Projects

Food for Life.

Our first project was Izahay Dia! A village for orphaned children in Madagascar, on the outskirts of Fianarantsoa, in one of the poorest areas of the large island.
Three years after its opening, thanks to the activities of the Gana Gana farm and the Madagamour textile workshop, we have managed to make the village almost self-sufficient.
Those who visit us often say they “feel like they’re in paradise.”
You are welcomed by happy eyes, flowers, singing, and dancing. In short, everything we dreamed of is right there in front of us. But the situation outside our village is, to put it mildly, difficult.
Despite the island’s rich biodiversity, political crises, wars around the world, the blockade of international humanitarian aid, and environmental disasters (such as typhoons, droughts, and locust epidemics) caused by deforestation and the resulting climate change have made Madagascar one of the poorest countries in the world.
Rural communities, which make up about 80% of the population, are the most affected. According to data reported by the FAO (2021-23), 68.6% of the population is food insecure, while 39.8% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished (SDG’s Report 2024).
There is a high risk of contracting infectious and respiratory diseases due to reduced access to drinking water and excessive consumption of coal as fuel, especially in kitchens.

More and more often, there are those who come knocking on the doors of “paradise.” And saying no is truly terrible. So we ended up hosting 115 orphaned children, even though at the beginning we thought we couldn’t help more than 70.
Now we have reached our limit, a number that we cannot increase for reasons of space and livability. However, we told ourselves that we could not close ourselves off in paradise and leave out the reality that is knocking at our door.
So we made the decision to build a canteen for the poorest children in the communities around us, whom we have only been able to help occasionally until now.
Sakafo Aina means Food for Life. Our goal is reflected in the name we have chosen. We want to guarantee 200 hungry children one meal a day, five days a week.
Older girls and boys from our village often lend a hand and serve in the canteen. Our doctor takes care of the little guests who show signs of illness.
The project is supported by the produce from our farm and with the help of Nutritionists Without Borders, who, in addition to sponsoring the children, provide us with nutritional advice and periodic monitoring of their health.
Everything takes place in a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere.
And in addition to eating, the children can spend a few hours in a peaceful and protected environment.