STAND UP FOR LIFE MADAGASCAR is a project born in 2012 in Ambovombe in southern Madagascar following an encounter with a malnourished little girl who at seven years old weighed only seven kilos.
The project’s main objective is to protect life and encourage the fight against underdevelopment and hunger, based on fundamental values such as solidarity and the defense of human and child rights.
Through support for humanitarian programs, conducted by field specialists and local staff, it is committed to combating child malnutrition, tropical diseases, to raise awareness among local populations of correct hygiene and health behaviors and to promote the social, cultural and economic development of the territory .
In 2012, “the Canteen of Hope” was started for the children of Ambovombe and in 2018 the construction of the “House of Hope” began, officially inaugurated in February 2023.
Today the House of Hope provides more than 200 meals a day through the canteen and takes care of the health of children, through daily healthcare and sending the most serious cases to specialized medical centers. The children are trained in essential hygiene rules and are allowed to shower and brush their teeth every day before returning to their homes.
Furthermore, the project includes a schooling program for the canteen users and provides remote support to those with more urgent needs.
The project became part of Busajo NGO in April 2023 and Valentina Bargelli, Busajo partner, is its main contact person. One of the objectives we have set ourselves is to enrich the educational program aimed at educating young users of the canteen and already in September 2023 100 children were enrolled in school.