Sponsorship in Madagascar
CFCA has a project in Antsirabe, Madagascar, serving children and aging. The project assists sponsored children with school fees, school supplies, medical treatment and food. Sponsorship assists older sponsored children to attend technical training schools and universities.
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.”
 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
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