Despite their best efforts, all but one member of the SEPALI Madagascar team is sick with Covid. This project will establish emergency health funds that can be used immediately for Covid relief as well as build a reserve of funds for future medical emergencies. The fund will insure that all team members are able to purchase over the counter medicines and when they are unable to work, that they have food and shelter.
Covid continues to affect Madagascar and is now reaching the more isolated areas of the island. Despite their best efforts, the entire SEPALIM team has now been affected. There is no way to prevent the disease but we can work to to provide funds to ensure that immediate needs of food and shelter are met now and during the up-coming hurricane season. We propose to establish permanent, emergency, health fund that will be available and shared among all team members.
The hospital in Maroantsetra has 4 beds and no doctors. Furthermore, although there are occasional flights, Maroantsetra has limited access and one airport with an unpaved runway. With an emergency medical fund we will build resources that an be used for emergency evacuations, emergency medicines and emergency treatment and hospitalization in Antananarivo. Available health facilities are very limited in Madagascar but there do exist some private clinics in Madagascar.
Our base program invests in training programs for the women's artisans groups that allows them them to learn skills as well as provide for their families. As a non-profit, success in this arena means a greater return for the local community and continued investment in sustainable livelihoods and park preservation. We will continue to develop to develop new natural product and pay salaries to our artisans and staff.
