Whole families have lived on the streets of Antananarivo, Madagascar for generations. Early Nazarene missionaries there decided to do something to change this cycle. Thus the idea of Nazarene Street Kids’ Center was born. Several
Work & Witness teams along with local people, former missionaries Tom and Lauralee Nothstine, and current missionaries David and Lisa Johnson built the current impressive structure. The center was dedicated five years ago this coming November. Let’s take a tour of it as it stands today.
First we descend the stairs that lead from the road bustling with people and vehicles to the center which provides a safe environment for children. We are welcomed by a happy, yet shy, child who is wearing the school uniform – a simple long-sleeved purple check smock. Uniforms identify what school children attend. They foster an
esprit de corps.
Next we see older children eating a large meal of rice and sauce. The Malagasy people eat rice at every meal if possible. Certainly no day is complete without it. The center serves 255 children who come for breakfast and lunch each day. As soon as the children can test into a public or private school they are sent. Even so they return for meals here. Notice that they are wearing the uniforms of other local schools. About 10
0 of the children attend school outside of the center.
Lydia Raharimalala comes over to greet us. She runs the school program. Although Lydia is not in pastoral training, several of the other workers are. In addition to red rice and sauce, the students have devotions led by the staff on a rotating basis. An empty sack cannot stand – proverb from Madagascar. The children at the center are neither physically, nor spiritually, left hungry.
Entering into a second grade class, we stop to greet the tea
cher and the children. In the picture you can see that the children are glad to be in class. They were eager to have their picture taken. People in Madagascar come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and reflect a beautiful mix of Malaysian and African heritage.
Moving on we arrive at the Teacher’s Resource Room. The teachers at the center are very creative with what they have. The room also acts as a storage place.
Rounding the corner, we enter a classroom. Immediately, the young students stand to show respect even though we have interrupted their lunch. Structure plays an important role in getting the children ready for public or private schooling. Socialization skills are not readily learned on the st
reet.
The next room we look into is in the middle of a math lesson about the metric system. The lesson is conducted in French. As the world’s fourth largest island, Madagascar has been influenced by many cultures throughout its history. The French left their language and love of fine baked goods including crusty bread.
The school library has books in French, English and Malagasy. Some of the books are in two languages. All of them are well used. Since the student
s are all living on the street with no place to safely keep a book, al
l the books are read and kept in the library. On one wall we see a colorful poster from the movie
Madagascar.
What happens if a child is sick? Children whose families live on the street do not have a regular family doctor. At the Street Kids' Center, they can see a doctor who comes in part time. She says that there are seasons of the year when respiratory problems are rampant. Other times contagious diseases are passed around. With the doctor is the Center’s director and our tour guide, Therèse Ravelomanantsoa.
What if older children come to the center and cannot pass the tests to enter a regular school? They are tr
ained in a skill that will allow them to earn a living. This may be making handcrafts, woo
dworking, housekeeping, gardening, or other useful skills. As we leave, we see a class learning to make handbags from raffia.
The Center is funded through the
Nazarene Child Sponsorship Program. They use the money wisely and accomplish much good. Children and families are reached and lives are changed. Yet, so many other children remain on the streets. Although they are often within a family group of some kind, sometimes they are all alone.