Miremby Foundation
Background
The Miremby Foundation was born during a transformative journey in Madagascar when founder Bethany embarked on what was meant to be a one-year research trip. This adventure quickly grew into an 18-month experience 🗺️, much of it spent in Sainte Luce, a stunning community in southeastern Madagascar 🌴.
The Birth of the Foundation
During her time in Sainte Luce, Bethany discovered a pressing need to support and protect local communities. The challenges were further compounded by the announcement of a mining project, which would displace the entire community, forcing families to leave their ancestral homes 🏠and search for new land. This also meant parts of the forest 🌳, vital for the environment and local livelihoods, would be destroyed. While the mine’s development could not be stopped, the Miremby Foundation was established to empower the people of Sainte Luce and ensure they had resources and support to navigate these changes.
Our Growing Impact Across Communities
1. Education Support in Antanitsara
The foundation has expanded its reach to Antanitsara, the village where co-founder Tsiraiky was born and raised. Here, we are focused on improving education access for local children đź“š. An ongoing project is renovating the village school and building additional classrooms to accommodate more year groups.
To support the current students, we’ve donated 400 copybooks 📒 and pens 🖊️ to every child attending the school. These efforts are helping to create a better learning environment and opportunities for the next generation.
2. Supporting Clarcine’s Education in Sainte Luce
In Sainte Luce, we are proud to support Clarcine, a bright and determined young student 🌟. After the passing of her father, her family struggled to afford her education. Through the Miremby Foundation, we currently provide £60 per month to cover her school fees, housing, and food costs while she studies in Mahatalaky.
We’ve also launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £2,500, which will cover her school fees, food, and accommodation for the next three years. This campaign ensures Clarcine has the stability and resources she needs to complete her education and build a better future.
3. Empowering Local Artisans in Fort Dauphin
In Fort Dauphin, the foundation has partnered with Hery, a talented local silversmith 💎. Together, we’ve developed a unique jewellery-making experience for tourists. Much like the popular bracelet-making workshops in Bali, visitors to Fort Dauphin can now create their own handmade silver bracelets under Hery’s expert guidance 🛠️.
This experience not only provides visitors with a meaningful souvenir but also helps to promote Hery’s craft and bring additional income to his family and the local economy.
Looking Ahead
The Miremby Foundation is committed to making a lasting difference in Madagascar. By supporting education, empowering local artisans, and strengthening communities, we aim to create sustainable opportunities that benefit people and preserve their cultural heritage đź’š.
Our Goal
Our foundation's goal is to help create sustainable incomes for local communities as well as solutions for some of the difficulties these villages face.
1. Create sustainable livelihoods for locals
2. Provide a fair wage to both the guides and local communities
3. Provide real time solutions for issues within the communities
Many of the organisations that work in Madagascar are wildlife orientated, or fail to create long term income options for the communities they work in. We hope to bring solutions for the people created by the people who grew up here.
Participatory mapping
Our organisation is built from local people for the benefit of tourists and local people and the communities they grew up in. We are developing solutions to the problems that locals face within their communities by speaking and listening to locals. We do this using a technique called participatory mapping, which Bethany learned during her academic career. This technique uses games and drawing of maps to understand how locals see their lives. This is a technique that takes time, as it doesn't use direct questioning to learn specific information. It directly aims not to ask specific questions that most often only give a predetermined outcome or result. Participatory mapping relies on the researcher getting involved with locals understanding their day to day lives, watching behaviours and getting involved when they are allowed by the community.
By listening to the community we will understand their needs, their prioritise and the solutions they need to improve their lives.
Our promise
Miremby Foundation promises first and foremost to benefit the local communities in which we plan our tours. A part of the cost of each trip goes to villages we visit and the local guides while bringing an experience to tourists that is rarely offered by big multi destination tour operators.
Our Causes
Life Jackets For Fishermen
Life Jackets For Fishermen
Life Jackets For Fishermen
One of the many problems that local villagers face is death out at sea due to lack of safety gear. The need to earn money is so great here that people risk their lives on a daily basis. While Bethany was there five local men died on a fishing trip. Unbeknown to her, this type of accident wasn't uncommon. A simple solution of life-jackets being purchased would greatly increase the chance of survival in these life and death situations.
The Miremby Foundation hopes to provide life jacket for the fishermen in the villages we visit on our tours.
AIM
1. Give life jackets to fishermen in Sainte Luce
2. Every boat should have at least one life jackets for the fisherman diving off the boat.
Pirogues For Fishermen
Life Jackets For Fishermen
Life Jackets For Fishermen
While Bethany was carrying out her research she hired two local men, Alijohn and Mahatsiaro, as guides in the forest. Although forest police and skilful guides their main source of income is from fishing. Spending many days and long nights in the forest with them Bethany came to realise that her local guides where not getting work as fishermen due to the long hours they were spending supporting her research. As time went by local boat owners were choosing other fishermen to crew their boats. Despite having permanent work while the research was being carried out, they wouldn't have any permanent work moving forward.
Miremby Foundation commissioned the creation of a pirogue build by our guide Avril in Lavaono and had it transported to Sainte Luce so that Alijohn and Mahatsiaro can be their own bosses and earn a living from the sea once again!
School In Antanitsara
Clarcine’s Secondary Education in Sainte Luce
Clarcine’s Secondary Education in Sainte Luce
Antanitsara is the birth place of Miremby's founder Tsiraiky. At the age of 10 Tsiraiky and his 3 younger siblings left home to get an education at a neighbouring village and at 14 he had to move to Fort Dauphin to get a senior school education. Although there is a simple school one room school in the village the building is in poor repair, there are few facilities (only a blackboard and chalk) and the teacher is poorly paid. Children older than 12 must move to the town of Fort Dauphin to gain their Baccalaureate certificate and access further education and decent jobs. However in this largely subsistence community families rarely have money to pay for children to move to town to study.
- To refurbish the school building.
- Buy books and resources for the teacher and students
- Pay the several teachers so that students are split into age determined classes.
- Fund scholarships so that students who want to continue their education can be supported in living in Fort Dauphin during term time to complete their baccalaureate.
New Roof Installation: Funded through donations from Bethany and Tsiraiky’s wedding, providing a safe and weatherproof learning environment.
Classroom Renovations: Repairs to existing structures to enhance functionality and comfort for students and teachers.
School Supplies: Contribution of essential learning materials, such as books, stationery, and teaching aids.
Furniture Upgrades: Provision of desks and chairs for students and teachers.
Community Support: Encouragement of local involvement in maintaining and improving school facilities.
Future Plans: Commitment to ongoing support for additional improvements as needed.
Clarcine’s Secondary Education in Sainte Luce
Clarcine’s Secondary Education in Sainte Luce
Clarcine’s Secondary Education in Sainte Luce
At Miremby, we’re committed to empowering local communities through education and sustainable initiatives. As a company, we believe that supporting people like Clarcine is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back. I’ve known Clarcine’s family in Sainte Luce for three years now, and their story has truly touched my heart. Clarcine is an ambitious young woman with a bright future, but like many girls in rural Madagascar, she faces significant obstacles.
Life for girls in Madagascar can be particularly challenging, especially in remote areas like Sainte Luce, where opportunities for education and work are limited. Many girls are expected to help with household chores or contribute to family income, often sacrificing their own dreams in the process. Despite these challenges, Clarcine has always shown resilience and determination. Every day, she walks three hours to attend school in Mahatalaky, a journey that’s no small feat. The roads are rough, the heat can be unbearable, and the risk of illness is high, but Clarcine keeps pushing forward because she knows that education is the key to changing her life and supporting her family.
Sadly, in 2023, Clarcine’s father Colas passed away, leaving her family in a very difficult financial situation. Without the money to send her to school, I began sending £60 a month to help cover her school fees, food, and even rent for her and a few friends, so they have a place to stay during the week.
Life in Sainte Luce, a small coastal village in Madagascar, is tough for many families. While the beauty of the area is undeniable, it’s also a place where basic resources are scarce. Most people rely on fishing, farming, or small-scale trading for survival, and income can be unpredictable. For many girls, the idea of finishing school, let alone attending university, seems like an unreachable dream. But Clarcine has always had a vision for her future, and with a little support, she can achieve it.
At Miremby, we’re dedicated to creating opportunities for people in Madagascar to thrive. Supporting Clarcine through the Miremby is just one of the ways we’re making a real, tangible impact. By helping her continue her education, we’re not just investing in her future, but in the future of her whole community.
We are aiming to raise £2,500 to fund Clarcine’s education over the next three years, covering her school fees, living expenses, and housing for her and a few friends. This will allow her to complete all her education up to senior school. Every donation makes a difference and brings Clarcine closer to her dream of a brighter future. If you believe in the power of education to change lives, please consider supporting her by donating today. Together, we can make sure Clarcine’s story becomes one of success, not just for her but for the entire community.
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