About Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar gained its independence from France in 1960. Over 19.4 million people live in Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island, which is located in the Indian Ocean off Southern Africa and east of Mozambique. Official Malagasy languages include English, French and Malagasy. In this multiethnic country, about 52% of the citizens of this multiethnic country practice indigenous/native beliefs, 41% are Christian, and 7% are Muslim.

The economy continues to recover from disruptions experienced during the 2001-2002 presidential election, when both the incumbent president and challenger Marc Ravalomanana declared victory. Following a seven-month power struggle, Ravalomanana was named the winner, and was elected to a second term in 2006. Soil erosion, desertification and water contamination are Madagascar’s primary environmental concerns.

             Madagscar Landscape near Manambaro Village

The Malagasy Lutheran Church (Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy, FLM), a member of theLutheran World Federation, was established as an independent church in 1950, with 1800 congregations and 180,000 members. Currently, the church has a membership of 3 million, which makes it one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. The Malagasy Lutheran Church places a high priority on evangelism, social ministry, and leadership development.  

The Malagasy Lutheran Church maintains a large health care program, including nine hospitals and thirteen dispensaries. Community- based primary health care is foundational, and special projects include a school of nursing, child survival, family planning, and AIDS prevention.  The Malagasy Lutheran Church also ministers to the spiritual and physical care of people who suffer from physical illness, mental illness, or demonic oppression. Through an indigenous revival movement, selected church members receive training as "shepherds," giving them skills for special ministries with the sick. Some villages are set aside to provide compassionate Christian care as well as instruction in the Christian faith  

The church trains leaders at its schools and in its seminary in Fianarantsoa. This long-standing seminary still uses its century-old main building. In addition to the Fianarantsoa seminary, there is a network of regional seminaries and Bible schools actively developing church leaders. They send missionaries to support the work of other church bodies. Several Malagasy doctors and theological professors have served and are serving in Cameroon and Papua New Guinea.

These are especially challenging times for SALFA, the health department of the Malagasy Lutheran Church, for Madagascar, and for all of us who pray for and support Malagasy missions. Madagascar is going through political crisis, the end of which is not yet in sight. SALFA is undergoing a financial crisis for which there is no immediate solution.  Normal SALFA operations have been suspended, and GHM has developed interim arrangements to continue its financial support for approved projects.  Application has been made to open a GHM office in Madagascar to manage distribution of funds, evaluation of funded projects, communications and logistical support for visiting teams.

We have continued our support and collaboration for SEFAM, the Lutheran nursing school in Antsirabe, and for AVIA (Anosy Villages Integrated Action) in Fort Dauphin. We have made arrangements with the director of SEFAM, Dr. Julie Razaonandrianina, to serve as administrator of grants for the Rural Clinics and Pharmacotherapy programs as well. This arrangement has been working out very well, with Dr. Julie enhancing accountability and communication from these programs, as well as expanding nursing student field training options with program sites.

A new development occurred this past year with the fortuitous return of Dr. Elson Randrianatenaina to Ejeda Hospital from his surgical training residency with PACCS in Cameroon. With no support forthcoming from SALFA for this position, Dr. Elson and Hanitra stepped out in faith and appealed to friends for donations to enable them to continue in ministry. The remarkable generosity of a network of supporters for the ministry of Elson and Hanitra has made it possible for GHM to transfer funds for salary support on a quarterly basis directly to Dr. Elson, as well as grants for the purchase of needed equipment and supplies.

We encourage your prayers for a resolution of the difficulties currently facing the nation of Madagascar and SALFA. We pray that you will not lose heart nor the will to continue your support of mission projects there, especially now, in the cases of SEFAM, AVIA, the Rural Clinics and Pharmacotherapy program in support of the Tobys, and Dr. Elson at Ejeda Hospital. Having secure and reliable means for planning, evaluation and fund transfer in support of these programs, we plan to continue funding as long as donations are received.