and individual and community enterprise.  The role of Chair is an honorary position, with reasonable expenses paid. Our new office is based in Lancaster, UK, but our 12 trustees are spread across the UK so it is not essential for the Chair to be based in North West England.

Please see further details about this position and the charity’s work in general on our website: www.moneyformadagascar.org (see Support Us and Vacancies and Volunteering Opportunities pages)

If this opportunity might interest you we would be delighted to send you details. If this is not for you, but you may know a potential applicant, we would be very grateful if you would pass this on to interested parties.  Deadline for applications: 7^th April 2015. For further details and an application pack please contact: admin@moneyformadagascar.org

URGENT APPEAL FOR FUNDS AFTER CYCLONE HITS MADAGASCAR

Thousands of homes have been destroyed in the flood waters

This January, Tropical Cyclone Chedza has brought death, destruction and misery to Madagascar, hitting the island with a lethal combination of high winds and heavy rain. As the rains lashed down, rivers burst their banks and vast areas of the country were left under water. Saturated soils gave way to landslides. Schools, homes, roads, and bridges were washed away. The death toll is currently 63, but 130,000 people have been displaced, their villages damaged or destroyed and their crops ruined by the flood waters.

There has been severe flooding in most of the country, the worst affected regions being, Menabe, Melaky, Boeny, Mahajanga, Analamanga and the south eastern part of the Island. Significant flooding in the capital, Tana, is giving rise to serious sanitation problems with raw sewerage flowing through water filled homes.

It takes weeks for the flood waters to recede leaving thousands homeless and hungry

Even in a wealthy country like ours, where most people have home insurance and there is government support, we have witnessed the havoc that can be wreaked by flooding. In a country like Madagascar, where most people are living on less than $2 per day and relying on their own produce for survival, there is no safety net for those who lose their homes and crops.

Several of MfM’s Malagasy partner NGOs have written appealing for urgent funds to meet the immediate needs of those most affected by the cyclone, over the next three months. Many of the communities and groups that we work with have been seriously affected by the cyclone. With your support we can help some of the thousands of homeless and hungry who need food and shelter, as well as, basic health care and sanitation, whilst they contemplate rebuilding their lives. We can contribute to practical actions such as, clearing roads and evacuating dangerous areas. Once the waters have subsided we can supply the seeds that will be needed so that people can replant their crops. However, all this work requires extra finance.

MfM has a strong history of responding to our Malagasy communities in times of emergency. We always provide support based on the needs identified by our partners on the ground. Although the work we support emphasises long term goals, such as disaster resilience, in a crisis, immediate needs must be met. A child can be provided a nutritious hot meal for as little as 5 pence per day! Whatever we are able to give will make a real difference to people’s lives. By responding to their immediate needs, we are giving them the capacity to begin on the road to long term resilience.

Please donate whatever you can today! Thank you!

Either use the link below to just giving:

https://www.justgiving.com/Tabitha-Middleton/

or visit our website:

http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp

Flooding in Madagascar caused by Tropical Storm Chedza

                

People and rice fields near Tana affected by Cyclone Chedza

Irenee Rajaona-Horne, MfM’s Development Officer and Ian Williams CEO of Caplor Horizons have just returned from a short trip to Madagascar to develop MfM’s ‘education for life programme’. Whilst there they witnessed the devastation caused by tropical storm Chedza that has brought with it heavy rains and lashing winds. The severe storm hit landfall on the 16^th of January 2015 and has so far left 51 people dead and affected more than 120,000 people. Many of these people have been left homeless, with little access to food supplies, shelter and safe drinking water. As you can see from the pictures, rice fields have been severely affected by the flooding. Apart from this threat to livelihoods, the danger of water-borne diseases such as Cholera and Typhoid is on the rise, especially in urban areas where low-lying dwellings are now awash with raw sewerage. Our partners across Madagascar are ready to help those in most acute need. We are hoping to send funds out to alleviate immediate needs (food and medical supplies) and also help with medium to long term solutions (for example through provision of seeds for planting new crops).  

If you would like to make a contribution to the MfM cyclone relief appeal, please click on the following link:

http://www.moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp