Prison Ministry Madagascar
Friends of Madagascar Mission is working with the Prison Ministry Madagascar (PMM) to expand the number of prisons included in this ministry. There are 83 prisons in Madagascar and currently we are present in 22 prisons. One of the prisons we are currently working to include is the Antalaha Prison where many children are incarcerated for stealing vanilla beans. The vanilla beans are one of Madagascar's main export industries. The value of the vanilla beans is currently very high and corrupt people hire the children to steal the beans. When they are caught, they go directly to prison and must wait until they have the opportunity to appear in court, which many times takes months or years. The French judicial system is used in Madagascar which means you are guilty until proven innocent. Madagascar has one of the worst retention prison systems in the world.
Friends of Madagascar Mission is working with the PMM to do the following:
- Improve the prison conditions. The children sleep in crowded rooms on cement floors without bedding.
- Provide professionals who will provide training in learning how to read and write.
- Develop work opportunities that teach trades for future employment.
- Provide spiritual care through worship and education.
- Provide legal assistance so they may have the opportunity to have a trial.
A video by the BBC is very good to assist you to see and learn about this prison. You may view the "Children in Prison for Stealing Vanilla" BBC video at: https://youtu.be/fyJNbmEslYE
You may support this humanitarian and prison ministry project through FOMM. You may go to our web page on Prison Ministry and submit a financial gift through DonorView or send a check to: FOMM, P.O. Box 46381, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 and designate the gift to Prison Ministry/Antalaha.
Share this post
Author
A Lutheran pastor who has served parishes in Rosholt, SD; Peoria (Bartonville), IL; as an assistant to Bishop L. David Brown of the Iowa District/ALC; Aberdeen, SD; and as Director of Global Mission Support for the ELCA, Chicago. Upon retirement he served as interim pastor at Ingleside, IL, and also at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bloomington, MN. A graduate of Augustana University, Sioux Falls, SD; and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. He and his wife, Diane, reside in Victoria, MN. He enjoys landscape gardening, driving his restored 1929 Model A Ford, and doing charitable auctions as a professionally trained auctioneer.
Click Here For Content Archives