Save Lives: 1st Women's Shelter in Madagascar- GBV

A New Home for Ny Trano Manga: A Safer Future for Women in Southern Madagascar More Than 200 Days on the Ground

After approximately six weeks of intensive fieldwork in Madagascar, Eldad Garfunkel, Founder and CEO of IRC AFRICA INC, recently returned to Israel.

During this visit, he crossed an important personal milestone, having now spent more than 200 days working on the ground in Madagascar.

Throughout the visit, Eldad worked closely with Mamy Duata, CEO of TERATANY NGO, and the local team to strengthen and expand the work of Ny Trano Manga (The Blue House), the first women’s shelter in Madagascar.

Why We Needed a New Building

Since the shelter opened in January 2025, we have learned a great deal from our daily work with women and girls affected by violence.

The original building allowed us to begin providing:

• A safe place to stay

• Accommodation and meals

• Protection during moments of crisis

• Initial support and guidance

• A place where women could begin to recover

As the project developed, it became clear that we needed a larger and improved facility that could better meet the needs of the women, girls, and staff.

Building Relationships With New Regional Leaders

During the visit, we held a series of introductory and working meetings with senior officials who had recently entered their positions in the region.

These included meetings with:

• The Governor of the Androy Region

• The Mayor of Ambovombe

• The Regional Director of the Ministry of Population

• Additional representatives from local government, social services, and the community

During these meetings, we presented the shelter’s work, the experience gained since its opening, and the needs identified on the ground.

We discussed ways to strengthen cooperation, improve referral mechanisms for women and girls in need of protection, and expand access to social, medical, and legal support.

These meetings are especially important for establishing the shelter as a recognized part of the regional protection system and for building long-term relationships with the new officials.

Preparing for the Move

At the same time, the team worked on the practical preparations for moving into the improved building.

These preparations included:

• Adapting the rooms

• Organizing the sleeping areas

• Moving beds and essential equipment

• Improving privacy and safety

• Preparing the new space for the women

• Ensuring that essential services could continue without interruption

The Move Is Complete

In July 2026, the move was completed, and the improved shelter building was officially inaugurated.

The new facility provides safer, more dignified, and more suitable conditions for the women and girls. It also allows the local team to work in a more organized and effective environment.

The improved conditions were received with great joy by both the women staying at the shelter and the local team supporting them.

For the women, the move means greater privacy, comfort, safety, and dignity. For the team, it means being able to provide better care in an environment that is more suitable for the work.

The shelter is more than a building.

For women escaping violence, fear, and instability, it is an oasis where they can find safety, dignity, care, and hope.

Strengthening Medical Support

As part of our ongoing effort to improve the services available to the women, we welcomed Angel, a part-time nurse, to the shelter team.

Her presence has significantly improved the medical follow-up and care available to the women and girls.

Angel helps us:

• Monitor the health of the residents

• Respond to immediate medical needs

• Support women during recovery

• Provide basic health guidance

• Coordinate additional medical treatment when necessary

Adding a nurse to the team is an important step in providing more complete and professional support to women during some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.

A Safe Place to Recover and Begin Again

One recent story shows why this support matters.

Several months ago, a 17-year-old girl arrived at the shelter while facing an unwanted pregnancy and a deeply uncertain future.

During this difficult period, the shelter became her safe place.

Recently, she gave birth to a baby boy by cesarean section. During her hospitalization, our team made sure that she received food and that her newborn had clothing and other essential items.

After leaving the hospital, she returned to the shelter to recover.

Today, she is not facing this difficult period alone.

She has:

• A safe place to sleep

• Food and necessities

• Medical follow-up

• Emotional support

• People who care for her

• Time to recover and regain her strength

Her story reminds us that Ny Trano Manga (The Blue House) is not only a place of protection.

It is a place where a young woman can recover after surgery, care for her newborn, regain her strength, and begin thinking about the future.

This is what a safe shelter can make possible.

A Long-Term Step Forward

The move to the improved facility is not simply a change of location.

It is an important step toward establishing the shelter as a stable, recognized, and long-term response for women and girls at risk in southern Madagascar.

The work continues under the leadership of TERATANY NGO, a women-led local organization with a deep understanding of the community and its needs.

IRC AFRICA INC continues to provide guidance, resources, and support for the development and expansion of the project.

Thank You to Our Donors

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to every one-time donor who has chosen to support this project, and to our monthly donors who continue to stand with us.

Every one-time donation helps us respond to immediate needs such as:

• Food

• Safe accommodation

• Medical support

• Clothing

• Hygiene supplies

• Transportation

• Essential equipment for the shelter

Our monthly donors provide something equally important:

The ability to plan.

Their regular support allows us to meet ongoing expenses, support the local team, maintain continuity, improve services, and ensure that the shelter can continue operating in the months ahead.

Because of this support, we are able not only to respond to emergencies, but also to build a stable and reliable place of protection.

Help Us Continue

Your continued support is essential.

We invite you to:

• Make a donation

• Become a monthly donor

• Share this project with friends, family members, colleagues, and your wider community.

Every donation helps us provide safety, food, medical care, clothing, shelter, and ongoing support.

Every share helps us reach new people who may choose to stand with the women and girls of southern Madagascar.

Because of you, a building becomes a safe home.

Because of you, a young mother does not have to recover alone.

Because of you, women and girls can find safety, dignity, care, and hope.