Child sponsorship letter from Madagascar
20/11/2007
Please note this letter from our local sponsorship office is written by someone whose first language is not English
Antananarivo, June 2006
Letter to godmothers and godfathers of SOS children's Villages Madagascar
Dear godmother, Dear godfather,
The end of year 2005 for SOS Children was one year of expansion and hard works, which bore their fruits.
For children's Village of Ivohitra Antsirabe, 66 children coming from 15 siblings and 03 isolated cases of children were allowed during the year. The strength on December 31st was 116 children on a total capacity of 120. They adapt themselves without any trouble to the life of the village, the school results are satisfactory.
For children's Village of Mangarano Toamasina, 10 young people left the village to join Youth facility, 5 girls and 5 boys.19 teenagers are at present in centres in the city. The school results are also satisfactory there.
For children's Village of Vontovorona, the school year 2004-2005 was marked by the reception of 30 young people in 2 boarding schools in Tananarive to facilitate their studies in the secondary schools of the capital. 05 young boys are inserted in rural areas, in the region of Antsirabe. As regards to schooling, the children obtained good results
The Service of Social and professional insertion was growing by widening its staff, following the increase of number of young people having varied orientations. For that purpose, two responsibles for insertion in rural and urban areas were set up. 122 young people benefit from our follow up to Tananarive.
As every year the service offers an opportunity to these young people by organizing the second edition of the " Forum of Professions ". During this forum, the young people were able to deepen what they already know about the professions, which they could exercise in the future, because " to choose its profession, is to foresee the future: a good path towards the autonomy ".
Four day-care centres were created at the end of 2005, 2 in Tuléar (districts of Ankiembe bas and Betania Tanambao), 1 in Toamasina (district of Mangarano) and 1 in Mahajanga (district of Tsararano). These new centres are the continuity of pre-established works for the prevention of family desertion and for the assistance and the coverage of the destitute families so as to have a reconstructed and autonomous social life.
As regards to schooling, the rate of success was good, either at the level of every establishment, or at the level of the results in the official exams. So as to avoid the schooling loss after the preschool, the creation of another elementary and secondary school in children's village SOS of Ivohitra Antsirabe is at present on phase of feasibility study.
As humanitarian body, SOS Children in Madagascar brought its "emergency" assistance to the inhabitants of the region of the South East (Vangaindrano), who are victims of famine. This help was made with the cooperation of another association working in this part of the Island.
In brief, 2005 is a year of success because of the consolidation of all the activities within SOS Children Madagascar.
The initial and continuous trainings of the SOS mothers and the family assistance make positive the educational system led within every family. The grouping for the schooling allows to focus the strategy of learning for the primary and secondary schools (EPS), the kindergarten (EMP) at the level of the Association in Madagascar
Since the beginning of year 2006, in spite of the difficulty of the Malagasy economy, which brings a net outbreak of the rate of inflation, SOS children's Villages of Madagascar do not stop putting themselves of the front to reach the objectives in the service of the childhood.
SOS Children's Village in Vontovorona Antananarivo prepares the new admittance of approximately 40 children for this year; social checking is in progress. 3 SOS mothers are ready to welcome them.
SOS Children's Village in Mangarano Toamasina builds 2 houses for the departing SOS mothers, 5 new mothers and family helpers ended their training and are ready of taking their post. As to Vontovorona, a new admittance of 10 children is foreseen at the latest in September of this year.
SOS Children's Village in Ivohitra (now full of 120members) continues its social action for the mothers living in the surrounding districts (Mother and child protection), to reduce the important mortality rate and give the new born a better start of their life. The study for the construction of a new school is in final stage.
At present, for the schooling, the children are in full preparation of the final exams for some and official exams for the others, the Primary and secondary School of Antanety Antananarivo will have 35 candidates for the CEPE (Primary and Elementary survey Certificate) and 42 in the BEPC (First Cycle’s Patent of survey), and that of Mangarano Toamasina will have 33 candidates for the CEPE and 30 in the BEPC. In one month time 16 of our children will do the exams for the high school diploma.
Still in the framework of the intensification of capacities, a Malagasy Institute of Social work is in the course of creation, thanks to our partnership with the School of Social services department (ESS), and the Committee of Training of the Presenters (Driving forces) Educators (CFAE). The training is opened this year to the educators specialized in the course of employment for three years. The strength of the first promotion is among 20 which 09 from the Association. A training for frame of the social will begin in October.
The Social and Professional Insertion Centre (SISOP) contributes to guide the young people to choose the careers, which they intend to do after their studies.
For 2006, their interest is directed to the agriculture and the breeding, a key sector for the economic development of the country. It is the reason for which the third edition of the Forum of Professions was centred in this direction and with the participation of approximately 300 young people.
Speakers specialized in domains of food processing, agriculture, and breeding came to animate the conferences during two days last April.
After forum evaluation, since the year 2005, Shows the success of this system for the future of our young people: 1 young man takes charge of the breeding of dairy cows to Sahanivotry Antsirabe; 2 young men are in charge of the culture of geranium to Soavinandriana in the middle West of Madagascar, 3 young men are breeders of chickens in Antananarivo, 3 young men cultivate geranium and are in charge of the breeding of dairy cows to Bemololo Antsirabe and 10 young people among whom 3 are coming from the village SOS, 3 coming from the Social centre of Anosizato Antananarivo and 4 coming from the agricultural centre of SOS children's village in Vontovorona, are in charge of a culture of tobacco in partnership with the Company SOCTAM, and finally for the region of Ankazomiriotra, 2 young people are in charge of a culture of cereal.
Centres of regional organisation working for the welfare mother and child are opened in the Medical centres of the Social centres in ‘Ankiembe Bas and Betania Tanambao Tuléar since April 18th, 2006. The activities enter within the framework of the program of the centres of basic health or CSB II, that is why there is active participation in the Vitamin A distribution campaign and a systematic deparasitage.
80 children of the Social centres in Toamasina made a reforestation in the National park of Ivoloina Toamasina last May, approximately 1000 feet were planted. A green day, which allowed these children to benefit from a session on the study of the environment and given by one of the responsible of the place.
In perspectives, another Social centre for Ford-Dauphin, in the province of Tuléar is under feasibility study.
The Football Centre in Mangarano, Toamasina, welcomes especially teenagers not schooled by Mangarano and surrounding districts. Its objective is the social insertion of these young people, and the football being the attractive mean in bringing a psychological and educational support. At present, 136 teenagers are trained there; Christian Karembeu's passage, ambassador of FIFA and Mr Michel GACON last April valued the system and strengthens the motivations to follow the education in the centre.
For this first half of the year 2006, SOS children's Villages in Madagascar bet on the partnership and the cooperation with different donors for the realization of most of its project. The execution of all these activities enters within the framework of the program of fight against the poverty workbenched by the government, and also within the framework of the public and private partnership.
We do not also forget your actions to the children, which are of considerable help for the preparation of their future; your precious support is there inevitably for something. In their name, allow us to thank you.
Thank you also in the support brought by Mr. Michel GACON during his passage in Madagascar with the delegation from France and Innsbruck.
For this year of 2006, we gather all our means to pursue the functioning of the daily life and realizations of due course projects. With your support and your love for the children, everything is possible.
Faithfully yours,
Daniel PANIEZ
Regional Manager
SOS Children’s Villages Madagascar
Relevant Countries: Madagascar.