Pact Madagascar Celebrates 20th Anniversary

On December 14, 2011 Pact Madagascar celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a reception at the Cafe de la Gare in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The event was a huge success with over 150 guests from the partner and donor community. The U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affairs, A.I. Eric Wong delivered a speech highlighting the importance of Pact's work in Madagascar and the significant role Pact plays as a partner with the United States government.

"This evening, we pay special tribute to Pact's contributions over the last two decades in Madagascar. Here and around the world, Pact has been a tremendous partner with the United States, helping to build a better future for local communities and to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's vision and this bedrock principle of American foreign policy," Wong said.

In reference to the U.S. Department of Labor's Kilonga project Wong said, "In Madagascar, Pact is the major implementing partner of the Kilonga Project, a $4.5 million (9 billion Ariary), four-year project funded by the United States Department of Labor to combat exploitive child labor. Through direct education, research, and awareness activities in urban and rural communities, the Kilonga project has helped more than 9,000 children escape the worst forms of child labor, by successfully enrolling them in school and putting them under the guidance of a skilled mentor."

Pictured above is US Embassy Charge d'Affaires, Eric Wong, thanking Amanda Childress, Madagascar Country Director, for 20 years of Pact's service to Madagascar.

To read Wong's full remarks, please click here.

To view a short video on the Kilonga project, please click here

To read coverage of the event in the local newspaper in French, please click here