Tragedy Strikes Near Betikara

            April 9, 2008 was the start of a normal day in the life of the Malagasy people near Betikara. The Malagasy community was getting ready for another day. It was early in the morning, about 5:00 a.m. and still dark when four people, a father, mother, uncle and a friend were getting ready to take some items in a small boat across the lake at the foot of the Betikara property on a Wednesday morning. This was normal routine for the family, since Wednesdays and Saturdays are always market days in Ivato, the little community that is growing up around the international airport in Madagascar.

            These four people had made this trip by boat many times and never thought that on this particular day they would be making a trip that would change the lives of so many people in the surrounding community. Since it was still early in the morning the activities of these four Malagasy people, for the most part, went on unnoticed. After all, many of their neighbors were still in bed at such an early hour. It was not until about 6:00 in the morning, and the sun had started to rise, that some people noticed a strange sight out on the lake. What they saw was many items floating around a capsized boat. There were no people or bodies in sight at the time.

            A general alarm was raised in the community and for almost 10 hours a search was done of the lake and the surrounding shoreline. At first only one body was found, but by about 3:00 in the afternoon the final body was fished from the lake. Needless to say, everyone was feeling overcome with grief for the father, mother, uncle, and friend who had lost their lives that day. There was also a great loss felt for the children of the mother and father who were left without their parents.

            Three brothers, Tojo, Lanto, and Tafita were starting to prepare for their day ahead at school. The two older brothers study at the local government run junior high school in the same class as some of the Betikara Lambs. Little Tafita was also preparing for his day ahead of studying. Last September Tafita was enrolled in the school that opened on the Betikara property. So, the surrounding community and the Betikara Orphanage were all aware of the great loss and the impending need of these three brothers.

            A lot took place in the span of one week. The extended family quickly came on the scene, and it was not long before Betikara was approached about taking on the brothers. The funerals were attended by the brothers, and the extended family approached Betikara about the possibility of taking in the brothers. However, at the time Betikara only had room “officially” for one of the three brothers.

            The general consensus of everyone who heard of the tragedy was that Betikara should take in the brothers. Malagasy people do not consider that there is not enough room. Especially when they see a building that is 100 feet by 160 feet in size sitting in front of their eyes. After all, a Malagasy family of 10 people can live in a space that is no bigger than twelve feet by twelve feet. All that the Malagasy people  can see is that there is enough room for hundreds of children and not just the 40 children that we are trying to serve at the present time.

            Needless to say Tojo, Lanto, and Tafita are now residing at Betikara.  Their short stay of just over one month has been hard on them and on us. Because Tafita is only five years old, and was already a student at the Betikara school, he did not understand what a great tragedy actually happened in his short life. You see, even though Tafita was present at the funeral for his mother and father, he did not understand that they had drowned. Tafita thought that he was staying at Betikara for a short vacation (staying with some other family for a short time, which is a Malagasy custom) and that he would soon be returning home to his parents.

            One week after being placed at Betikara Tafita started to realize that his “vacation” was longer than in the past. He started to question when he would be seeing his parents. It was then that he had to be told that his parents would not be returning. Tafita, being only 5 years old, did not react well to the news. He became sick to his stomach and threw up often. Tafita clung to Hianitra (a Betikara caregiver) twenty four hours a day. Because he was sick to his stomach, Tafita stopped eating for almost one week and we finally took him to a doctor.

            We knew that there was nothing that a doctor could do to help Tafita through this time of emotional upheaval. However, we did get some medicine to help settle his stomach and some vitamins to help give him some nourishment that he was not receiving due to not eating. We knew that only time would help Tafita overcome his loss.

            Tafita is now doing better, eating, smiling  often, and is playing with the other Betikara children. Please pray for Tafita and his two older brothers as they continue to adjust to their new life and home that they have at the Betikara Orphanage.