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Madagascar

Antananarivo

Good Shepherd Mission in Madagascar 

The Sisters operate a number of programs that address issues experienced by the women and children who live in Antanarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The centre is small.

The Sisters provide:

  • a food service for undernourished babies;
  • training for 105 single mothers and teenagers;
  • life skills training in dress-making, crafts, home arts and languages;
  • an opportunity, through the training, for these young women, to find employment, start small businesses, be independent and support themselves and their children.

The Sisters:

  • operate an educational program for about 180 street children, ages 3 to 12;
  • encourage children to attend the school as an alternative to begging;
  • provide breakfast and lunch, and, for most children, this is the only source of food for the day;
  • aim is to help the children reach a reasonable level of education to ensure eligibility to enter the State schools;
  • provide the uniforms and the writing materials they will need when they enter the State schools.

 

Country Background

Despite Madagascar's proximity to mainland Africa, its population and culture are unique. Madagascar's population is largely a combination of Asian and African origins. About 41% of the Malagasy are Christian, divided almost evenly between Roman Catholic and Protestant. In the coastal regions of Mahajanga and Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Muslims constitute 7% of the population (divided between those of Malagasy ethnicity, Indo-Pakistanis, and Comorans) and approximately 52% of the population follow indigenous beliefs.

Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries and there is significant malnutrition, even among the children of the richest 20% of the population; according  to the UNDP 2006 Human Development Report, 61% live on less than $1 per day and 85% live on less than $2 a day. Madagascar has a population of 20 million (CIA, July 2008) with an average projected growth rate of 2.6 percent between 2005 and 2010. Fertility rates are high at 5.04 children per woman, and about 45 percent of the population is less than 15 years old.

The International Labor Organization's (ILO) 2007 National Survey on Child Labor in Madagascar indicated that approximately 28% of the child population, between ages of 5 and 17 (1.8 million children), were working on a full- or part-time basis. Further about   438,000 children were involved in dangerous work. Although Madagascar’s law prohibits trafficking in persons, cases continue to be reported, involving children and young women. They come mainly from rural areas. They are trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor, including domestic servitude, mining, and street vending.

A high percentage of the population lacks access to basic healthcare and the services of professional medical personnel. Currently only 29% of the population has access to clean drinking water, however, considerable resources are being invested by the international community to address this and improve the water and sanitation systems. (UN Central Emergency Response Fund)

Southern Madagascar has suffered severe drought for three consecutive years. This, as well as very poor harvests have taken its toll on families. Thousands of people are suffering hunger and starvation. There is a high incidence of chronic malnutrition resulting from the lack of food supplies. Madagascar is in desperate need of relief assistance both in kind and financially. Madagascar has a history of natural disasters, particularly along the eastern coast, with cyclones, resulting in extensive long-term damage. Madagascar also needs further assistance in disaster prevention.