Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Combats Starvation in Madagascar

In April 2022, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation (BTCF) collaborated with Madagascar Lions Club (MLC) to provide food and non-food item packages to 1,460 families in Mananjary, Madagascar, which was heavily affected by Cyclone Batsirai. Building back from the cyclone and experiencing four years of severe drought, the people of Madagascar faced intense famine. BTCF again partnered with MLC to provide food, seeds, and materials to 600 households, focusing on women and children. In the partnership, MLC getting sponsors for rice, sugar, condensed milk and Plumpy Nut, while BTCF provided Plumpy Nut as well as seeds and equipment for planting food crops including corn, navy beans, soya, tomato, and green vegetables, to enable the recipients to grow food for themselves.

In preparation for the distribution on 16 January, MLC left the capital Antananarivo on 11 January for a five-day journey to Ikongo. Through muddy terrains, gendarmerie and police officers assisted with the safety of the delivery of the materials and personnel to the distribution site as well as with security on the day of distribution. Originally, the distribution was planned for 600 recipient families, but on the day of the distribution around 1,800 people came in hopes of receiving food; some had walked as far as 10-12 kilometersin hopes of receiving food. One recipient who had walked to the distribution site fainted on arrival from hunger and heat stroke. Many children who had come to the distribution could not stand up by themselves as they were too weak from the lack of nutrition. The local mayor, who was also present at the distribution site, requested that everyone who came to the distribution site would be able to receive some food, as they really needed it.

The MLC volunteers shared with the recipients that the materials had come with love all the way from Taiwan, and expressed their gratitude to BTCF for the assistance. The pastor at the local church shared with the volunteers that seeing so many people suffering, he felt sick in his heart. He was thankful to God for sending them this assistance from BTCF and MLC.

Through the mediation of BTCF, 120 tons of rice from the Taiwan Council of Agriculture is estimated to arrive in Madagascar in midFebruary. This rice will be distributed with assistance from MLC in March, with the main target areas in Madagascar's Grand-Sud region, hoping to benefit 4,869 families. Apart from rice, materials will also include corn, peanuts, soya beans, navy beans, cooking oil, sugar, salt, Plumpy Nut and soap.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is a global non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1966 by Buddhist nun Dharma Master Cheng Yen. Its missions of medicine, charity, education, and humanistic culture have brought relief to 128 countries. The heart of Tzu Chi is embedded in its name: in Chinese, “Tzu” means compassion and “Chi” relief, to relieve the suffering of those in need while creating a better world for all through compassion, love and hope. For more information, visit tzuchi.us.

For additional information and media inquiries, please write to Sandy Lu, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation sandz0811@tzuchi.org.tw .