Cyclone Gezani struck the eastern coast of Madagascar with devastating fury. In the port city of Toamasina, our schools Stella Maris and St. Joseph were hit hard.

The force of wind and water spared nothing:

• Unroofed buildings and damaged structures.
• Destroyed ceilings and classrooms flooded with mud.
• Educational materials and furniture lost due to heavy water infiltration.
• Fallen trees making courtyards and common areas inaccessible.

“For our children, school is not just a building: it is their only bridge to the future. Today, that bridge is broken.”

Many of our students’ families are now displaced and have lost everything. In this scene of desolation, the school must once again become the primary point of reference and normalcy.

Every hour counts to repair the schools and allow the young people of Toamasina to return to their desks.

Wars, floods, earthquakes, cyclones, epidemics, and conflicts have, in recent years, become distressingly frequent occurrences in our daily lives. This surge in humanitarian crises compels us to respond urgently with emergency appeals, highlighting the pressing need for intervention and support.

We have faced the challenges of the most serious humanitarian emergencies on our planet, offering relief to affected communities and working to help them rebuild their daily lives.

Even in humanitarian emergencies, our mission remains steadfast: to ensure access to education and prevent children and youth, already in a very vulnerable position, from seeing their futures put on hold.

In times of crisis, the risk of educational pathways being disrupted is particularly high, but we are actively working to prevent this from happening. Every effort is geared toward preserving the basic right to school, providing young people with tools to face challenges and build a better future.