"I didn't want to make out a check to a humanitarian association every year. With the association, I can provide concrete help in my own field, which is water treatment."
Sponsor's Summary
Alexandra Sourzat
sponsor of the association Ecoles du Monde (France, 77)
Alexandra Sourzat, sponsor of the association Ecoles du Monde (France, 77)
How did you hear about Ecoles du Monde (EDM) Madagascar ?
I was planning a one-month trip to Madagascar. I had started gathering clothing for the inhabitants, but I soon realized that I wouldn't accomplish much by myself. I therefore talked about it to my manager, who sent me to a former employee of Veolia Environnement. This person, now retired, is now a volunteer for the association Ecoles du Monde - Madagascar. Their goal is to develop a local economy in the small villages of the island to stem the rural exodus. He suggested contributing my skills, so I left in September 2007 during my holidays.
What did you do on the spot ?
I was terribly shocked by the extreme poverty. In the south, where water is very rare,
I realized what a liter of water meant: it was what we had every day to wash ourselves.
I then joined the association to supervise the installation of the sanitary facilities in the public schools of the city and in the bush villages. Over there, I was absolutely staggered by the persistence of certain misconceptions. In one village for example, the chief, an old man, thought that sanitary facilities were "fady" (home of evil spirits) and therefore refused to allow the villagers to use the installation! Fortunately, the youths at the school had used them in the city. So they demonstrated their use. It takes time for mentalities to change.
What was the next step ?
Back in France, I wrote a report on the progress of the construction work in the city and the bush. I compiled a package requesting financing from the Veolia Environnement Foundation. The aim of this project is to replace the water pumping system in the villages of the coast. The wind generators, which required a lot of maintenance and which are ineffective during windless periods, will be replaced by a system of solar pumps.
I agreed to verify the proper use of the funds. I am therefore returning to Madagascar in November 2008 to take photographs and supervise the construction of the wells.
This will give me the opportunity to analyze the water.
What do you draw from this experience ?
I'm philosophical about my daily life. My trivial concerns are nothing compared with the concerns of the Madagascans, who don't always know where their next meal is coming from.
