In February, 2013 Cyclone Haruna caused extensive damage to the land and infrastructure, in southwestern Madagascar.
 Food distribution |
The cyclone also created a longer than normal breeding season for locusts. This problem was compounded when the government failed to pay salaries to the workers responsible for monitoring and controlling locust populations. Without the use of pesticides at the appropriate time in the locust’s growth cycle, they swept through the south eating up whatever was left of the already sparse crops. This resulted in a poor to nil harvest for the farmers, with no food to feed their families and no resources to purchase seeds. On our drive to Tulear we drove through an area to which the locusts were currently migrating and we were so thankful it was a long distance from the project area where World Renew is working.
Through its alliance with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, World Renew is partnering with the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM), a Presbyterian denomination. This church has a very active development arm called SAF (French initials), with an extensive outreach in the rural communities. This is a Food for Work project that provides 1,000 households (about 7 people per household) in the two communities of Sakaraha and Mahaboboka with 50 kg of rice, 10 kg of beans and 3 liters of oil each month for 6 months. In return, the beneficiaries work ten days a month on the rehabilitation of canals that were severely damaged by the cyclone. Also many of the rice fields were silted over and required extensive clearing.
The Lord’s confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel was very effective, because we cannot understand a word of the Malagasy language and we rely totally on our interpreter, Misa.
After we arrived in Tulear we spent time with fellow IRMs Toni and George Fernhout, who familiarized us with the status of this project which they had started in November, 2013. The following day we had a meeting with the SAF Tana staff, SAF Tulear staff, World Renew Burlington office staff – Wayne De Jong, Director of Disaster Response & Rehabilitation, and Jackie Koster, Disaster Response and Preparedness Manager (both had come to review the project).
We attended the fourth food distribution at each site, where there was a farewell for George and Toni and a welcoming for us.
What makes life interesting in Tulear:
- Doing laundry by hand at an outside sink.
- Taking the pousse-pousse (rickshaw) to the market.
- Selecting fresh fruit & vegetables at the open market.
- Watching zebu carts bring supplies to and from the boats in the Mozambique Channel.
Prayer Requests:
We praise God for…
- the great work George and Toni did on this project and the smooth hand-over;
- the excellent partnership with SAF Tulear & SAF Tana;
- travels and good health.
Please join us in asking God for…
- Strength for the beneficiaries to complete the work and plant the rice seed;
- sufficient water for the rice paddies;
- That God’s grace will be evident in spiritual ways to those who do not know Him.
Blessings!
