In an area of 2.5 acres in the Andoharanofotsy district of Antananarivo (the capital), the Holy Metropolis of Madagascar has built a 260 bed Orphanage. This major building work will eventually include a church, a spiritual centre, a guesthouse, a technical school, and schools that cater for all levels of general education. Initially, the work proceeded slowly, but with the help of God, the church and the orphanage have been built. His Divine Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa Theodore II inaugurated the orphanage on 30th May 2015, and on 31st May 2015, he inaugurated the Holy Temple of The Presentation of the Virgin Mary, which is situated in the orphanage complex. 

The orphanage now hosts its first 50 girls, and everyday sees the orphanage being further equipped and embellished. A two-storey building is being built to house the orphanage library, the offices of the Metropolis, and a hostel. In the same area, a school will be built which will cater for primary, middle and secondary school students.

In a society where difficulties and dangers for girls prevail, the orphanage is an oasis that offers them security, confidence, and optimism for the future.

Donors who could assist us with some of the running expenses of the orphanage would be of great assistance, especially in the following cases:

- The children’s daily breakfast of milk and biscuits 

- The salary of the kindergarten teacher or the other teachers for one month.

- The cost of the electricity for the orphanage.

- The cook’s salary

ONE DAY AT THE GIRLS' ORPHANAGE IN ANTANNANARIVO

• 6 am: Everyone is up nice and early. Morning prayers are said at the little church of Saint Catherine in the orphanage, where the girls chant loudly.

• 7 am: Breakfast time. This consists of milk, biscuits, bread, and jam. In a country where most children are starving, this breakfast is a meal fit for a king.

• 7:30-11:30 am: School time. Those who attend kindergarten and the primary school do their lessons in the same building in the orphanage. Some rooms in the orphanage are used for the kindergarten, and others are used for the primary school: there aren't separate buildings for each school. The older girls go to the local secondary school, but others who attend the school for cutting, sewing, and embroidery do their lessons in the orphanage.

• 12 am-12:30 pm: Lunchtime. They are always cared for with love and affection by their father, The Most Reverend Metropolitan Ignatios Sennis of Madagascar.

• 2-5 pm: Return to school for afternoon lessons. School lessons in Madagascar run from 8am -12 am and from 2pm - 5pm.

• 5 pm: All the girls return to the orphanage. There they study their lessons; they learn English and French; they take care of the vegetable garden, which serves their own nutritional needs, and they wash, clean, and tidy their places.

• 7 pm: Dinnertime.

• 8 pm: Compline in the little chapel of Saint Catherine. After compline, they read, they enjoy and entertain themselves.

On Sundays, they all chant together at the Great Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. They spend the rest of the day cheerfully singing and playing.

All the children, young and old, enjoy the safety, caring and security that is provided by the orphanage. Their spiritual and secular needs are catered for abundantly - and with much love and affection.

The Most Reverend Metropolitan Ignatios of Madagascar is their spiritual father, and he takes care of everything. This fills them with hope for the future, courage, and confidence.