The activities of Akamasoa

SHELTERING AND ORIENTATION SERVICES

Akamasoa association has chosen to guarantee temporary sheltering to families who are deprived from everything and who cannot sustain themselves: sanitary cures, alimentary aid, work tools (for agriculture, crafts, mechanics). The families who stay longer in one of the centres of Akamasoa are initially set up in a wooden hut in waiting of a brick house. For these families, a wooden hut is already a "luxury", but a luxury far from being sufficient. Providing a decent accommodation to those people is an essential priority, for their physical as well as moral well-being, and in order for the children to be able to study in suitable conditions. Therefore, a vast programme of construction was launched to build-up brick houses, a first step towards the rehabilitation of these families.

HEALTH

In the villages of Akamasoa 6 pharmacies and 1 dental practice have been set up. The medical staff of Akamasoa includes 7 doctors, 1 dentist, 3 obstetricians and 22 nurses. In the year 2000, the villages of the association were hit by an epidemic of cholera which raged in Madagascar: the association Médecins Sans Frontières (France) set up a unit to identify the microbe and organize the emergency treatment in the village of Manantenasoa. Thanks to this aid, the epidemic could be stopped.

ACTIVITIES

One of the main objectives of Akamasoa is to favour the access of adults to a real paid job (inside or outside the association), so that they can sustain their family needs in a real self-sufficient mode. The activities that are remunerated inside Akamasoa are the following: exploitation of quarries for the production of paving stones and bricks for buildings and roads; traditional art craft, which is supported by workshops and training colleges: embroidery, making of hats and bags, weaving, confection of jams. In addition, classes are set-up to learn building-work: bricklayer, carpenter, street pavers, painters, tiles makers. Finally, many people, are employed in community activities: agriculture, breeding, teaching in the schools of the association, doctors, social workers, administration and education.

SCHOOL

One of the principal objectives of the Akamasoa association is to guarantee compulsory scholar instruction of children and teenagers from primary school to A-level. The schools and higher education institutes of Akamasoa are recognized from the State. The canteens, which work all year round, provide a suitable meal for all the children who go to school. Three professional training centres (working wood, metals, general mechanics and car-repairing) gather up young people who have chosen to learn a profession.