FAMINE APPEAL

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...

The Story of Lalao Victor Mamainirina “The AAA (Akany Avoko Ambohidratrimo) and AAB (Akany Avoko Bevalala) Centre has been my life and is more than my family. I arrived at the AAB Centre when I was 18 months old, gravely ill and not expected to survive. The parents of Irenée, the current Director of Money for Madagascar, donated blood to help me survive at that time. The Educators at the Centre were not disappointed to receive and care for me in my very vulnerable state. I was raised in a family that showed me a lot of love. Indeed, thanks...

Money for Madagascar is bridging the gap between human needs and biodiversity conservation, empowering Madagascar’s youth to champion sustainable development and environmental stewardship.  Thanks to funding from the Darwin Initiative, MfM has been working in partnership with Madagasikara Voakajy to address Madagascar’s biodiversity crisis. The ‘Youths for Lemurs’ conservation and livelihoods project was launched in July 2021 and focuses on reducing the need for forest clearance for agriculture, a significant threat to lemurs. One of the major issues affecting lemur habitats is the use of slash-and-burn forestry techniques, which involve burning down the forest to create space for rice cultivation,...

Engaging in discussions about potential collaboration with Kew was an honour, marking another milestone in our enduring commitment to Madagascar’s conservation efforts spanning over 30 years.   Climate Change in Madagascar & its Impact on the World This event was not just a gathering, but rather a celebration of hope, collaboration, and a shared commitment to conservation. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & the Embassy of Madagascar in London hosted the event. This gathering was a testament to the collective efforts against the backdrop of poverty and climate change, which threaten the biodiversity richness of Madagascar, a land home to...

The weather wasn’t as kind for our annual Cross Bay Walk this year but it did not deter the enthusiasm and enjoyment of our walkers, Due to the natural changes in the estuary, the safe route navigated by Guide Across The Bay was longer and involved wading across more channels.  This meant that the walk this year was over 8.5 miles; last year it was 6. In comparison, the members of our team who went to Madagascar earlier this year also waded across rivers and crossed rickety bridges but they had much better weather!

We are working on an exciting partnership with Solar United to provide solar panels to remote communities.  The staff on the recent visit to Madagascar spoke to people about how they currently light their homes. They learned about a mother who was buying candles so her children could do their school work.  However, the family’s finances were so tight, this meant that she herself was going hungry so she could afford the candles. Other people rely on paraffin lamps for light.  These can be a dangerous fire hazard and the team heard from several people about the lamps causing devastating...

In March our Chair, Director, a long-standing trustee and our Fundraiser went out to Madagascar to meet partners and see the work being done first hand.  This was the first trip since the global pandemic and it was great for them to meet up with friends and partners to see how they are and also the progress made on many of our projects. Staff were involved in lots of meetings with partners where current projects were discussed, as well as ideas and plans for exciting new projects in the future. Keep checking here for details for updates and expansion of...

Along with the Robert MacGregor Teacher Training Programme (RMTTP), and the Association Voahary Maitso, we have been involved in a week-long training programme aiming to improve teaching in the Itasy region. Robert MacGregor qualified as a teacher in Edinburgh and has been teaching since 2006.  From 2015 – 2018, Robert lived in Madagascar developing teacher training courses.  Most of the sessions over the week were delivered by trainers he has taught but Robert himself delivered one of the sessions on Active Learning as part of the programme via video link from the UK. Robert said “We are excited to collaborate...

We have a project to create and develop vegetable gardens and school canteens in two schools – EPP Mahatsara and EPP Andasifahatelo.  Providing the children and their parents with the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills will help ensure food security for these communities.   They also learn about the natural environment and protecting Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. Students learn about planting according to the season and the rotation of crops.  They successfully grew crops of different vegetables this year including courgettes, potatoes, pineapples, greens and beans.  Parents and teachers were also responsible for breeding and raising rabbits and chickens.  These provide...

We launched an appeal for funds after two major cyclones hit Madagascar in February 2022.  These killed over 100 people, destroyed infrastructure buildings and crops. Part of the money raised by your donations was given to schools to replace damaged desks.  we provided over 200 desks helping almost 1300 pupils in 8 schools. Getting the desks into the schools was a task in itself!  The wood was delivered by truck to the closest possible location then the parts carried by parents to the schools.  Carpenters visited the schools to build the desks so they could be installed in classrooms.  ...

We have several events taking place this autumn in and around Lancaster, where you can learn more about our work, help us out and buy products to raise funds for us. Williamson Park Café  Come and see an exhibition in the café about our work.  There is a lot of information, pictures, posters about latest events and some original paintings of Madagascar rural life, which are for sale in aid of our famine appeal. The paintings were kindly donated by the artist Jacinta Thomas. Pop in for a coffee and read all about us! Annual Mailing Stuffing – Wednesday 12th...