“Malagasy mifanome tanana, Malagasy mifanondrotra” (Malagasy who give helping hands to one another, to move forward). This is the motto of the Association “TMA” (Tanora Malagasy eto Alemaina”, (Association of Young Malagasy in Germany), effectively put into practice, thanks to the commitment of the “elders” (Zoky) to the cadets (Zandry).
Indeed, the meeting of members, held in Stuttgart on 5 October, whose participation was to be limited because of the capacity of the room, attests to this practice of mutual aid and Fihavanana, a simple way of saying “we are all relatives, sharing the same fate, the same destiny“.
The orientation and exchanges dimension took the form of a series of presentations, on different themes and categories of interest to young people, “au-pair”, “volunteers”, “students”, “workers” etc. The organizers observed certain principles: mix in the useful with the pleasurable “ny mahasoa sy ny mahafinaritra”; financial participation of members, sharing of snacks and meals, “nofon-kena mitàm-pihavanana”.
Nine years after the opening of a “Facebook” page to “young” and more experienced Malagasy people in Germany, the Association is very active, gathering some 3000 members, some have left outside Germany but have kept the link.
Culture was also in the spotlight. Mrs Rojo Ranaivoarisoa, whose pen-name is “Masoandrontsoa”, presented her work “Ampelahasinoro”, highlighting the cultural richness, in an idyllic setting of a mystical landscape and an unequalled flora of the Big Island.
The opportunity was taken by Mrs Florence Ratsimba, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy, who responded favourably to the invitation, to thank the leaders of the Association for their commitment and devotion to putting their experiences at the service of the less experienced, to sensitize the diaspora to registration at the Embassy, to mutual assistance, to honour their duties, to know and protect their rights, and in particular not to forget the “Tanindrazana”, Madagascar.
Ny soa fianatra no mahavokatra. Following the right model will pay off.