Madagascar Development Fund

Madagascar is a potentially prosperous country - rich in rare minerals, precious stones and fishing stocks, with fertile soil and serious, hard-working people. And yet more than 50 years after re-gaining its independence from France it remains one of the poorest countries on earth- where more than 70% of the population of 20 million exist on an income of less than 60 pence per day. Madagascar’s developmental needs in every sector - including education, health, clean water and sanitation are truly over-whelming, as is the level of poverty and very real suffering seen virtually everywhere. £10,000 will build a three classroom primary school in a remote, deprived community- giving a basic education to hundreds of children. And less than £5,000 will install a safe, clean water system - reducing the incidence of cholera and diarrhoea, and even saving the lives of malnourished adults and children who have no choice but to drink polluted water.