Over the past year Mada collective has collected 5% of each purchase to help families in southwest Madagascar who live remote and lack school structures.
My goal is to provide access to education for Vezo children in villages in the far south of Madagascar.
Giving the gift of an education! We can send a child to school for under $1/week. Yes, for only $50/year we can change a life and give a child a future.
I want to intervene in the long term feeling extra confident the business will only keep growing so we can provide such help!
I have recently returned home, this year we have helped 8 families in 2 villages Befasy and Andranohoky providing them with 120 000,00 Ariary each ($50AUD) which will cover all admin fee, school registration and equipment for one child to go to school for the year.
I chose to help in the southern region of Tulear where i go surfing too.
In particular, on the coastal area south of Anakao, an area still unaffected by humanitarian actions, due to its great isolation from the rest of the country.
The villages, which also lack drinking water and electricity, suffer from a severe lack of school facilities.
Not an easy task trying to set a charity in such remote places but with the help of my local friend Tiarison and going there myself to deliver it all became possible and i know the money is where i attend it to be.
Tiarison has been traveling along that coastline each week most of his life to visit all these remote classrooms, he made my mission possible and will be following these kids on their journey until i get back there.
Accessing those villages by road is mission impossible, so i have traveled in the traditional Pirogue. The local way.
The Vezo are first of all fishermen. Their main instrument of work is the famous pendulum canoe, without which a proverb says they are nothing. These traditional canoes are cut into a tree trunk, with a square sail rigged on two v poles and a single pendulum. The Vezo make them themselves, using very ancient techniques transmitted by their ancestors who have evolved little since. They are used both for fishing, transport and possibly housing during migration. The reports of fishermen fishing with the sea are almost mystical. For the Vezo the sea is a holy place. They believe in a great anonymous God who manages the sea as well as the spirits that live and watch it. The Vezo are very attached to the tradition.
These pirogues are so unique it was just a blessing traveling with the winds.
Once the pirogue was set to go with Tiarison we left Camp Vezo at Andramandeo and headed first south to Befasy.
I imagined they rarely see a Vaza (white person) but like always as soon as the pirogue smoothly hit the shoreline the whole village just smiles at you. Waving hello, saying hello and smiling at someone is so rewarding.
We all should take time to do so wherever your home might be.
After meeting the director Charles Epane, we decided on 4 kids and went find their parents in the village.
We all shared gratitude meeting each others and sharing smiles and respect.
It was so wonderful to see the joy in their faces & heart.
I happily sponsored 4 families in the presence of their mother and school principal.
Once news and stories were shared, i distributed a few presents to the students there and filled their cupboards with some basic medical supplies which are much needed there since there is no dispensary on the island.
After we all shake hands and hugged, money was then distributed, and all paper signed and stamped.
I felt it was challenging to some parents to write and sign and getting the birth date right and trying to figure out what really was happening, just beautiful watching it all unfold.
I was just a Vaza who rocked up suddenly to sponsor 8kids & spread some Love.
Then i took everyone with me and headed to the cantine where i wanted to install a water filter to provide all these kids with drinkable water.
Thank you to ‘Waves for water’ for making it all possible. It was a success, and all teachers were amazed by it all. It was a good day for everyone. One to remember.
It was hard to leave. It was heartbreaking to only been able to help just 4kids and not all the others.
Someone from the village came to me with a gift to thank me and gave me a chicken to take home.
Tiarison called it Carolinette 🙂 and she traveled with us by pirogue from that day on. In return I have gifted Carolinette to Tiarison 🙂
After spending over 4hours in the school and stopping the clock for everyone we jumped back on the Pirogue and headed further south to Beheloka.
We decided to set camp for the night.
I spend the afternoon with many kids on the beach, laughing, walking, looking for seashells, touching my hair, watching them and everyone else…
I was lucky to meet Sonia she was speaking french really well and was so sweet. She loved talking French with me and explaining to me their way of life, and what she learn at school. She won my heart, she was so polite and gentle. Bless
French is widely spoken in the city of Tana but outside they have their own Malagasy language which varies from different Tribes. I always take the time to learn new Malagasy words while there, they love it when i talk to them in their language. All kids that have the chance to go to school regardless of their geography in Madagascar will learn French.
I spent a couple hours visiting the village with the locals, visited schools and took appreciation on how such remote villages can have so much life and happiness.
They all lived the harshest life but these people are so content and proud and happy.
Again not sure when they actually saw a ‘Vaza’ last (white person) but they took me on this journey for the day, a very special day!!! A Fun day for all.
Sun was going down and locals cooked a fish and some rice for me and Tiarison.
We then went to sleep on the sand in the tent. Zero comfort but i was living like a local and i was so comfortable with that.
To wake up at dawn and back on the pirogue with Tiarison and carolinette.
Wind was not as favorable, we paddled for couple hours to arrive at destination then used our legs to walk 2hrs inland to a village called Andranotobohy.
Storm was approaching and when we got there rain started heavily.
To find out that school was off for the day because it was a death in the village so no school.
I went to the chief of the village, they showed me the school then headed back to his house where we all meet.
Despite the rain and feeling tired i was so overwhelmed seeing this very small remote village, they only rely on the land. No water no electricity. Like most villages they all walked to wells every morning to collect water for the day, from this villages water was a couple hours hike every morning.
Another 4 families with the kids i was going to sponsor were asked to join us in the house of the chief.
They all showed so much gratitude, such an amazing feeling helping others. They are real people. This is their reality. I will support forever more.
I explained and installed the water filter for them to use at the school and filter the water they collect to a drinkable water.
Hard to understand for them but Tiarison will make sure it is used daily for them to see the difference.
Water is life.
I gifted school equipments and plenty medical supplies, they were so happy. Even the parents were stoked to have a new pen.
I had a long walk back to the pirogue so i sadly had to leave straight after. Rain was so heavy by then but we bright up each other’s day.
This place is engraved in my mind and i will be back next year to help the same kids again for the following year and more kids i sure hope.
We all smiled goodbye and started walking back in the storm only thinking what just happened… These people are all survivors. They have each other’s. They have a life, and they are smiling to what they have.
This is the way of life i teach my daughter.
All these kids are going to school next year. They parents are so proud and stoked.
This is so beautiful.
I have returned with even more passion to make my dream even bigger to what i could ever wish for.
I will sponsor the same kids again and again and will keep adding more.
Mada Collective is Unique because of these people and their Tradition.
Feel the Love, choose your purchase with a meaning. This is just the beginning.
Love your products like no others and in the same time help others .
Happiness comes from the heart, so THANK YOU!
