In Madagascar, a prolonged drought has robbed farmers of their crops and left the landscape dry and brown. Mary Satriazee lives in the village of Ambovombe. She and her husband are smallholder farmers who depended on what they grew to feed their family. Mary shares, “My husband and I used to have farmland on which we were able to grow the food we needed to live but due to the prolonged drought we had to sell the land. We used the money from the sale of the land to feed our family. We do have a small plot, the yard area around our house, on which my husband manages to grow a few food items by limited hand watering.” But what they grow is not enough to feed their large family or provide for their basic needs.

“We had twelve children but sadly one died. We now have five daughters and six sons ranging in age from 6 to 25,” Mary says, her voice quivering with the sadness of loss. “We are helping our oldest daughter and her two babies who also live with us.” But despite her family’s struggles, she feels blessed. Through a six-month food assistance project facilitated by World Renew and local partner, the Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar (SAF/FJKM), with funding from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Mary has been receiving fifty kilograms of rice and 100,000 Ariary ($33 CAD) every month. She says, “People tell me that I am very fortunate to be a beneficiary of the project and I agree!”

Mary explains how she uses the money, “I am so grateful to report that I am able to feed my family some complimentary and healthier foods to go with the rice, as well as pay some school fees for the younger children.” With tears of joy in her eyes, she says, “I could never have managed to care for my family without this [project] and without the support of my God. I praise him every day!”

Mary is also grateful for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank bags the rice comes in. She says, “Our home is built of slats of wood and has a tin roof … Our home can be quite cold during the colder months and we try to block out the wind by covering cracks in the walls. We use some of the Foodgrains Bank bags to do this.”

Through the project, Mary has also had the opportunity to join a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) in her village. The members of the VSLA meet monthly, each contributing a small amount to a savings pool that is kept safely in a locked box. As the pool grows members are able to take out low-interest loans. “I am happy I have joined a VSLA in my village. The project has taught me how to save money by paying a small monthly fee into the locked box. If I have a plan to start a small business I can borrow from this fund. This gives me and my fellow villagers hope for a better future,” Mary smiles.

Please pray for rain in Madagascar. Thank you for your gifts and prayers that help families, like Mary’s, who are struggling with the impacts of the drought continue to look to the future with hope.

March 5, 2023, is Canadian Foodgrains Bank Sunday and thanks to our unique partnership with Foodgrains Bank your gifts to World Renew can be matched up to 4x – multiplying the impact of your gift and helping to feed more families in food crisis.