This week’s blog is going to totally different. I want to talk about a project to help children and families in the village of Lavavolo on the island of Madagascar.
Conservation Fusion, a non-profit environmental organization “promoting education for the protection and conservation of our environment,” helped the village build a school. The “DREAM” school is so successful that there are more children coming to attend school than the new building can accommodate.
Food is scarce for these families, so the focus now is to build and supply a food pantry so that the children will be able to take food home to their families even if they are not able to attend school. A group of volunteers will be traveling to Lavavolo this fall to build the food pantry.
The April 15 blog posted on Conservation Fusion’s website tells more about the building of the school:
In 2014, the local people offered the property on which to build the school and we start the building construction. Construction materials were to be bought and carried from Toliara to the Village and had a long way to go but this didn’t stop us dreaming of a school. In several months the building was there and we then needed to paint it and finish all the details which would really cost a lot but we were just near to completing the dream so we would not give up now. The local community was very excited and also helped us a lot and we mobilized them to finish it with us. Last November we proceed with its official inauguration according to the Malagasy culture, the Malagasy fomba during which all the community members, leaders and officials are invited and all kinds of kabary or speeches are given and importantly the tso-drano or the benediction from the community elders. Malagasy people put high value and respect on elders’ benediction for everything they do or happens in their life and not to forget the Omby or the cow with the famous vary be menaka (literally translated Rice with fat from the cow = famous Malagasy dish for ceremony) for all the people to celebrate the school building
Conservation Fusion is based in Omaha and works closely with Henry Doorly Zoo. For more information about Conservation Fusion or the project in Lavavolo go to www.conservationfusion.org.
Judith Ackland has more than 26 years of experience in accountancy and financial planning, including seventeen years as a CFO of a diverse business. She started Crystal Financial in 2010 to help a wide array of individuals, families, and business owners better understand their finances and how good financial management could help them achieve their goals. Judith has an MA in Professional Accountancy from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln as well as a Certified Public Accountant Certificate and a Certified Financial Planner designation.
