Dear partners in the mission
Madagascar is the fourth largest island on earth, with an area as large as
France and Belgium combined together. It
is a world apart in terms of landscapes, fauna and flora: there you find species
which appear nowhere else in Africa or on other continents, like the famous
lemurs. Madagascar’s population is
rapidly growing and, according to some estimations, should reach twenty eight
millions in 2025. However, in line
with many other African countries, the majority of people can only expect to
live a lifespan of 58 years, while 45% of the population is under 15 of age
(only 3.2% are more than 64 years old). Also
three quarters of the population live under what is generally recognized as the
threshold of poverty, mainly sustaining their physical life with rice, the
island’s basic staple food. The
country’s importation largely exceed its exportation while rice, coffie and
cocoa mainly account for the latter.
The French presence in Madagascar goes back to 1527 when the first French
sailors reached the coastline. During
the seventeenth century a few attemps to establish commercial trading posts and
take possession of the island on behalf of the French king were stopped by the
locals. The French, however, had had time to sell Malagasy slaves to the Dutch
governor of the Mauritius island. In
the beginning of the nineteenth century, Madagascar became the field of colonial
covetousness from the part of both France and England.
In this competition, Protestant missions were used as an instrument to
promote English influence. In 1869,
under the reign of queen Ranavalona II, Protestantism became state religion of
Madagascar Eventually, France took
over and a turbulent history of colonial domination ended in 1960, with the
independance of the island, followed by a few decades of no less political
turmoil. However for a few years
Madagascar has been enjoying some political stability, allowing some economic
growth.
Despite its Protestant heritage (today about 20% of the population, another
20% is Roman Catholic), Madagascar is still largely animist as far as people’s
beliefs are concerned: ancestors worship is marked by the so-called famadihama
feast, a ritual consisting in changing the shroud of the dead.
Besides, the Moslem element, though a minority group made of Comorians
and Indo-Pakistanis, is rapidly taking over the north of the island.
It is estimated that 40% of the island’s trade is in their hands.
The number of mosques is of course growing in the same proportion.
It is in this context that Reformed Faith and Life broadcasts the
good news of the Kingdom of God on a growing number of radio-stations.
With Rev. Wolf Cilliers, a
missionary friend and colleague who knows Madagascar very well for having lived
there nine years, I am planning a visit of the island in December.
God Willing, it should take us to the country’s major cities and allow
me to establish personal contact with the directors of these radio stations
(mostly Christian) with a long-term collaboration in view.
The pioneering work already done by Rev. Cilliers in this respect will
greatly facilitate our visit. We
have no other aim than to plant further the seed of Christian faith in Malagasy
hearts and also to nurture the seed which has been planted by others.
Will you please remember us in your prayers?
This trip is not just the project of two motivated Christian individuals,
but an ecumenical effort of the Church, the body of Christ.
I hope to report to you in January about what we could achieve, with the
help of our merciful God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In His name
Rev. Eric Kayayan