Progress and Challenges in Madagascar

A letter from Dan and Elizabeth Turk, mission co-workers serving in Madagascar

Winter 2024

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Dear friends,

Greetings from Madagascar!

This year is passing quickly. It has brought big changes for both of our children. In August, Frances moved from Senegal to Washington D.C. to start a master’s program in International Development at Georgetown. Robert continues his work as a counselor in Chicago. We are very happy to announce Robert’s engagement to Tatiana Gonzalez. Their wedding will be on May 18, 2025. We are looking forward to being together again as a family at that time and welcoming Tatiana into our family.

Robert and Tatiana, the newly engaged couple!

PC(USA)’s partner church, the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (Malagasy: Fiangonan’i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara; FJKM), continues its holistic work to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the Malagasy people. The Fruits, Vegetables, and Environmental Education Program (FVEE) of the FJKM, that Dan works with, has several exciting projects in progress. Two of these have received special support from PC(USA) congregations. New Hope Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, TN, is helping with extension work in Tsarahonenana, a village one hour by road NW of the Mango Palace. The work there includes expanding the number of families who are involved in mango production, providing training in growing fruits and vegetables, and getting the village water system repaired and expanded. Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, NC, is helping FVEE start a new project in Ampotaka, a village that is a two-and-a-half-hour walk from the Mango Palace. The people there have the potential to get out of poverty by growing irrigated tangerines just like the people have done in Antanetibe Ankazobe. In August, leaders from the FJKM church at Ampotaka went on a field trip to see the tangerine groves at Antanetibe. In October, over 30 community members from Ampotaka received a two-day training in growing and propagating fruit trees at the Mango Palace. The participants each received eight fruit trees to plant on their land: five tangerine trees and three grafted mangos. Other fruit trees, including jaboticabas, red mombins, canistels, and grafted avocados have been provided for planting at several churches and primary schools. At the new FJKM middle school, the FJKM church will be planting 200 tangerine trees and about 100 grafted mango trees. We give thanks for PC(USA) churches like New Hope PC and Trinity PC that support the FJKM’s efforts to change people’s lives by fighting poverty.

FJKM continues reaching out to meet health needs in Madagascar. High blood pressure is a silent killer and a cause of disease for many in Madagascar. FJKM’s Development Department has been partnering with the African Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP) to work with 13 dispensaries to increase blood pressure screening and education about high blood pressure. It has been a very good pilot project that ends this November. Please pray that this project will be renewed so that this important work can continue. Elizabeth has been working with the FJKM Development Department on this project.

The people from Ampotaka village after the training with their trees

Madagascar is facing an alarming HIV crisis. This October, the 20th Indian Ocean HIV Colloquium was held in Madagascar. One of the main topics discussed was the grave nature of the HIV epidemic in Madagascar. UNAIDS executive director, Winnie Byanyima, noted “Unless measures are taken for prevention and to ensure that people are tested and receive treatment if they test positive, the epidemic will explode.” She called on the international community to urgently mobilize technical and financial resources to help Madagascar curb the spread of HIV. “If we do nothing, there will soon be an explosion in the country like we saw in South Africa, Tanzania, Eswatini or Botswana,” warned Jude Padayachy, director of UNAIDS in Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius. For more information, please see “Madagascar’s Alarming HIV Situation” on our PC(USA) website.

FJKM’s National AIDS and Epidemics Committee (KPMSV), which Elizabeth works with, has increased health screenings at major FJKM events to augment the number of people screened for HIV and to educate church members and leaders about the alarming HIV situation. In August, PC(USA) funding helped KPMSV hold health screenings with free HIV testing during the FJKM pastors biennial training event. KPMSV has just completed a similar event during the FJKM School Department’s annual meeting. Funds are urgently needed to help produce educational materials, do screening events, and help those living with HIV and AIDS. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.

A new school year has begun at FJKM’s teacher training institutions. FJKM’s scholarship program to train teachers from FJKM Synods in very impoverished parts of the country continues to expand. This year there are six student teachers in the second year and five students in the first year of the three-year program. In total, there are seven student teachers from southern Madagascar, two from western Madagascar (Bemaraha) and two from southeastern Madagascar (Ikongo). There are now seven teachers in the south who graduated in the last two years! Thank you so much to all who have contributed. Your contributions are helping to improve the education of hundreds of children. Your continued prayers and support are appreciated for the student teachers and the new teachers.

PC(USA) is helping FJKM share God’s hope and joy in tangible ways amid very trying circumstances. Thank you so much for your faithful support of us and the FJKM. We wish everyone a wonderful Advent season and a joyful Christmas. Amid whatever troubles we may face, may this season remind us of God’s great love for us and give us hope.

Peace in Christ,

Elizabeth and Dan