Malagasy Red Cross: New National Bureau

Claude Rakotondranja is once again reelected as the National President of the Malagasy Red Cross (MRC). After the first day of the MRC’s General Assembly, yesterday in Antsirabe, it was known that the current President, Claude Rakotondranja, will stay in his office for another term of 4 years. This president, who is a running candidate to succeed himself and who is elected by obtaining 107 votes out of 131, had one contestant, Fiarova Lovanirina, who got 24 votes out of 131. The other members of the Red Cross’ National Bureau were also elected yesterday. These include, Vainarinety Adeline (1st National Vice-President), Mac Donald Rahalison (2nd National Vice-President), and Razafimahatratra Jean Michel (Treasurer). It remains to elect the chairpersons of the commission and those of the finance.

For this new term, Claude Rakotondranja will certainly have a lot of missions to achieve, including the implementation of the MRC’s strategic plan which was voted in February 2011. The plan encompasses 3 main axes: to save lives and to promote a healthy lifestyle, to promote the culture of non-violence and finally, to empower and to make sustainable the structure of the Malagasy Red Cross. In a brief review of the MRC’s achievements during the past 4 years, it is to be noted that in charitable actions like management of risk and disaster, 210 000 families were rescued with the help of 4 000 volunteers and members. In the health sector, with the-fight-against malaria project, 1 572 814 families were sensitized, 216 000 homes were sprayed with insecticides and 100 000 mosquito nets were distributed. All of these required the mobilization of over 13 000 volunteers.