At the beginning of this year, our AiNA soa team in Madagascar got visited from our founder Nicole, who traveled from Switzerland. For me this was a very meaningful encounter. Nicole reminded us, the team, of AiNA soa’s core vision:

“to see the Malagasy people take responsibility for their own development and make our country a better place.”

I think no one is better suited to explaining this than she is – after all, as the founder, she was the first to dream this vision and bring it to life. Hearing her speak these words reignited the fire in my heart and reminded me why I have devoted myself to the work at AiNA soa for so many years.
I am deeply grateful to Nicole for her genuine, unwavering love for Madagascar. Yet, on the other hand, her visit and passion raised a question that has been weighing on me: Why does the drive to support our country sometimes feel stronger from the outside than from within? Is it a lack of patriotism, or have we lost trust and unity along the way?

The choice: to watch… or to act?

Three recent events brought this choice into sharp focus for me and they show both the challenge and the hope.

  • The shadow of indifference

Late last year in the capital, a heartbreaking tragedy unfolded: a six-year-old girl slipped under the wheels of a bus while waiting with her mother. She was bleeding heavily in her mother’s arms. The mother begged a taxi driver for help, but he refused, saying, “Let the one who hit her take her.” A motorcycle taxi eventually helped, but it was too late. The little girl didn’t make it to the hospital. Social media filled with criticism and blame.

© Malala Tsaroana

Personally, this tragedy deeply affected me. I didn’t just feel sadness; it forced me to question myself: have we lost our natural instinct to help others? Have we forgotten that every life matters? I also wondered: if someone trained in first aid had been present, could the outcome have been different?

  • Light of Commitment

Just weeks later, a different story gave me real hope. Tsito, one of our doctors and trainers at AiNA soa, was driving back from a training with three of his trainees when they hit a massive traffic jam caused by an accident: an elderly woman had been struck by a motorcycle and was bleeding badly from a head wound. People were just watching; cars drove past. Her son was panicking and growing aggressive. In the car, the young trainees felt the pull to help. “Should we stop?” they asked. They did. Hope was rekindled in me when I heard Tsito recount what had happened. I learned an important lesson from this: it wasn’t just skill that made the difference, but the choice to act So many people have knowledge, but not everyone decides to use it. Tsito and his team managed the scene, stopped the bleeding, and arranged transport to the hospital.

  • Solidarity in the Midst of Chaos

When Cyclone Gezani struck the east in February, claiming dozens of lives and causing overwhelming destruction, the heartbreak was immense. Especially in Toamasina where much of the city was heavily damaged. Yet, in the middle of it, solidarity emerged powerfully. Students, workers, entrepreneurs, and the Malagasy diaspora stepped up with donations through “voatsirambin’ny tanana” (community fundraising), and volunteers went straight to the field to help rebuild. These actions showed me that our values aren’t dead – live when we choose unity over indifference.

©Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes

Conclusion: Responsibility is the Key

When I first discovered AiNA soa several years ago, I was drawn in by this vision. I signed up for one of their first aid training courses, and that experience changed everything for me. What I learned wasn’t just techniques. It was the confidence that I could make a real difference in an emergency. Since then, I’ve been volunteering with the organization, and today I serve as secretary. While I’m not always the one leading the trainings I’m deeply involved in preparing them: organizing sessions, coordinating logistics, and supporting our trainers so they can reach more communities.

“Like any mental transformation, reconstruction moves slowly…but it must be done, and without interruption.” E. D. Andriamalala

Changing mindsets takes time and effort, but if we don’t start, nothing will ever change. I’ve seen it firsthand through my work at AiNA soa: every training we prepare, every person we empower, moves us closer to a Madagascar where people feel ready and willing to help one another. That’s what keeps me motivated: knowing that behind the scenes, I’m helping build a culture where Malagasy people help each other without hesitation.

The question I ask myself is: when the moment comes, will I stay a spectator or will I choose to act? Systems and policies are important, but true change starts in the heart of each person willing to stop and act. The day each of us chooses to act is the day Madagascar’s future truly begins to shine brighter.

Greetings from Madagascar
Mirana, Secretary & Communications