SOS - Fire Destroyed 110 Homes near the Center

A very very sad thing happened last week night Thursday. There was a big fire in the township of  Andranomahery in Ankorondrano neigborhood where the center is located. Out of the 110 houses, 90 have been destroyed, leaving 700 people without a roof, of which 500 children. Some of those children are part of the center. Some of the parents are host-parents of the orphaned children

The community is helping with some tents, but there is an enormous need for day to day objects like food, clothes, mattresses, blankets, kitchen utensils, buckets etc.  

Alex and the staff of the center are raising cash and kind to help out. 

Your donation would be very welcome...I have not yet seen the disaster as I am still in Belgium, but we'll go by the end of this week to see and assess the situation.

On behalf of the center, Alex and the children

T H  A N  K     Y  O  U

Akany Fitahiana receives 1.6 million Ariary from American School Antananarivo

After a succesful food fair, organized by the PTO (Parent - Teacher Organization) of the American School of Antananarivo (ASA), the center received a generous donation of 1.600.000 Ariary. The money will be spent on teacher's salaries and rice: the most essential running costs.

Alex and one of the teachers, Miora, receiving the cheque from Jennifer, board member of ASA

p.s. 1.6 million Ariary is about 580 euro or 820 USD!

A Field Trip with Teachers and Children

By: Fide, 12 years (translated by Susanne).

We went on a fields trip yesterday. Mr Alex asked us to come along. We got a ride with Madame Susanne in the car. The road was bumpy, we laughed a lot.

About 80 ducklings are growing up to become ducks. 

Then we came to the village. Mr Alex showed us the caneton project (ducklings). The lady opened the door of the duck house, and woooshhh, they all came out waggling. There are 79 ducks now, from the 120 ducklings that Mr Alex bought. The ducks will lay eggs and we can eat them.

Then we took a boat to cross the river. I was scared because I can not swim. We had a picknick. The Chinese lady had made 'dumplings', we had never tasted before. It was very nice.

A scary boat ride as most can not swim

Alex handing out dumplings made by Hasi. I am the child in middle with blue jacket

1/3 of these beans are for centre, 1/3 for the rural families and 1/3 for seeds

NEW: income generation in the center for street children!

After three months of preparation,the Akani Fitahiani center has opened a workshop to make school uniforms. They have four sewing machines, two if which are still rented. If we can generate enough income the center can buy the machines.

They are making uniforms for every boy and girl of the center. They also produce sports costumes.

This young boy is helping to make napkins. About forty children of the center help embroidery and crocheing. We're looking forward their work.

The First School Benches Have Arrived

Yes! Super! The children of the center no longer have to sit on the floor! Thank you to Pete, Mieke, Ietje, Saskia, Delphine and Helene. Alex is very proud of his new class room. We even had money to pay for some black boards!

Other classrooms will follow soon!

Invite to a Virtual Brainstorming

This blog is dedicated to generate ideas and tips on how to help Alex and his center for street children in Antanananarivo - otherwise known as Tana.

The center is called Akani Fitihani. It is located near one of the busiest routes in Tana, a street that is surrounded by many many street children. Nobody knows how many, but thousands and more children in the city have no proper home.

Street children come from 3 categories:
1 - Children whose parents have been living on the street (usually for generations)
2 - Orphans and abandoned children
3 - Children whose parents are extremely poor and children who have run away from awful circumstances (think: drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse by parents and relatives).

When the center started in 2000, Alex had 18 children to look after. Now, there are 250 children. The center providers education and life skills, playing time and occasional meals (depending on availabiltty of funds).

Madagascar currently does not have an internationally recognized government, and receives very little aid as a result. The center is on the brink of closing down.

This is an invitation to all to help generate ideas and tips on how we can help Alex and the center survive, so that he and his team can continue the essential work they're doing.

Click on More about the Cenrtre (right) to find an overview of the Center's needs. This may help you come up with ideas.

Ask your children to come up with suggestions, they may have original ideas too :-)

What the Centre Needs

Based on discussions with Alex, the centre's staff and two Malagasy social workers, we have come up with this overview that summarizes the needs of the center.

Food

Children receive lunch at the school when the school has the rations available. For most children the meal at the centre is their only meal for the day. Lunch (rice, veg, sometimes meat) : 500 Ariary (20 euro cents) per child per day and 600 Ariary or 25 cents with morning milk included.

Per month we need 888 euro.

Teachers and teaching aids

A  total of 17 people are helping out in the centre: teachers, cooks and social workers. They receive a stipend equivalent of minimum wage (which is really really minimum, considering costs of living in Tana). At present, the average salary at the center is 30 Euro but the teachers are getting only 12 Euro per month.  Motivation of the teachers is low, they have little teaching aids (books, programmes) and some are considering leaving the center.

To earn enough to make a living and to be motivated, salaries need to be at least modestly increased.  Suggested per person per month: between 80,000 and 100,000 Ar or between 30 and 37 euro per person per month. Per month for all staff: around 600 euro.

Current school tables are falling apart

School supplies           

The center has received donations to make school furniture. We did that, it's great, but they need constant maintenance and repairs.

We also need books, pencils, crayon, pencil cases. Per child for one year: 10 euros

Sewing machines

The older children (from 12) learn how to sew and knit. They produce items that can be sold to cover some of the running costs of the centre. A manual sewing machine costs 25 Euro, Electrical sewing machine = 100 Euro

Books

Scholastic and for fun reading,  in Malagasy, French and English new or second hand books all are welcome. School books as well as fun or reading books. The idea is to make some sort of library for the center. A book can be bought for around 3 euros. We are currently collecting second-hand books but a few new ones would be really welcome!

New or second hand computers much needed

Office equipment (computers, photocopier)

The center recently purchased an internet connection. The idea is to open an internet cafe to cover the costs of the connection, as well as to be able to manage a website for fund raising. (Alex is a computer guy) A secondhand computer will cost around 250 euro. A total of 5 to 6 computers would be needed, around 1500 euro

To copy school books. With over 150 school-aged children it is too expensive to buy books for each child. Price of a photocopier: around 300 euro. Paper and ink for one year 75 euro.

Toys and games

For Christmas (and the rest of the year too!); the children have very little to play with.  Because of the large number of children we’re not thinking of individual toys like dolls and cars, but games and toys that can be shared easily. They will be kept in the library.

We’re aiming for toys of a certain quality, not those made in China because they will not last long with this kind of target group J

Footballs = 5 euro each,  (Pump = 10 euro), Blocks = 10 euro per set,  Jump ropes = 2 euro each, Basketball = 5 euro, Net = 10 euro, Jeux de boules = 5 euro (per set), Game of Monopoly (local) = 8, Domino = 5 euro, Memory/Concentration game = 5 euro,  Table football = 75 euro, Swing set and slide 150 euro.