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Sponsorship in Madagascar

CFCA has two projects in Madagascar, Antsirabe and Morondava, serving children and aging. These projects give sponsored children and aging friends medical treatment and food, as well as the opportunity to attend school.

Health care varies from subproject to subproject, but in many cases sponsorship provides funding for medical care and medicines that would otherwise be too expensive for families to afford.

The Antsirabe project provides books, supplies, uniforms and transportation.

The Morondava project provides school uniforms and medicines for children, and aging persons receive clothing and medical care. Education is an important part of both the Antsirabe and Morondava projects. Children attend school from kindergarten through high school. And some go on to technical training or university studies.

Education in Madagascar is widely available. Therefore, the Antsirabe project is able to provide other benefits such as clothing, school supplies and nutritional assistance. The project holds parent meetings so that parents may offer input regarding the design of benefits. One mother recently said, “We like CFCA because it helps lighten our burden.”

The Morondava project sponsors children with disabilities. A group home offers specialized care, meals and education. Morondava has a very small aging program, providing mainly nutritional assistance. The Malagasy people consider it an honor to take care of their elderly relatives, so aging homes are not common.

About Madagascar

Madagascar consists of a large island and tiny nearby islands in the Indian Ocean. It is located 240 miles southeast of the African mainland. The island consists of fertile farmland in the north, wide plains and fertile river valleys in the west and a desert region in the south. The central highlands region is the most densely populated.

Many species of plants and animals in Madagascar do not exist anywhere else in the world except on nearby Comoros Islands. Twenty different species of lemurs, the Malagasy mongoose, are found there, along with approximately 1,000 species of orchid located in the rainforests in the east.

Madagascar is the world’s largest producer of natural vanilla and cloves, and has nearly as many zebus (domesticated oxen native to Asia and parts of Africa) as people.

In the 1600s and 1700s, Madagascar served as a favorite base for pirates. In 1896 the country became a French colony, and it was not until 1960 that it regained its independence and was able to hold free presidential and National Assembly elections.

The people

In Madagascar’s interior, the major ethnic groups are the Merina (27 percent of the total population), and the Betsileo (12 percent). Coastal areas are inhabited by people of mixed Malayo-Indonesian, indigenous African and Arab ancestry. The groups include Tsimihety, Sakalave and Antaisaka.

More than 75 percent of the population is rural, raising rice and other crops, or herding cattle. Chronic malnutrition and underfunded health and educational facilities are common problems.

The Malagasy people have great respect for their ancestors and devote a lot of time to the upkeep of graveyards. They even have a celebration in which family members ceremoniously wrap the bodies of deceased family members in new shrouds.

This is referred to as the Exhumation Celebration. It lasts two days, and includes much singing, dancing and specific beverages and foods. Extended family and friends help celebrate.

Everyone gathers at the tomb on the second day for lunch and an elder gives a speech. They re-shroud the deceased and give a ritual tour of the tomb. The celebration ends with an elder thanking all of the guests for attending.

Education

Madagascar has primary and secondary schools, technical institutes, teacher training colleges and a university system. Six years of school is mandatory and by the early 1990s, adult literacy had risen to 80 percent.

School runs from September to June. Almost all children attend primary school and about one-fifth attend secondary schools. Catholic and Protestant schools continue to educate a large proportion.

Sources:

World Factbook

MSN Encarta Encyclopedia