IRC Africa Inc

IRC Africa Inc. is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded and led by Eldad Garfunkel, after he built a significant on-the-ground presence of approximately six months in southern Madagascar and developed the work through direct understanding of local needs. The organization works in partnership with TERATANY, a local Malagasy NGO led by Mamy Duata. Together, we established and operate Ny Trano Manga - The Blue House - the first women's shelter in Madagascar for women, girls, and children affected by violence, rape, child marriage, and domestic violence. To date, we have succeeded in establishing and operating this work under very severe budget constraints, with a signific... read more IRC Africa Inc. is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded and led by Eldad Garfunkel, after he built a significant on-the-ground presence of approximately six months in southern Madagascar and developed the work through direct understanding of local needs. The organization works in partnership with TERATANY, a local Malagasy NGO led by Mamy Duata. Together, we established and operate Ny Trano Manga - The Blue House - the first women's shelter in Madagascar for women, girls, and children affected by violence, rape, child marriage, and domestic violence. To date, we have succeeded in establishing and operating this work under very severe budget constraints, with a significant part of the initial activity funded through the founder's personal resources and early community support. However, the needs on the ground are far greater than our current capacity to respond. The next stage is Cyclone Valley - Technology Meets Reality: a women's employment, entrepreneurship, and training center in southern Madagascar, built around two complementary tracks: a Mothers' Track for women with little or no formal education, focused on practical income skills, small businesses, and basic independence; and a Technology Track for young women who have completed high school, preparing them for field research, local reality testing, technology adaptation, entrepreneurship, and employment in the age of AI. Our guiding principle is Innovation Respecting Culture: building practical, locally grounded, and sustainable solutions that help women move from survival to safety, from dependency to independence, and from exclusion to opportunity.