Moringa Madagascar is a sister association to Moringa Inc, a nonprofit company based in the U.S. registered under section 501(c)(3). Their mission is to support prison rehabilitation and prisoner welfare in Madagascar, with team members supervising construction projects and maintaining financial accountability.

Dr. Elson (surgeon) and Hanitra (MBA) are a dynamic Malagasy couple. Together with their son Maoly (MBA), they formed the registered association Moringa Madagascar, of which Maoly is the president. The three have joined hands with Tamar and Bruce to enact prison humanitarian reform in Madagascar. Officials in different prisons have been very supportive of our renovation work and we work closely with them.

Dr. Elson completed his medical studies at the University of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and his first position was with the Institute Pasteur. He received a scholarship from PAACS to join a 5-year surgery residency program for outstanding African surgeons, taking him to Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon. Upon his return, he and Hanitra worked in Ejeda, a town in southern Madagascar.

Hanitra has an MBA and supervises the bookkeeping for their two hospitals. She orders supplies, pays salaries and oversees the inventory. She also handles all of the bills and vouchers for Moringa Madagascar, organizes them methodically for annual audit submission.

Maoly also has his MBA in business, but prefers to be out on the field instead of sitting at a desk. He is also a soccer coach for marginalized kids in Antsirabe, in an effort to keep them out of trouble. He is actively involved with Moringa Madagascar and travels with Francel, the team contractor, going from prison to prison to oversee the construction work. He keeps an inventory of supplies, and purchases the materials himself in order to get top quality and prevent the mishandling of funds.

Elson and Hanitra started their own hospital in rural southernMadagascar, a region hard hit by famine and starvation. Clinique Zoara in Fotadrevo was partially funded by a German organization, Doctors for Madagascar https:/www.doctorsformadagascar.com/project/hopitaly-zoara-fotadrevo. Later, the couple founded another hospital in their home area of Sambaina, north of Antsirabe in the central highlands. Elson remains the director of both hospitals.

For a few years they lived in the United States, and Malagasy colleagues encouraged them to stay and make a “good life” in the land of milk and honey. They were never tempted. “Madagascar needs us, and we are Malagasy.”

Tamar was born in the American Hospital Paris. Her parents had spent a year in in language school in France in preparation for their new life in Madagascar (at the time a French colony). Tamar met Bruce in college in the US. Bruce had grown up in India, and it didn’t take them long to bond.

Bruce is a Family Physician and works in a low income clinic in rural Tamil Nadu, India. His passion is teaching bedside diagnostic ultrasound (POCUS). Tamar received a degree in Public Health Psychology and Behavior Change with an emphasis on International Development. In 2002, she founded a social business for marginalized women where they live and work in India. Today Blue Mango Trust is fully self-sufficient and runs on its own much of the year www.bluemangoindia.com.

Bruce and Tamar now work between Madagascar and India. In Madagascar, Bruce provides advanced continuing education training to local doctors in ultrasound scanning, cardiology, dermatology, and other specialties. He has been instrumental in securing over 30 handheld ultrasound machines, which have been distributed to hospitals across the island through their partnership with SALFA and Global Health Ministries. The couple works hand-in-hand with Elson, Hanitra and Maoly of Moringa Madagascar. While in Madagascar, Tamar collaborates with Hanitra and the team on prisoner welfare and prison renovation and continues her fund raising work.