While we were in Johannesburg for training in January, Madagascar was hit with Tropical Storm Chedza. We could see the flooding as we were in the air and flying back. When we returned, General Charles of the Ministry of Emergencies and Catastrophies contacted us. He and his team had identified 6 areas in Madagascar that had been hardest hit with many people flooded out of their homes and their crops washed away. We were asked if we could help the people in Mampikony. It is about a 12 hour drive from Antananarivo.
We were approved and given the funds to help. They needed food and soap. Disease is always an issue during flooding and soap is important. We worked with General Charles and he organized everything so well. We were helping 7 fokotany. Over 600 families needed help. Each fokotany president created the list of his people and turned it into General Charles. He and his committee worked with the supplyer to decide how much rice, beans, sugar, oil, and soap was needed for each family in each fokotany. We drove all day Tues. and got there that night. The next morning we met with General Charles and planned the day. There was an opening ceremony, we visited some of affected areas, we paid for the goods, and then the distribution began! The people were divided by fokontany and the goods were delivered. They brought their own baskets, bags, and bottles and stood in line to receive scoops of rice, beans, sugar, 4 bars of soap, and 1-2 ltr. oil. It was a slow process and a long day, but we are, again, so grateful to have been a part of this important project! We love our new "friends" and their kind faces and words! I don't know very much Malagasy but I always recognize when they say "Thank you"!
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| On the long ride there we saw soooo many Zebu heards! |
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| I thought this water fall and the beautiful green made a great picture! |
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| Whenever we take a long trip we always seem to pass large trucks that have gone off the road! |
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| These were our really nice armed guards! They were very protective of us! |
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| The water in the above three pictures is the exact color of the rocks! |
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| The houses here have a very differnt style than in the area we live in. They are very small and shorter and have thatched roofs. |
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| If we weren't passing Zebu herds, we were passing goats and sheep! |
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| Cool bridge! |
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| Our hotel in Mampikony. |
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| One of the small fokontany |
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| People came early and were ready for the ceremony when we got there. |
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| The Cheif Director gave the opening remaks and thanked the God and the Church. |
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| These little cuties were actually at our hotel. The PA couple that traveled with us brought yogurt for breakfast. When we were done we threw everything away and when we came back later we could see that they gor the yogurt cups and were using them for drinks :) Nothing goes to waste here! |
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| People were bathing and swimming in the river. |
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| There was still a lot of water, mudd, and puddles |
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| The goods are being delivered and beginning to stack up! |
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| Dividning the the goods by fokotany |
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| Waiting and ready for the distribution! A grateful thumbs-up! |
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| Grateful smiles! |
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| So patient |
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| Elder Asay wanted to give it a try! |
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| They got a kick out of him! :) |
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| Looking tough! |
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| Filling oil and scooping rice |
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| Too cute! By the way, it was boiling hot and humid in Mampikony! |
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| They were happy with their goods and heading back home! |
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| Love this little lady! So much character in her face! |
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| We are a happy family! |
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| It was a wonderful day! |
Elder Adair was over tonight doing splits with Elder Hopkins and he was telling us about this post and the amazing work you are doing. It is truly amazing, and I am so impressed by the patience of the people and the positive outlook your photos seem to capture. What a hardship to undergo such flooding. Take good care of yourselves.
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