About

Mario Chiodi

Sales Director @Planifolia Group

Michael Behr

1st Chairman @Help Mada Hamburg and CEO @Nutramaxx

Sophia Behr

2nd Chairwoman @Help Mada Hamburg and Founder @Pink and Orange

Lilly Diana Koch

Project Manager @Help Mada Hamburg and Founder @MAQINA360

Learn more about Plainfolia’s past projects.

Interview with Tiana

We want to introduce you to one of our members: Tiana Joelle Laizoma.

She plays a special role in our NGO and is responsible for all communication with the villages and project activities. Without her we wouldn’t be able to make such an impact in the local communities. She has a lot of experience in the field of NGOs and works with passion at Help Mada. She was so kind to give us an interview to make you get to know her a bit better.

How long have you been working at Help Mada?

I have been working for Help Mada since September 2017.

What has been the biggest project that you managed for Help Mada?

We have finished building the primary school in Tsarahitra that now helps to educate 265 children. The construction costed 42K Dollars. Another big project that Help Mada Hamburg is supporting is the construction of the dispensary in Namohana which we are about to start very soon.

How many projects have you been in charge of so far?

There have been many smaller projects since 2017. I mainly helped to maintain and upgrade the existing dispensaries. This contained the maintenance of the water tanks or the purchase of medical materials. There are also the repairs of the water pipes in the two dispensaries, the purchase of mosquito nets not impregnated with insecticides for pregnant women who are monitored in the dispensaries, and the purchase of medical equipment. Many materials break after some time since their quality is not the best. It is a constant process for me to fix little things like these.

One of our projects which is also very interesting is the establishment of a vegetable garden to help improve the living conditions of Planifolia Mada employees. We produce a variety of vegetables that we regularly distribute to all staff. Life is very expensive in Antalaha.

How did COVID-19 affect your activities?

The pandemic was very difficult for us.Help Mada donors were impacted by covid-19, we had trouble functioning. Many vanilla farmers needed our support. At one point, we couldn't even travel to accompany our clinics and schools because of the confinement. The NGO could not support the projects already in place. Personally, I got COVID in 2020 and I can still feel some after effects.

Did you also organize COVID vaccines?

Not many Malagasy people got vaccinated though, but most of the Planifolia employees are.

Who has donated to Help Mada Madagaskar before?

I don't know all of our donors. Currently, there is Help Mada Hamburg which helps us a lot and Planifolia Mada which is our main financial support.

What are your wishes for 2022/2023? What would you like to achieve?

First of all, I would like to complete the Namohana project. In Antsahabe, the community has also started to construct another building which will serve as an extension for the dispensary and the construction is almost complete. Community members have decided to expand the medical center and it will probably be finished by September this year. Help Mada Antalaha wishes to help them by providing them with medical supplies and materials for this new building as well as the installation of water and light. For the moment, we do not have a budget for these steps, and the local community needs our support for the purchase of these materials and these installations.

What was your motivation to join Help Mada in the first place?

Initially, I received training to become a teacher in a high schoo, but I had another opportunity and my plans changed. I worked for a social project financed by the African Development Bank. Our activity consisted of the construction of 1200 classrooms throughout Madagascar and the construction of 6 large Vocational Rehabilitation Centers for Disabled People. I was able to take advantage of this experience when I joined Help Mada. In fact, it is the continuity of what I was doing and it fills me with joy to do this kind of social work and to see the results.

Last question: Are you married and do you have kids?

Yes, I am married and I have two sons and one daughter.