FAMINE APPEAL

Youngsters at a reception centre for vulnerable children in Madagascar are no longer at risk of being forced to choose between eating and learning, thanks in part to work MfM is carrying out alongside the centre’s operators. Young boys are referred to the Akany Avoko Ambohidratrimo-Bevalala (AAA) centre when the Malagasy state judges their needs greater than their families or guardians can meet, or when those children lose such responsible adults to provide adequate care. Its main funding sources are sponsorships, one-off or regular donations, and income it generates through its own activities. One income-generating initiative is the centre’s own...

An accident of birth means Malagasy communities, including some living in severe poverty, find themselves charged not only with somehow keeping themselves and their families alive, but also with protecting some of the planet’s fertile and dynamic rainforest. These two imperatives could clash with and contradict one another, but under our DAF programme, they are instead complementary. Because of DAF, the rainforest can thrive to the benefit of the entire planet, even as production, incomes and food security are increasing and improving for Malagasy men, women and children.   Malagasy men, women and children are reaping the rewards of an...

Illicit and unfair trade in Madagascar’s unique plants is threatening entire species, as well as exploiting Malagasy working men and women. The international wild species trade expert organisation TRAFFIC reports that trade in Malagasy plants – prized for their unique medicinal properties including for skincare and organ health, and against cancer – generates millions of US dollars each year for pharmaceutical companies, yet Malagasy harvesters are paid just US$2-2.50 per day for shifts lasting from 5am to 12pm. TRAFFIC reports that: ‘This disparity between minimal earnings of local harvesters compared with large profits made by the global pharmaceutical industry using...

From 8th to 16th December, Cyclone Chido developed in the Western Indian Ocean and struck several islands in its path. One of those was Madagascar, which was, fortunately, spared the worst of the cyclone’s devastation. But Mauritian island Agalega, and Mayotte, which lie either side of Madagascar’s north coast, were hit particularly hard. Chido’s occurrence was not unusual in itself, coming during the Indian Ocean ‘cyclone season’, but it was unusually powerful – the strongest cyclone experienced by Agalega in 41 years, and the most powerful storm to hit Mayotte in at least 90 years. The Climate Central group, a...

A report by experts on the Malagasy rainforest warns that the entire ecosystem and everything within it is at serious risk because of ‘alarming’ deforestation. The Madagascar Protected Area Consortium’s Madagascar Protected Area Outlook 2024, the first of its kind, reports that just 10 per cent of Madagascar’s original primary forest cover remains, that more than one football pitch of Malagasy rainforest was hacked down every minute in the ten years 2014-23, and that more than half of all remaining forest cover in Madagascar’s 109 Protected Areas will be destroyed by 2026. More than 90 per cent of Madagascar’s wildlife...

Youngsters living at a centre for boys lacking adequate care and protection no longer have to walk long distances in all weathers for water, or risk their health, thanks to Money for Madagascar and your generosity. MfM, in collaboration with Codegaz, and using money donated by our supporters, has ensured the installation of the first permanent water supply system at the Akany Avoko Bevalala (AAB) centre, which accommodates vulnerable boys aged 10-18 for their protection, care and access to education. Up to now, fetching water had been a daily burden for the boys and staff at the centre, requiring a...

Work on the reconstruction of the Akany Avoko Bevalala (ABB) boy’s centre is set to begin soon, after the site has been officially installed. A fire ripped through the centre’s dormitory on Friday 20th September this year, destroying the dormitory where 34 vulnerable boys aged 10-18 had been staying for their protection, care and access to education. Fortunately, the boys were at school when the blaze struck, so none were injured, and the centre’s staff acted swiftly to ensure the rest of the centre was undamaged. But the disaster meant 14 of the boys were placed with foster families or,...

Early yesterday morning (Sunday 24th November) COP 29 came to a close after a fraught final, extra, day. The climate conference was due to finish on Friday (22nd November) but spilled into Saturday and then Sunday morning, as negotiations over a new deal to help the world’s poorest countries deal with climate catastrophe threatened to end without agreement. Late on Saturday, delegations from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the latter including Madagascar, walked-out in protest at what they saw as broken promises from the world’s ‘most developed’ nations. Before the conference,...

Money For Madagascar’s Emergency Appeal Since the devastating fire at the Akany Avoko Bevalala (AAB) boys’ centre on 20th September, we’ve been working tirelessly to provide immediate relief and rebuild what was lost. Here’s an update on our efforts so far: Immediate Response: With the support of our partners, some of the boys have been placed with foster families through the newly registered fostering association. A few boys have also been able to return to relatives. The remaining boys are being temporarily accommodated in another building at the Bevalala site, allowing them to continue attending school and maintain a sense...

Money For Madagascar’s Emergency Appeal On Friday, September 20th 2024, a devastating fire broke out at the Akany Avoko Bevalala boys’ centre (AAB). This centre is home to 35 vulnerable boys aged 10-18, placed with Akany Avoko for their protection, care and education. The cause of the fire is being carefully investigated.   Donate now to our disaster and relief fund!   Fortunately, the boys were at school when the fire broke out, and thanks to the swift actions of centre staff and local authorities, the fire was contained and put out. However, the damage is devastating:  All the boys’...

Join Us in Making a Difference for Madagascar’s Wildlife and Vulnerable Children    This year, Bradt Guides celebrates its 50th anniversary, and in honour of this milestone, they are hosting a special auction featuring a variety of unique items to support multiple causes. We are thrilled to share that Hilary Bradt, co-founder of Bradt Guides and a Patron of Money for Madagascar, is inviting advance bids on two very special Madagascar-themed items in the auction. All proceeds from these items will support Money for Madagascar, an organisation close to her heart.  The main event will take place in at the...

On Saturday, June 15th 2024, a significant milestone was reached in Amboasarikely, Ambalalava Fokontany, in the Itasy region of Madagascar. MfM, in partnership with our education partner AVM (Association Voahary Maintso), officially opened a remarkable new bridge as part of the Education for Life programme. This bridge is more than just infrastructure; it represents a transformative change for the local community. Students in the neighbouring villages often faced unreliable and dangerous routes to their school, EPP Amboasarikely, particularly during the rainy season when the old wooden bridge would often become impassable. This not only disrupted their students’ education, causing many...