Capital: Antananarivo
Area: 587,040 km²
Population: 18 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesians, Cotiers (African ancestry), Malayo-Indonesians, Arabs, French, Indians, and Comorans
Official language(s): French, Malagasy
Religion(s): Indigenous beliefs, Christian, and Muslim
Currency: 1 Malagasy franc = 100 centimes
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
In 1986 the Madagascan national association was founded in order to construct an SOS Children's Village. The reason for this was that conditions in Madagascar were very difficult and children, in particular, were suffering. The association managed to obtain the use of a plot of ground in Vontovorona, about 21 km southwest of Antananarivo from the authorities. Construction of the first SOS Children's Village in Madagascar started here in 1988. Over the years a kindergarten, youth houses, a medical centre and a secondary school have been added to the SOS Children's Village.
In 1995 an agricultural centre was set up, which is attached to SOS Children's Village Vontovorona. The aim is to train the youths here. Since 1999, in addition to vegetable production, dairy farming, chicken and silkworm breeding, the subjects of rice-growing, livestock-breeding and gardening are being taught. A field study showed that there was a need for a second SOS Children's Village. SOS Children's Villages was therefore, given a plot of land near Toamasina in 1997. Following almost a year of building, the first mothers were able to move into their new homes with the children in SOS Children's Village Mangarano, near Toamasina in July 1998. A day-care centre was opened in Anosibé, a suburb of the capital, Antananarivo in August 1998. The children of working mothers are looked after here during the day. Apart from being cared for by qualified pre-school staff, they also receive a balanced meal every day. In 2002 another day care centre opened in Antsirabe and the construction of the third SOS Children's Village started. In August 2003 the first four SOS families moved to the new village.
At present there are three SOS Children's Villages in Madagascar, three SOS Youth Facilities, three SOS Kindergartens, three SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, one SOS Vocational Training Centre, nine SOS Social Centres and six SOS Medical Centres.
Contact:
Villages d'Enfants SOS de Madagascar
B.P. 6062
Antananarivo
Madagascar
tel. +261-20-22 41827
fax +261-20-22 41828