Live by Whats App, I leave the floor to Ernest:
The rainy season usually begins in mid-October when it rains every day from 5 p.m. to early morning. It continues to rain in November and December.
This year, we waited for the rain in October to cultivate the land, but it did not rain. It did not rain in October, nor in November. In December, drought began in the rice paddies and fields around Tana. Also due to the drought, there were many power cuts due to load shedding, as the hydroelectric plants could not operate.
Despite these difficulties, we prepared the Christmas party with the children: gifts, songs and dances for the parents and a good meal that brought everyone together. At the same time as the party, the COVID arrived in Tana. Two facilitators had to be hospitalized. Lili and I were also sick during the Christmas holidays. Everyone is healed now.
Due to COVID, the start of the school year has been postponed to 17/01. Schools were closed by the ministry.
The parents would have liked us to keep the children but we were not allowed to. We opened once a week for the canteen and to distribute homework. During this period, many children unfortunately returned to work.
3 days after the start of the school year on 01/17, the schools were closed again because of cyclone ANNA which arrived in Tana. For 4 days it rained non-stop. A little girl from the nearby Catholic school was swept away by the stream and could not be saved. The city of Tananarive was flooded, there were 30,000 victims. Schools were requisitioned to accommodate them.
The Sarobidy Center was not affected by the floods.
Schools were closed until 31/01
But cyclone BATSIRAI approaching Madagascar, schools were closed on 07/02. We do not yet have the final assessment for the country because many roads are cut (RN2) and certain regions of the South East are still inaccessible . Refueling must be done by air.
The city of Tananarive has 40,000 new victims.
Some families left the area before the cyclone. We will give you the names of the godchildren who had to leave school because of this move.
The brother of a child from Sarobidy has died. He fell by the force of the wind on the path that he and his family were following to go to safety.
The Sarobidy Center helped organize the funeral.
However, the school was able to reopen its doors the week of 07/02. The teachers are worried about the delay they have taken in the programs as well as the dropout of certain children.
This week we are preparing registrations for the CEPE. It is time for some of them (1/3) to issue a birth certificate. Indeed, some children have not been declared and therefore have no identity.
Two more cyclones are still expected this month.
We thank Ernest for this report.
In order to support the adults and of course the children of the Centre, you can, if you wish, send us a message, we will pass on.
Here are links to Madagascar news if you want to know more.
FLOODS
storm 1
cyclone 2