SOS Back to School

Letter from Alex and staff of the center,

Dear people,

Times are hard in Madagascar, everyone knows that. The center is still there, we just ended our 7th year!  We are preparing for 'La Rentree". Our teachers have not been paid throughout the break because there was no money. But they have received teacher-training. 

Sadly, our rice reserve is empty. We have lost one of our key donors, Secours Islamique who are withdrawing from Madagascar. Without food many children will not come to the center for their eduation, their 'parents' won't let them.,,

I am asking for your help. We are in urgent need donations for:

1. Rice, rice, rice - Our children consume at least 50 KG per day. For most children this is their only meal of the day. Feeding a child during one day costs 500 Ariary (20 cents) per child. Per month 2,500.000 Ariary at least (888 Euro).

2. Teachers' salaries. Our dedicated teachers work for a low salary, we would like to upgrade it from 70,000 Ar to 80,000 Ar per month (from 25 to 28 Euro per month). You could adopt a teacher!

3. Other running costs (rent, internet connections, other cooking stuff (oil, gas etc)

4. Inputs, the center collaborates with local communities for cultivation of rice, vegs, raising ducks and brick making. There is always need for donations for inputs, cash or kind, for seeds, fertilizer and other inputs.

You can make a donation through PayPal (see link on right) or by transfer (see bank details), by Telma Mvola or pass by the center!

On behalf of the children,

MISAOTRA - THANK YOU - MERCI - DANKE - TAK!

A year full of ups and downs

With many ups and down the centre has gone through another year of providing education, food and fun for over 250 very poor street children in Antananarivo.

Some of the "ups" include:

• Many visitors and volunteers have passed through and lent their support. They came from Germany, France, Australia, Belgium,...

• Ad-hoc support from private donors and well-wishers, including Soroptimistes, and many 'friends of the center' in Tana.

• The system to foster a child (parrainage) is up, and 7 children have already found foster parents.

Some of the "downs" include:

• The land on which the center is located has been bought by a nearby company

• One of the key rice donors of the center, Secours Islamique, has withdrawn its support (for the time being) from Madagascar.

• Alex's salary from his job, with which he personally paid a great deal of the teacher's salaries, has terminated.