The Ankanifitahiana Centre in Madagascar lives on
Map of projectsBecause of this Antananarivo’s street children are forced to choose between studying or begging for food to survive.
In 2004, Alex Herivelona, himself a former street child, opened an educational facility for 300 such disadvantaged children and orphans, supporting them through primary and secondary school.
Besides reading and writing, children at the Ankanifitahiana Centre (the name translates as ‘family fallen from the sky’) were taught how to wash their hands and brush their teeth – simple things they never learnt while growing up on the streets. Crucially, the centre also provided healthy meals, greatly increasing school attendance.
In June 2015 a dispute over land ownership threatened Ankanifitahiana with eviction. New premises were urgently needed.
SI Club Antananarivo Mandrosoa heard about the problem and stepped in to help relocate the centre, while four Swiss clubs joined them to finance the project.
SI Club Luzern and SI Club Bad Ragaz provided funds for the construction; SI Club Schwyz furnished the new dormitories (which house 75 children) with beds and mattresses. SI Club Vevey, working with the Swiss NGO ADES, equipped the centre’s kitchens with solar cookers.
The new Ankanifitahiana building is now fully operational. A delegation of proud Swiss Soroptimists attended its opening ceremony in October 2015.
4 Clubs
worked together for this project