MADAGASCAR CYCLONE ENAWO [UPDATE: March 30th, 2017]

 

Dear Valued Clients and Friends of Vanilla,

As most of you are now aware Cyclone Enawo struck the heart of the vanilla region in Madagascar on the morning of March 7th.  Loss of life and property were significant, in particular in and around the town of Antalaha. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced, have limited access to food and safe drinking water and are relying mostly on outside aid as the local government simply does not have the necessary resources to deal with the crisis at hand. Thankfully several international aid organizations such as WHO and the Red Cross have already begun work on the ground. Please refer to the following link which will take you to several cluster plans directly targeting affected areas and communities.

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2017_Flash_Appeal_MG_eng.002.002.pdf

If you are thinking about possibly contributing to the relief effort, we encourage you to do so. We would also like to bring to your attention the organization called C.A.L.A.  We have actively supported them for almost 15 years and can attest to their integrity and ability to make a very significant and positive impact in the lives of many disenfranchised people in Madagascar. The two villages they support (Belfort and Jules) and Nature Reserve (Macolline) all located in the Antalaha area were all severely damaged by the Cyclone. We urge you to visit the website (link below) to see the devastating effects of the Cyclone on these communities and also to see what C.A.L.A. does and why it is so important to rebuild these communities and projects as quickly as possible.

Aust & Hachmann is committed to rebuilding these communities and we have pledged for C.A.L.A. the purchase of a new 4 x 4 truck needed to clear debris and ferry workers and construction materials back and forth from the affected areas. In addition, we will sponsor the rebuilding of a cyclone proof maternal school in the village of Belfort. We know from experience that any funds committed to C.A.L.A. will be fully utilized for the intended purposes. A tax receipt is available for donations of 500.00 or more but keep in mind that a 10% fee will be applied when a tax receipt is requested. Please refer to ‘Contribution’ tab on the C.A.L.A. website for more details in this regard.

https://calantalaha.com/

On behalf of the people of Madagascar directly impacted by Cyclone Enawo, we thank you for consideration.

Aust & Hachmann (Canada) Ltd