I've never shared about the work DNACreative does in Madagascar through our initiative, LalasoaDNA, on LinkedIn before. The internet isn't an everyday reality for the communities we serve or our team, the "Lalas." However, I want to share and celebrate a recent experience that can teach us a valuable lesson.
At Lalasoa, our vision is "Every Child, Every Time." We are committed to providing mobile and accessible educational opportunities in sports, arts, and culture, using puppetry and local folktales to connect and inspire.
To support our mission, we organize fee-charging fundraisers alongside free-of-charge weekly events. This ensures that all children have the opportunity to learn and grow through these creative and cultural avenues.
This past weekend, our team organized a birthday event for a paying family. The funds generated will provide two weeks of impactful support for children who otherwise lack access to crucial resources. This achievement emphasizes our belief in providing a hand up, not a handout.
Through investing in our community with above-average salaries, community loans, and communal Lala-driven budgeting, we are moving toward self-sustainability. We hope to achieve this by the end of the quarter. We are also looking ahead to a potential national television broadcast spot, which could bring opportunities to thousands in rural areas.
When we started, many were critical. They said we were paying too much ($2 an hour instead of a day!), that the Malagasy language isn't as valued as French or English, and questioned the importance of sports and arts. The most poignant criticism was that leaving locals in charge would lead to corruption and squander resources without visible impact.
But when you don't give trust and respect, you can't earn trust and respect. Judging based on bias and generalities means failing to see individuals. Control doesn't empower.
I couldn't trust the team more—they have my utmost respect. This weekend, the feedback we received was that "Every child at the party felt joy and felt safe to be involved." Let's stop judging individuals by narratives they haven't written.
#SocialEnterprise #EducationalImpact #Madagascar #CommunityEmpowerment #Sustainability
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