Roofs torn off, structures damaged, classrooms flooded with mud, fallen trees, and displaced student families. This is the dramatic scenario at our Stella Maris and St. Joseph schools in Toamasina, Madagascar, after Cyclone Gezani.
The cyclone hit the eastern coast of Madagascar, Africa’s largest island, causing over 60 deaths and 6,000 displaced people to date. Among them, the families of our students have lost everything, while the school, always a point of reference for them, is now in serious difficulty and unable to support them.
The buildings are currently unusable: fallen trees block passages and have smashed classroom roofs, allowing mud and water to destroy furniture and teaching materials.
Since the cyclone hit, the Institute leadership and La Salle Foundation have been in regular contact with the Brothers in Madagascar. The District is already making plans to rebuild while the leadership of both schools is working on finding ways to ensure that there is the least disruption to students’ lessons during the recovery period.
A team made up of District, regional, and Institute personnel is being set up so that the recovery process is accompanied in the most comprehensive manner possible, including the need for co-responsibility and solidarity among the Lasallian Family in the country.
In addition to the Brothers’ schools, two schools run by the Guadalupana La Salle Sisters also suffered damaged. The Brothers in Madagascar along with the Institute and La Salle Foundation is also remaining attentive to the support they will need.
Given the impact of the cyclone and current conditions in the country that are affecting any possibility of beginning the recovery process, the Institute and La Salle Foundation are working with the District on initial funding plans. In this spirit and to encourage global solidarity, La Salle Foundation has set up an emergency fund.
Managed by our nonprofit La Salle Foundation, this fund allows us to respond quickly to global crises, as we have done in the past for:
- Floods in Brazil (2024)
- Earthquake in Turkey and Syria (2023)
- Assistance to Ukrainian refugees (2022)
- Reconstruction of our schools in Lebanon after the port explosion (2020)
These experiences give us confidence that we can once again rely on the generosity of the international Lasallian community and rebuild the schools quickly, ensuring the future of thousands of young people in Toamasina.