Madagascar, an island nation of 30 million people in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, is among the poorest countries in the world. Annual GDP per capita is between $500 and $600. Around 70–80% of the population live below the national poverty line. Nearly 40% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition. one of the highest rates globally. Half the population lacks access to safe drinking water, and more than 60% have no proper sanitation. Literacy stands at about 75%, with much lower rates for girls in rural areas. High school dropout rates, street children, orphans, child labour, and trafficking remain serious challenges. Yet Madagascar receives little international attention.
Since 1981 Salesian priests and brothers have been living and working among the people, committed to the education and evangelisation of the young—especially the poorest. Their mission reaches the peripheries of society: forgotten children, displaced families, rural communities, girls and young women, and technical students. They run primary and secondary schools, technical and vocational centres, shelters for children in adversity, empowerment programmes for girls, clean water initiatives, school feeding programmes, parish ministries, and emergency relief efforts following natural disasters.
Madagascar is highly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, and drought. On 10 February 2026, Cyclone Gezani struck the Atsinanana region—part of the country’s “cyclone corridor”—with winds of up to 300 km/h and torrential rains. The city of Tamatave (Toamasina) was plunged into darkness as power lines collapsed and floodwaters rose. Homes were flattened, roads blocked, and trees uprooted. Many people lost their lives, dozens were injured, and thousands were left homeless – just two weeks after another cyclone had already hit the area.
The Salesians, present in Tamatave since 2008 and formally established as a community in 2018, suffered major damage to their mission. The hardest hit were the oratory serving 550 children each weekend, the “Domenico Savio” school, and facilities under construction for a future Vocational Training Centre. Parish structures used to support families with food and medicines were also destroyed.
In response, the Salesians launched an urgent twofold project: first, to meet immediate needs through food distribution, essential medicines, medical consultations, and temporary shelters for displaced families; second, to repair damaged roofs and restore educational and pastoral buildings so activities for vulnerable children and youth can resume as soon as possible.
Through their presence, compassion, and service, the missionaries proclaim God’s love in action—bringing hope, justice, and charity to a suffering people. We pray that their faith, courage, and generosity remain strong amid immense challenges, and that the needs of the people of Madagascar may be met.