As I travelled through the dusty beach town of Toliara, southern Madagascar, visiting AIM co-workers there, I was reminded of the statistic which says about 60% of the population of Madagascar is under the age of 14. Kids playing in the dust, bare feet kicking a ball of plastic bags, rolling old tires in the street, all big smiles and innocent hope in the future.
Many of the children here are physically hungry. But more than a need for food, the children are hungry for an opportunity, for hope that only good will come of them. The sad reality is that most youth will end up touched by drugs, alcohol, prostitution and a general desperation for lack of opportunity.
It should be a task of the church to reach out to the children, providing them with a future in Christ. But there are few, if any, churches with programs designed for children and youth. Beyond a youth choir or “scout” group, there is little effort being made to reach out to the majority of this country’s youth population.
Our desire is to bring lasting hope to these hungry faces. Part of AIM’s vision in Madagascar is to reach the youth of the country by creating a culturally appropriate model for youth ministry which can be packaged and used in churches throughout the island. We hope to have a team of missionaries based in Tulear for 2 years, working together to learn about the needs of the youth, then creating this model and training local people to make it available in churches throughout the nation. Please pray for wisdom in developing this team ministry, for people with a passion for children and youth ministry to join, and for the children to find an opportunity in Christ.
From the dusty streets of Toliara town, to the bright hope of a future in Christ for Madagascar’s children.
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