Pray for Madagascar

Lemurs, chameleons, Baobab trees, and Madagascar periwinkle set this nation apart from any other. Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island and is separated from Africa by the Mozambique Channel. The ancestry of its Malagasy people reflects Austronesian, East African, and Arab/Indian influence. The nation was an independent kingdom until French colonization in the late 1800s. Following independence in 1960, the nation has experienced periods of economic instability. Coups and crises have affected economic development.

Madagascar’s location has produced unique plant and wildlife diversity, but it also leaves the nation exposed to natural disasters. Cyclones in the Indian Ocean cause frequent flooding and landslides which damage homes, schools, and roads. Decades of political instability have choked the economy, trapping over three-quarters of the population under the international poverty line and leaving millions struggling to find their next meal. Constant political turf wars have left Madagascar unable to protect its people from the next big disaster. Weak institutions have limited economic growth, making it harder for vulnerable communities to receive aid.

About 80 percent of Malagasy people claim to be Christian, yet many practice witchcraft and worship ancestral spirits. This is most apparent in the practice of honoring and reburying ancestors. Famadihana, “turning of the dead,” is an important cultural tradition among Malagasy communities. Families sing and celebrate with the dead in hopes of maintaining spiritual connections. A lack of biblically trained leaders and structured teaching have allowed many of these old beliefs and traditions to be incorporated into the Church. Madagascar is in need of a spiritual revival that restores biblical teaching.