FAMadagascar Madagascar
In many countries, including Madagascar, poor families struggling with poverty and related social problems, are often forced to make the crippling decision to relinquish or abandon their children. FAMadagascar seeks to advocate for true justice for these families and children by helping families in crisis in order to prevent child abandonment.
MJF has held meetings with FAMadagascar, the Malagasy Government and UNICEF to support the development of a foster care handbook. A new foster care law is close to being passed by the government, and at that point, MJF will support FAMadagascar to implement one of the first foster care pilot projects in the country.
During the covid-19 pandemic, people who were homeless in the capital city Antananarivo were accommodated in a government shelter during the lockdown restrictions. Several pregnant women in the shelter were at risk and needed to be housed and supported. MJF provided funding and resources for FAMadagascar to relocate the women out of the centre and into the community close to the maternity hospital. MJF funded a social work position to support this work. The project has prevented children from being separated from their families and entering orphanages.