Capital: Antananarivo
Population: 20 042 000 (2008)
Age structure:
Variation annuelle % 2,7 (2007)
0-14 ans -  43,7% (2008)
15-64 ans - 53,2% (2008)
65 ans et plus - 3,1% (2008)
Median Age: 17,9 years

Infant Mortality: 55,59/1000

Life Expectancy: 59,7 years

Languages: official language(s): Malagasy; some varieties of dialects are spoken in 22 regions of Madagascar, but all are rooted to the national language. French is the working language (spoken by 60%). English is newly introduced as a working language, but very few people speak English.
Currency: 1570Ariary = 1 USD (100 cents)
Border countries: Madagascar is a big island in the Indian ocean; neighbouring countries are La Réunion (2 hour flight), Mauritius ( 3 hour flight), Comoros (2 hour flight)
Religion: Christianity: 41%, traditional beliefs: 52%, Islam: 7%

Socio-political issues affecting youth development: 76% of the Malagasy population live under the poverty line, getting less than 2 USD per day. 80% of them are farmers, owning a very small scale of agricultural and/or pastoral business. Almost 45% of the rural population is illiterate and less than 60% of youth have finished high school. These problems directly affect young people, making job opportunities inaccessible for them and exposing them to a more and more uncertain future. The very recent political unrest was worsening the situation, bringing high inflation, employment loss (more than 15.000 employments) for the young people and less economic opportunities for the country.

Date of Establishment: 1924

Member of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs: 2003

Member of the World Alliance of YMCAs: 1996

Staff: 15

Local Branches: 10

Volunteers: 50

Members: 400

Beneficiaries: 19.340 direct and 55.520 indirect

Increasing Orphans & Vulnerable Children and Young People’s resilience to AIDS
In partnership with Y Care International, United Kingdom, this is a sexual and reproductive education programme with a strong focus on HIV/AIDS prevention. The activities involve:
-    Peer Education (with 140 Peer Educators divided in 3 categories: 12-17 years old/ 18-24 years old/ parents)
-    Intergenerational dialogue
-    Youth advocacy on sexual health and development
-    Sports and recreation
-    Nutrition and education support

The programme aims to reach 10 000 young people in the areas of Ankazomanga and Carion.

Supporting vulnerable children in Ankazomanga
In partnership with the Y Global, Norway, this programme involves nutritional and educational support for the vulnerable children of the Ankazomanga urban slum in Antananarivo. The project reaches 150 children by providing scholarships as well as daily school lunch. The project engages parents to enable them to take care of their children. They are trained through capacity building workshops and introduced to initiatives such as micro credit to improve their income.

Supporting young farmers in Ambano and Itasy
In partnership with the YMCA of Frost Valley, USA, potato farmers are supported through the YMCA Coopérative Agricole. The co-operative offers technical training and assistance, and negotiates market access. The co-operative has more than 200 members.

Nutrition Programme
In partnership with the National Nutrition Office, this programme provides nutritional support for young mothers and babies under 5 years old. This reaches 10 000 people in five municipalities in the District of Manjakandriana, Analamanga Region.

In accordance with the Paris Basis, the YMCA challenge 21, Madagascar YMCA aspires to be a strong Christian, apolitical, inclusive youth movement. Madagascar YMCA works with youth through activities, projects and programmes to develop their potentialities for a holistic development, and to enable them to be fully involved within their own communities towards making them agents of change for a better quality of life.

Two young Malagasy students in London wanted to set up a first  YMCA in Antananarivo in 1912. At that time, the country was a French colony, and the YMCA - known as a strong youth movement - was not allowed, as the government was wary of youth consciousness and patriotism. But in 1924, a French lay young man, Jean Beigbeder, finally introduced the association as a branch of the French Protestant Mission. At the same time he introduced the scouting movement. From 1978 to 1994, the YMCA stopped activities due to some leadership crisis and restarted in 1994, after a workshop organised by the African Alliance of YMCAs. In 2003, Madagascar YMCA was reintegrated into tge Africa Alliance of YMCAs and started a renewal process to achieve its mission. Madagascar YMCA was accepted to be under the Global Operating Plan (GOP) in 2007 and is right now working for the development of the movement. After the institutional diagnosis in November 2008, Madagascar YMCA could align its vision with the AAY and is now working to set up a road map for the next 2 years.