48IV-G0001 Madagascar: Anosy Integrated Village Development Program

*Click on this line of text to watch a PowerPoint overview of the Anosy Integrated Village Development Program.

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*Interview with Agnes Rasamimampianina, National Supervisor for Anosy Integrated Village Deveopment Program. Click on black arrow point (bottom left) to play video.

I. Background

The Lutheran Church in Madagascar operates one of the largest health care systems supported by Global Health Ministries: 8 hospitals, 22 health centers and 14 clinics. GHM finances numerous project and all shipments of medical supplies and equipment to Madagascar in collaboration with SOA (Salfa Overseas Assistance), with total annual grants and allocations averaging nearly $130,000 over each of the last five years for such projects as Rural Clinic Support, SEFAM (School of Nursing), Continuing Education and Residencies, Pharmacotherapy services for the mentally ill, purchase of equipment and vehicles. Short-term missions for training and consultation in surgery and nursing curriculum development have also been financed in recent years. There is an unusually faithful, gifted and generous community of former Madagascar missionaries and their families who insure by their prayers and contributions that support for the Malagasy health ministry is sustained.

Since the fall of 2006 representatives of this community began discussions with Global Health Ministries about establishing a program in which the varied interests of donors might be met through contributions to a single program. Following board review in October, the Madagascar Village Development Project was approved to encompass our traditional health emphasis along with water projects, schools, nutrition, evangelists and economic development. Modeled after an existing SALFA project called "Mahafale Villages," the program appropriately broadens GHM's definition of "health" and creates new and exciting opportunities to collaborate with the ELCA and its on-going, parallel investment in this concept in Madagascar’s Tandroy region.

II. The Assessment Process

It was decided in the Spring of 2006 to send a survey team to Madagascar to work with SALFA to develop plans for the program in more detail. Tom Berkas, a former missionary to Madagascar was sent by GHM to Madagascar in July 2007 to do some initial interviews and help with planning for the subsequent September visit of the other 5-member volunteer assessment team. The GHM survey team visited Southeastern Madagascar in September 2007 and met with SALFA leadership to carefully develop an effective and accountable plan of implementation to address what we learned are the urgent needs of our Malagasy brothers and sisters in Christ. We worked together to organize 21 on-site visits and 49 interviews with key organizations involved with health, development and evangelism work (church programs, government programs, NGOs, etc) so that we may build on and integrate existing efforts in this area.

After the information was collected, the assessment team and local partners reviewed the findings of the assessment to facilitate the full participation of all parties concerned to help develop a “common road map”, and identify potential goals, objectives, timeline, and budget to achieve this in a collaborative, sustainable manner that builds on SALFA’s holistic community development in the southern region of Madagascar.

III. How Integrated Village Development Will Work

Briefly, the program will operate on a ten year time frame with a definition of "health" that goes far beyond its traditional preventative and curative dimensions to also include education and evangelism, sanitation and clean water, improved agricultural practices and small business development. A traditional public health outreach team will provide education, clinical services, referrals and immunizations, but will also conduct assessments of village "health" in the other areas mentioned and engage the involvement of other Church branches dealing with development and agriculture, as well as established local NGO's in health, nutrition, economic development and sanitation to address identified needs. Projects that may be aided through financial support will become proposed budget items for each year of the program.

The team will move from one village to the next within the Anosy region (North and West of Fort Dauphin) in this process, and will begin with the Toby Nenilava in Fort Dauphin and the Manantantely Bible School as both objects of the program's services (as model "villages") and as collaborator/assets in bringing their respective contributions to village health in the region. There is growing consensus among those involved in third world development initiatives that this "holistic" or "integrated" model of service is more effective than those that have a single focus. In addition, such a model provides donors a good way of satisfying a variety of charitable interests with a single gift. This, indeed, was part of the motivation for originally exploring the development of this approach.

The program will begin to be implemented in 2008. A timeline for the work of the Program Supervisor follows that will give an idea of what objectives we will pursue during the year. We would appreciate the opportunity to update you on this program periodically in the near future. It promises to be a dynamic and exciting initiative, and an addition we can celebrate to our ministry and its long history of mission in Madagascar. Please pray for God's blessings on this ministry, that it will be found faithful to our calling to proclaim Christ’s good news by continuing his healing ministry in the Anosy Region.

V. Program Supervisor Timeline for 2008

1. Announce position opening for Regional Program Coordinator, test and interview candidates: January through March 1.
2. Hire and orient Regional Program Coordinator: March.
3. Develop Training plan for Program: January through March.
4. Program Supervisor and Coordinator establish and orient regional and local program committees and collaborating local partners: March and April.
5. Complete training for: Regional Program Coordinator, Nurse, Health Educator (May); Mpiandry (August); Catechists/Evangelists and spouses (October through December).
6. Finalize Work Plans and evaluative performance standards for
RPC, Nurse and Health Educators: May.
7. Supervisory Review of monthly activities reports of Project Staff: monthly.
8. Supervisor Complete September and last quarterly visit for performance review and development of budget and work plan with program staff for 2009: December.

VI. Program Coordinator Job Description

Skills/Criteria:

-Malagasy Christian
-Able to supervise, manage and inspire staff
-Familiar with area, programs, Church and NGO’s in the South (Anosy) region
-Good trainer/educator
-Good communication skills, fluent in Malagasy and French (English helpful)
-Good organizational skills
-Computer skills
-Manage budget

Duties:

-Develop and manage each year’s project budget, including budget for contract trainers if used, like FaFaFi trainers and for Maternal Child Health/Nutrition training by Mme Monique.
-Supervise center lead staff, including lead nurse, health educator/assistant, vehicle driver, various “contract trainers” from FaFaFi, Medair, Maternal Child Health/Nutrition and other NGOs, village health worker volunteers, etc.
-Train about concepts/activities of Integrated Village Development and Primary Health Care, including:
o local control in setting priorities
o demonstrated local “ownership” of any project before initiating
o understanding of and commitment to a broad definition of health, healing intervention and healthy practices to include environmental, spiritual, educational, economics and livelihood, sanitation and water, together with disease prevention and treatment
o Engaging local (NGO and other) resources to be called upon to address identified community needs beyond which lead staff are expected to address

-Develop excellent knowledge of and working relationships with all local resources that could be called upon to address local needs as they are identified by the lead team and collaborators, including: