Our Stories

Some parts of southeastern Madagascar are considered hotspots for malaria.  These ‘redzones’ are places where the spread and risk of severe illness from malaria is high. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) funds many activities to keep people in Madagascar safe from malaria, including distributing bed nets, spraying homes and public building with insecticide, and providing tests and treatment medication.  

In a distant part of Madagascar, a buzz is in the air, and a degraded environment is coming back to life. It’s a warm afternoon in MaMaBay, an area in northeastern Madagascar renowned for its exceptional biodiversity; home to many plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth.

25-year-old Victoria Rebezara, from the village of Ampasimbola in eastern Madagascar, is a happy mother of a 7-month-old baby boy, Keychann. Keychann is growing well and is totally healthy.

Encouraging new mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies is standard practice at Vavatenina’s primary health center, according to Dr. Tiarisoa Léocadie Bernard, the facility’s head doctor.

World Mangrove Day is commemorated every year on July 26.  This celebration aims to raise awareness about the importance of mangrove ecosystems and to promote solutions for their conservation and sustainable use.

Vanilla is one of the world’s most familiar and popular flavors. Few people know that the primary source for their vanilla-infused delectable treats is Madagascar. Specifically rugged, remote, rural communities in the northern and north eastern parts of the country. Approximately 75 percent of the world’s vanilla is grown by farmers in Madagascar’s rainforests. The global market price for vanilla has fluctuated dramatically in the past few years (from $50 up to a high of $600 a kilogram). 

The dry forests of the Menabe region in western Madagascar are world-renowned for the diversity of their plant and animal species, including many found nowhere else on earth. In recent years these forests have faced some devastating threats.

Philomène lives in Ambohimanarivo, a village of about 548 households in eastern Madagascar.  The mother of four children, she has served as a Community Health Volunteer (CHV) for more than ten years.  As a CHV, Philomène raises the villagers’ awareness, mobilizing them to participate in all health-related initiatives and providing first level health care to those living far away from  health facilities.