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.