A letter from Jan Heckler in Madagascar
March 24, 2013
One of the many blessings of serving the Lord through mission is meeting people of different cultures. Discovering the diversity of others’ beliefs and values—not to mention their lives—is most illuminating and always a great personal growth experience. Now, it would be disingenuous to say all the people you meet are memorable for the positive impression they leave, but nearly all are.
Annick Rakotoarimanitra
This story is about one who is most memorable for all of the right reasons. Her name is Annick Rakotoarimanitra (ahn-eek rak-oo-tour-ee-mahn-ee-tra), and Annick is one of the very first girls to be a student-resident at Akany Gazela.
Akany Gazela is the new home for secondary school girls in Moramanga, Madagascar, that has comprised a large portion of my ministry since arriving here a year ago in April. Though the leadership of Dorkasy, the women’s division overseeing Akany Gazela, is most experienced and talented in regular church work and other programs that they manage—things they are teaching me—they and the Akany Gazela manager lack experience specific to residential programs. As the Lord would have it, management of residential programs happens to be a personal strong suit of mine. So partners’ strengths and areas of need match up pretty well on this occasion.
Akany Gazela (built in part with a grant from the PC(USA)’s very own Presbyterian Women) enables girls to complete their preparatory education while living in a safe and nurturing home, one that is closely managed toward Christian ideals by the PC(USA)’s partner, the Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar (or FJKM as the Malagasy equivalent is abbreviated).
Annick is the oldest of three children, having a younger sister, Geiniah, who is 14, and a younger brother, Nantenaina, who is 9. She believes being the oldest is important since she is the one setting the example for her younger siblings to follow. Since Annick is just 17, this speaks volumes about the kind of person Annick is and aspires to be.
Akany Gazela — Opened in October 2012 — Moramanga, Madagascar
Annick’s hometown is Andaingo Gara, which is home to not more than about 15,000 souls. It is a little less than 50 miles southeast of Moramanga, where about four out of five people make their living from small-plot farming or street vending. Although some things are improving there (e.g., the road to Moramanga was paved just a couple of years ago), it is still a difficult place to live (e.g., the electricity is turned "on" from only 4 pm till 11 each day).
Andaingo has a junior-level secondary school (grades 6–8), but there is no final three years. Thus Annick needed to leave her family and hometown in order to complete her high school education. She heard about Akany Gazela through her own FJKM church and applied to the program and was accepted. This was not a particularly easy task as, even though brand-new, Akany Gazela turned down numerous applicants for each one that they accepted. Annick is clearly happy that she got in.
Dorkasy President Rev. Vero Andriamose (far left) joins Dorkasy Executive Director Rev. Dyna Trimozafy (back ctr.), PC(U.S.A.) regional liaison Doug Tilton (back,tall), PC(U.S.A.) mission co-worker Jan Heckler and Moramanga Synod President Rev. Jaona Rakotonindrainy (back rt.) with Akany Gazelaís first-ever student residents, Nov. 5, 2012. Built to provide a home for 60 girls, Akany Gazel is serving only 18 girls at present due to funding constraints.
"My parents are at peace because they don’t need to be worried about me and my security," she says as she breathes out her own sigh of relief, "And, I like it because of its faith education, the other girls I am getting to know, and the discipline found at Akany Gazela."
Asked about this last remark, she added, "There is discipline here. You just can't leave if you want to or have just any visitor that you want. You need to get permission from your parents first.’"
Annick wants to be a physician one day and believes God put her here for a reason. The people in and around Andaingo suffer quite a bit from their poverty and the shortage of health care facilities and professionals. Being a physician will one day enable Annick to give back to both her parents and the people in the surrounding area. At least this is her hope and dream.
Asked if she has changed any since resuming school through Akany Gazela, she said she didn’t worry as much. "I’ve become more joyful and easier-going since arriving." We’re glad for her since she still has a long way to go to become the physician she hopes to be and being at ease in a house that the Lord built is probably as good a way to feel this way as most any of us can think of.
I close today by asking for your prayers and other means of support of my ministry to continue helping girls like Annick. Without your prayers, your correspondence and your financial commitment, there would be no mission. Thank you.
Jan Heckler
Antananarivo, Madagascar
The 2013 Presbytérien Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 121
Read more about Jan Heckler's ministry
Write to Jan Heckler
Give to Jan Heckler's sending and support
