In Madagascar, the Hospitaller Order of St John of God has inaugurated the ‘Refuge Bienheureuse Victoire Rasoamanarivo’ Maternal and Child Centre, the first establishment of its kind in the country. Located in the heart of a working-class neighbourhood of Antananarivo, this new project by the Order provides a place of welcome and protection for mothers and children in extremely vulnerable situations. The opening comes at a time of great political instability in the country, with an increase in domestic violence and worsening urban poverty.

Presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, the celebration highlighted the ecclesial dimension of the initiative, presented as a ‘visible sign of the Gospel’ at the service of the most vulnerable. The Superior General, Brother Pascal Ahodegnon, recalled that the Order's mission remains to be a presence of closeness, care and compassion, especially in areas where life is precarious.

Born out of a moving encounter between a Brother Hospitaller and a mother in distress, the project was entirely funded thanks to the generosity of benefactors and the support of numerous partners in Madagascar and France. The centre, which will welcome 30 women and their children from 8 March, is part of the international dynamic of hospitality according to St John of God, responding in a concrete and bold manner to the social emergencies of the Big Island.