This Southern Mitchell Rotary international project is designed to support 1,100 Primary School children and their teachers at St. Vincent de Notre Dame de l'Androy (St. Vincent's) Primary School in Ambovombe, Androy Madagascar. The area has suffered 6 years of successive drought in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic which is forcing families in rural communities to resort to desperate measures to survive. Donations will be used to provide food, clean drinking water, medicine and school equipment to help parents keep their children fed and to stay at school.
Please direct donations to:
Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS)
https://directory.rawcs.com.au/2-2022-23
13-09-2023
Carmel Allen is from Tasmania and is a very active member of RYLA Elevate who with others from RYLA Elevate (from NSW and New Zealand) are helping us to promote Project Lemur and the fund-raising that goes along with it.
Click on the image alongside to take up Carmel’s challenge >>>>>>>>>>
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel. At 592,800 square kilometres (228,900 sq mi) Madagascar is the world's second-largest country that consists primarily of islands, after Indonesia.[13] The nation consists of the island of Madagascar (the fourth-largest island in the world) and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from the Indian subcontinent around 88 million years ago, allowing native plants and animals to evolve in relative isolation. Consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot; over 90% of its wildlife is endemic. MORE
Rotarian Paul Lloyd accepting a $1000 donation cheque from the President of the RC of Pascoe Vale South.
Rotarian Paul Lloyd presenting the case for Project Lemur at the RC of Bacchus Marsh.
A typical Zoom planning session with members of Southern Mitchell Rotary in the Kilmore region in Australia and Rotary representatives and others in Madagascar.
St Vincents Primary School and some of the students (they make their own uniforms at school)
Contact: Rotarian Paul Lloyd
0437 753 448/alwaysredpl@gmail.com
Sponsored by:
Rotary Club of Southern Mitchell,
District 9790 VIC Australia
<< Four young “People of Action” are now helping us to better market Project Lemur. Thanks to (L to R) Tom Nicholls (Sydney), Jack Keeys (Auckland, NZ), Latham Lockwood (Palmerston North, NZ), Carmel Allen (Tasmania).
Another day at drought ravaged St Vincents - IMAGINE the conditions these children live in - drought, dirt, dust, no vegetation and little water (and the available water is now becoming terribly expensive).
Ambovombe, Madagascar is a region that has been suffering from extreme drought for several years (and then the pandemic). The lack of rain combined with increasing temperatures has resulted in a severe water crisis, which has been particularly devastating for the local population. The subsistence farmers in the area are unable to grow enough food to feed their families, and the lack of clean water has caused many people to suffer from water-related illnesses.
The drought has also caused an influx of locusts, a plague that has destroyed crops and further limited the food supply. As a result, the people of Ambovombe have been forced to resort to desperate measures such as eating wild plants and engaging in illegal activities to survive. Most people in the area have been left with no choice but to migrate to other parts of the country in search of food and water.
The Government of Madagascar has taken steps to address the drought, but their efforts have been largely ineffective. They have implemented some short-term initiatives such as distributing food aid and providing access to clean water, but these efforts do not solve the root of the problem. The government should focus on long-term solutions such as improving water infrastructure and increasing access to irrigation systems to ensure water security for the people of Ambovombe.
The drought in Ambovombe is having a devastating impact on the local population, and more must be done to address the issue. Immediate action is needed to increase access to food and water, and the Government of Madagascar must take steps to ensure that the people of Ambovombe have access to the necessary resources to survive. Without further intervention, the drought will continue to have a negative effect on both the people and the environment in Ambovombe.
These 3 images were received on 26-01-2023. Sadly the weather isn’t improving for these kids and their families.