During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions, people who were homeless in Antananarivo, Madagascars capital city, were moved from the street to a government shelter. Several high-risk pregnant women in the shelter needed to be provided with additional support and housed elsewhere. Without this support, it is possible that the parent and child would be separated, with the child placed in an orphanage at birth.

The Martin James Foundation believes that children must grow up in families, not orphanages. We work with partners around the world to empower change by leveraging our extensive knowledge, practitioner skills, experience, and proven best practice models.

In Madagascar, we do this by collaborating with a local organisation, FAMadagascar. FAM helps families in crisis with the aim of preventing child abandonment. With funding and technical support from Martin James Foundation and by working with the local Government, they are developing in-country foster care for children at risk. They also support vulnerable families who would otherwise have no choice but to place their children in orphanages.

Martin James Foundation supported FAMadagascar with funding and resources to relocate the women from the shelter and into accommodation close to the maternity hospital. This has successfully prevented children from being separated from their families and entering orphanages. But with your help, we can do more!

We are fundraising to help keep more families together and children out of orphanages. Your donations will directly support 10 women and their families to establish independence by providing them with the resources and skills they need to reintegrate back into the community.