Village Background from Toamasina, Madagascar

SOS Children's Village Mangarano, near Toamasina

SOS Children's Village Mangarano was officially opened on 20 October 1999. It consists of twelve family houses, where up to 120 children can find a new home. The one-storey houses have been constructed to withstand the cyclones common to the island. In addition, there is the village director's house, a house for the so-called SOS aunts (SOS mother trainees or family helpers who support the SOS mothers in their daily work and fill in for them when they are ill or on leave), an administration and service area, an SOS Nursery School and a small SOS Clinic.

Other SOS Projects in Mangarano

Up to 100 children can be looked after at the SOS Nursery School. It consists of six classrooms, some additional rooms, a kitchen, and a playground. Both the nursery school and the clinic are open to the local community. At the clinic, which was set up in 1998, around 100 people can be treated in a week. The clinic offers mainly vaccination programmes, programmes to prevent diseases, and basic medical care for pregnant women and babies.

Background to Mangarano

Toamasina is the chief seaport of Madagascar, situated nearly on the centre of the eastern coast.  It has a population of around 180,000.  The town is built on a sandy peninsula which projects at right angles from the general coast-line.