Introduction to Catja Orphanage

The second orphanage in Mananjary is also in need of our help.

The orphanage is called CATJA “Centre d’accueil et de Transit des Jumeaux Abandonnes”. In English: “A Centre welcoming and transiting abandoned twins”

The orphanage was established in 1987. When children first arrived their main ambition was the immediate interests of the children to provide by means of; food, clothing and medical aid. After time they decided that the only solution for the abandoned children was through an adoption scheme. The idea being that adopted children grow up in Tana, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa etc but return as adults to their biological families and work in collaboration with the orphanage to help educate the families in rural villages of the life he/she has endured and how the situation is construed in other parts of Madagascar. This is a form of indirect means to help those in the more remote villages rather than bringing them back to the orphanage to work on-site. The problem in Mananjary is that those people that live in the main town are used to the mix in cultures and beliefs and often accept twins for that reason. Those in more remote locations where the beliefs of the Panzac are influential on daily life; there is not the same mix of people. As such they are often isolated from the rest of the community and “set in their traditional ways".

There are 82 children in total ranging in age from only a few months to 20 years of age. The breakdown is as follows:

0 - 2 ( 16 children)
2 – 5 (18 children)
6 – 20 (48 children)

There are 68 abandoned children and 14 child workers that assist at the orphanage but who are provided for in the same way in terms of food provision, lodging and medical help.

Twins are mostly brought in after birth but they also cater for older abandoned children that are not necessarily brought in due to reasons surrounding the fady culture. Some may have no parents.

They also have a rehabilitation programme to take children that are in trouble with the law rather than sending them to Jail.

There are currently 112 people living at the orphanage, which is more or less their capacity but given the transient nature of their establishment they tend to work at capacity whilst maintaining new arrivals.