| The latest from our schools programme, rural medicine and air guitar! |
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| On September 5th, our staff in Madagascar and London came together to celebrate Freddie for a Day. Our ensemble tribute to the great man himself, Freddie Mercury, was a lot of fun to film and features some amazing lip syncing, dance moves and fake moustaches.
Organised every year by the Mercury Phoenix Trust, Freddie for a Day raises awareness of the global fight against HIV/AIDS. We put together this video to say a big thank-you to the MPT for all their support to our community health programme over the years. |
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Rural healthcare in Anosy |
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Did you know, there has been a 54% increase in cases of HIV in Madagascar since 2010?
Project Mitao, generously funded by the Mercury Phoenix Trust, recently began assessing sexual healthcare provision in the rural clinics of the Anosy region. Mahatalaky, a rural town located four hours from Fort Dauphin, and its neighbouring communities are particularly at risk due to extreme healthcare shortages. One doctor serves 12 villages, and clinics often lack basic provisions.
In this photo, a midwife discusses her experience providing family planning, HIV testing, and STI treatment to rural young people. She operates with no electricity, no running water, and frequently lacks stock of key medicines and equipment.
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Back to school with Project Sekoly |
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| Entering the last month of construction, the community and students of Andramanaka Primary School, located in the rural Mahatalaky commune, are excited for the opening of the new school building. The crumbling state of the previous wooden classroom posed numerous challenges and impeded attendance for the 361 students enrolled. Imagine learning in a classroom where the wind and rain blew in through the walls - this has been the reality for some of the students! Despite the poor infrastructure, the staff and students are extremely committed, with the latest final exam pass rate at 100%.
Andramanaka will be the first three-classroom building that SEED Madagascar has ever built. It will also be the first concrete structure in the area, ensuring protection from the extreme weather, providing a more conducive learning environment. Students, teachers and parents are excited to have the new school building, enabling children to remain in school and progress their education.
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It’s September, arguably the best time to be in Madagascar in terms of weather, where the cold winter is finally over (and yes – Madagascar does get cold!) and the blazing summer heat hasn’t fully set in.
It is also an exciting time for the research team in Sainte Luce, as the fat-tailed dwarf lemur emerges from hibernation, the only primate known to do so. It’s an adorably fluffy lemur (which is far from scientific but also highly accurate), with a thick tail, as the name would suggest. Their tails are used as their fat reserves for their hibernation, reaching 40% of their total body weight and allowing the lemurs to combat the food scarcity during the dry season. It is an incredible species, exciting to spot and charming to watch, and I can only recommend joining us to see one for yourself!
- Kashmir Flint, Senior Research Assistant |
| Dates for our 2020 volunteering schemes are now available. |
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