Report from BHW Madagascar Partnership Facilitator Following Visit 1-3 July

Key person:  Hanitra (Yant) 

Recent Events

Context

This project has been operating for several years with the initial investment of funds. Nothing has been put into the programme since 2018. At the time we were told that the fund is going OK and didn’t need any more inputs. During this visit we asked the same question, and we got the same answer. The programme is continuing and still helping people. They are repaying their loans and every year more are being assisted. 

There has been a slight repositioning in terms of the type of people they are helping. Previously it was through churches, but that meant there were other people involved who didn’t understand the objectives. So, it is now focused on people they know though their ministries. They deal directly with those they are helping and it is much more successful. 

The team from BHW spent a couple of hours with Maura and she talked passionately about the impact of the programme. There are about 130 high school girls in the group divided into three groups. There is a wide range of people, some are students, others have had to drop out of school because of financial pressure. The groups meet every week. She is very encouraged that there are leaders emerging. She is going to be out of the country for five weeks soon and she has established a leadership team in each of them.  Of the 130, about 35 have been helped with loans to help them establish small businesses. 

In the groups they cover three main issues; spiritual growth, Bible study, and the empowerment and encouragement of women.  

Activities

Maura is the leader and starts at the beginning of each new school year to help families who want to develop small businesses so the girls can stay in school.  She talks to local authorities and schools to identify girls who are about to leave school and then talks to the girls and their parents. The purpose of the programme is to stop these girls dropping out of school, so they don’t get married as girls or become victims of sex trafficking or prostitution. 

With the mother and the girl, they discuss how best to assist the girl and what sort of business they could do. Usually, the fathers are not particularly interested. Most loans are about US$40.  A good plan is put in place with each girl and her parents. If the girl gets a good mark at school, they are given a contribution to their school materials or registration fees.  This was stopped during Covid but is going again now. 

Profile of new leader

This programme is overseen by Maura who has been on the OM team for about 5 years. She is full time with OM and raises her own personal support from a small kiosk selling mobile money and another small business. She began as a volunteer with OM while a student at university where she studied communications. She works in that with the OM team as well. 

Maura is a passionate, friendly servant and people are attracted to her. She loves talking with people and developing relationships. It’s obvious when you meet her that she is pretty special. 

Personal Stories

As Maura was engaging with some of the girls, she found a woman who was being constantly beaten by her husband. They had four children, but she was a mess. Maura began spending time with her and helped her to understand who she was, and that God loved her. The woman invited Maura to visit but the husband refused to see her. Over time the woman became a believer and grew in faith. The husband agreed to meet Maura after he noticed the change in his wife. 

Sometime later he too became a believer and now their whole life had changed. They pray together and he has got a better paying job. She has obtained employment too and their lives are so different. They have seen the work Maura is doing, and they have given her a room in their house for the group that meets in their area to use. They are totally transformed. 

Ideas for the Future

Yant and Maura spent quite a lot of time over the Covid period at the university campus and came across many stranded young people. During this period many were only getting something like US$15/month, and they couldn’t survive. Many of the girls turned to prostitution and it broke their hearts to see what was happening. 

From their own resources and other sources, they put together some relief food packages. It made them aware that there are few jobs for Christian graduates after all the years of study and they are left with nothing to do and often in debt. Many of them want to go back to their homes but there is nothing for them there either, so they are stuck and need ideas and capital for business start-ups.  Yant has two groups at the university she is wanting to assist and at some time there may be a proposal come to us. 

Current Issues and Challenges

The severe poverty that people are facing.

Men are very disconnected to their families, and this places a lot of burden on the women and the children. 

The pressure from established churches that give the team and this work a hard time.

Prayer and Praise Points

1) That this loan programme continues to have impact several years after it was commenced
2) That the team has the insight and initiative to realign the programme
3) That people continue to be empowered and are faithful with their repayments
4) That people are becoming Christians because of the programme
5) For wisdom and perseverance for Maura as there are many issues she has to help the young people with
6) That the small businesses would flourish and whole families would be empowered economically and that would cause them to turn to Christ. 

Comments

It is so encouraging to see this project continuing after such a long time. It is 5 years since we were here and Covid has impacted this type of project but it is going well, continues to impact people and grow. 

Something may come to us at some stage to boost this programme. If so, we should look favorably at it.