CMS-Africa Empower Couples in Madagascar on Financial Management on 1st January 1970
According to the 2024 Madagascar’s Poverty Assessment Report by the World Bank, a combination of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine and climate impacts, have led to a notable economic downturn resulting in a 7.1% contraction in GDP and a 9.8% decrease in per capita income, along with a collapse in export earnings and private investments.
In 2020 alone, 2.4 million people slipped below the poverty line, pushing the poverty rate to a staggering 81.9% with households in rural areas bearing the brunt of this poverty, particularly those led by women or heads of household without an education.
Amidst this backdrop, CMS-Africa is empowering families to be economically resilient, and this past week trained 23 couples in Fort-Dauphin, Madagascar, through her Financial Freedom for Families (F4) program.
The training aimed to enhance the couples’ personal and household financial stewardship, enabling them to effectively manage their finances, keep their financial records, budget, and evaluate their debt.
“This program is transformative. We are glad that the Malagasy people are also experiencing the impact of CMS-Africa. The exposure given to the couples on how to better manage their finances will have a ripple effect even in how church finances are managed, and mission advanced,” said CMS-Africa Country Coordinator for Madagascar, Ialy Tongasoa.
CMS-Africa aims to foster sustainable community development through tailored discipleship and empowerment of families across Africa.