RENY SY ZAZA TOMADY

Reny sy Zaza Tomady, which means “Healthy and Strong Mothers and Children” in Malagasy, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting maternal and child health in Madagascar. Since 2021, we have been a beacon of hope, health, and opportunity for the next generation. Established under Malagasy law with the support of Bountiful Children’s Foundation, a Utah-based nonprofit, we work towards a shared vision to improve nutrition and support nurturing care for children from conception through early childhood. We also empower families to become self-reliant by adopting healthy eating habits in their daily lives.

The Urgent Need in Madagascar

Despite its rich cultural heritage, Madagascar faces severe challenges that impede the health and development of its youngest generations. The statistics are stark:

• Malnutrition: A staggering 39.8% of children under 5 are stunted, a rate significantly higher than the African regional average and one of the highest globally. Additionally, 7.7% of children under 5 are wasted, and 17.1% of infants have low birth weight. Only 50.6% of infants aged 0 to 5 months are exclusively breastfed, highlighting critical gaps in early nutrition.
• Education and Maternal Health: Madagascar ranks 153rd out of 157 countries in progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring major gaps in education and child development. The maternal mortality rate is alarmingly high at 478 per 100,000 live births, indicating limited access to quality maternal and child health services that are foundational for child survival.

Our first-hand experience over the past seven years has revealed a consistent, critical demand for nutritional support that far outstrips available resources; we consistently encounter more children in need than our budget can accommodate.

Our Transformative Solution

At Reny sy Zaza Tomady, we support nearly 120 bright and resilient children with vital nutrition and early development programs, laying the foundation for lifelong health and learning. Through our community-driven approach, we empower women and families in Madagascar with sustainable nutrition and education, helping to break the cycle of poverty and build a stronger, more hopeful future.

Our comprehensive approach focuses on four key goals:

• Improve Nutritional Health: We ensure that undernourished children in our partner communities receive necessary nutritional supplements during their critical first 1,000 days of life. Screening activities are conducted in community venues, including primary schools, and focus on infants and young children within this age range. We also conduct nutrition classes for mothers, emphasizing proper nutrition during this crucial period, and distribute educational materials.
• Empower Women: We provide mothers with the knowledge and resources to support their children’s nutritional and educational development.
• Promote Education: We foster a love for learning among children by establishing small libraries within schools, filled with engaging children's books. We also organize storytelling sessions and lending programs to encourage consistent literacy habits.
• Encourage Self-Reliance: We develop sustainable square-foot gardening programs in schools to teach children valuable skills and promote self-sufficiency. We also provide gardening classes to both children and their mothers to promote home gardening and produce fresh vegetables.

Your Impact: Scaling Hope and Health

Our work has shown that targeted support during a child’s earliest years creates lasting change. By focusing on nutrition and education for both mothers and children, we don’t just improve health, we help save lives. Children begin to thrive, reaching critical developmental milestones, while mothers gain the knowledge and confidence to nurture their families and build a more secure future.

The Reny sy Zaza Tomady program is designed to be sustainable and scalable. Your support enables us to expand our reach and impact even more lives efficiently:

• Currently, it costs $186 per year to support one child but by expanding our reach to 640 children, we can reduce that cost to just $105 per child per year. This dramatic increase in efficiency means your support can help more children thrive with the same resources. Scaling our programs isn’t just a goal, it’s a smart investment in lasting impact.

When you support Reny sy Zaza Tomady, you’re doing more than offering a meal or a book, you’re investing in a brighter, healthier future for families in Madagascar. Together, we can bring hope, strength, and opportunity to the next generation.