Projects
ANKANIN’NY FITIAVANA IN AMBOSITRA
‘LA MAISON’
The Foundation Madalief (back then named Fazazoma Netherlands) helped with the construction and set up of the structure of the house itself. Cooperation went in particular through Mme Honorine, and this was a great success. Especially because she lived in the area where this house is situated, she has excellent contacts with people from the neighbourhood and went on teaching at the local elementary school. Through her contacts the cooperation blossomed in collaboration with the district and the projects mentioned below.
A swift change of governance of the local foundation in July 2007 made the district temporarily responsible for the day-to-day management of this house. This turned out not to work well and since November 2007 the house and the children have been the responsibility of the foundation itself. After these developments, Mme Honorine decided to make one of the new houses a home for herself and her children (see below). This house ‘La maison’ is now also used by the district committee for social activities (e.g. classrooms and meeting rooms).
ANKANIN’NY FITIAVANA – THE OTHER HOUSES
Since 2007, Mme Honorine and her 20 children live in the largest building. These buildings now house five women their 34 children in total. For day-to-day operations, guidance and selection of these women, we are working in close cooperation with the (chosen) Social Committee of the district.
Behind the houses, there are some fields that also belong to the Foundation. One is a playing field with a basket for playing basketball and on the other bits of land women crow crops.
AID TO THE SCHOOLS IN AMBOSITRA
In 2003, the epp (ecole primary public) Raramonja in Ambositra, received help in the form of furniture, typewriters, toys and teaching material. Also stocks of books and notebooks were replenished. At that time, the children from our houses went to this school and Mme Honorine started teaching there.
COLLABORATION WITH THE PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE APIHAMDIAMBY DISTRICT
In addition to five specialists, the two buildings were built by volunteers from the district. In July 2006 the entire school (and the houses of the Foundation, see ‘ the other houses ‘) were officially opened. There were three days of celebrations, and even a Minister and delegation from Antananarivo (the capital) were present.
In fact, it is the task of the government to ensure adequate school buildings, but notwithstanding the development of Madagascar in recent years, this is relatively unheard of. And if the government were to provideadequate school buildings , it would still take at least ten years before the schools in little villages like this would be built. That is why we have taken the building and renovation of schools in our own hands. Well, you can see the result for yoursleves: within a year, two new school buildings were built! The government however, appointed an extra teacher, because an extra class was added after the building of the kindergarten class room. Since the opening, the Foundation has provided the kindergarten with sufficient teaching and playing aids.
THE DAILY CANTEEN
Since the opening our approximately sixty pre-schoolers have been provided with a meal at our canteen after school time. In this way we not only help the children by giving them better education, but the whole neighbourhood profits from it. This is one of our main motivations. In 2019 this dayly canteen transformed in a canteen for the 50 poorest children living around the centre. We also support these children with schoolfees, schoolmaterials, and medical care.
THE SCHOOL AT SOARANO
This school is located in the region Ambositra and in 2006 our foundation gave the main building a new roof and enough cement for both the walls and floors. All proceedings and work was done by the parents of the pupils and within a month the whole building was completely refurbished. In 2013, Thijs and Rinske have rebuilt another building which has become a high school. The more than three hundred children of this school, finally have some decent classrooms to study in.
COLLABORATION WITH THE DESTRICT COUNCIL OF APHIMADIAMBY
As a result of the successful cooperation with the district during the construction of the classrooms and considering the fact that the district could also get some more help, we decided to expand the cooperation between the district and our Foundation.
In the course of the past few years, six houses of single mothers were renovated. We worked according to the principle that we supplied the materials and a craftsman; the family would take care of the rest of the workforce. In this way, we helped many mothers and children with improved accommodation. This really improved the living conditions of the children.
SCHOOL FEE PROJECT
The children who may possibly claim school fees, are selected by the Social Committee of the district. Every year we help even more children pay their school fees and getting into school. In 2019, more than 300 children in Ambositra, received school fees and schoolmaterials.
THE SUPPORT OF FAMILIES
Beatrice and her family:
During a visit to a third elementary school in the neighbourhood of the Residence, we were introduced to Beatrice. She is 7 years old, and suffers from rickets, a disease that is also called the ‘English disease’. In other words, her legs were shaped in an o-form. Her legs were so badly bent that she could not walk well anymore. Fortunately, there is a “Centre de reeducation motrice”, a rehabilitation centre in Ansirabe, where they can perform operations to bones and where patients can rehabilitate. The problem however was that the mother of Beatrice was a single mom with 5 children, who was living in great poverty. She did not have any money for surgery, she could barely feed her children. An operation would be impossible. In Madagascar the family have to take care for of nursing and feeding the patient while in hospital. It would be impossible for the family to both work and take care of Beatrice in hospital. When we offered Beatrice’s family that we would take care of the nursery and nutrition for the whole family during the operation and rehabilitation time, they were very happy and relieved.
By now, Beatrice has had an operation on both legs and she had new plaster casts in 2014. She has been using surgical supports for a while and is able to walk with them.
The room in which the family, mother and five children, were living was a complete rubble. When we discovered the mother of the children owned a little piece of land nearby, we decided to build another house for the family. In February 2014, both the houses were built and renovated. It cost no more than 950 euros.
We are supporting more then 30 singleheadedhouseholds in Ambositra. We pay schoolfees, materials and medical care, and they receive monthly rice and vegatables.
PROJECTS IN AMBOSITRA
The support of three public primary schools:
We support three public primary schools in the vicinity of the Residence:EPP Ambohimanga, EPP Tsaratanana and EPP Tsinjorano. We support these schools by purchasing course materials, paying the school fees for the poorest children and by giving a small compensation to the 12 teachers each month. Furthermore we renovated some of the school buildings and took care of the maintenance of the buildings and classrooms. When Dutch volunteers come over, they often help at these schools. In this way we are able to help the poorest children in the area by giving them a good education.