Complexe laitier à Madagascar

Committed to Helping Improve the Living Conditions of a Rural Community

Commitment can mean different things to different people. Some watch the train pass them by while others arrive ahead of it. For Joanie Ferron, Marie-Claude Rochon, Patrick Cyrenne, Benoît Gosselin, Pierre-Luc Hébert and Jean-François Ouellet, six engineering students at the École de technologie supérieure de Montréal, commitment is more like the train itself; a train that stopped for four months in the small village of Ambatolampy, Madagascar, leaving in its wake a lasting impression, an impression full of hope and dynamism that took the form of a fully functional dairy complex, a wonderful and much needed addition to the already existing school farm.

“In a region where farming families make up 90% of the population, a school farm is a means of curbing the rural exodus of young people and of raising the standard of living in the Ambatolampy community,” explained Benoît Gosselin, adding that the addition of a dairy will help improve living conditions in the whole of the region.

Thanks to the $90,000 the six members of the team worked relentlessly to raise and with the help of local workers, they were able to build a dairy complex complete with a ripening cellar and equipped with a cream separator, double boilers, sink and work table. They also built a biodigestor fuelled with pig manure to supply energy to the caretaker’s house.

“We really felt very strongly about building the biodigestor because of the relevance of this energy source in a country that is being deforested for heating. The system is an object of curiosity for everyone who passes by and is a perfect way to raise awareness!” explained the project’s spokesperson.

And, as they still had time and, more importantly, money left over, the team of students took their commitment even further by building a cowshed with a milking parlour to accommodate up to 20 cows. Then, because what’s a cowshed without cows, the group bought four mature cows capable of supplying milk to both the cheese dairy and a neighbouring orphanage that is home to sixty or so children.

“I believe and can confirm that the time these students spent here was a success in every respect! You can use many fine words against racism or tribalism, organise scholarly well-prepared courses, but nothing could ever replace what these young volunteers have achieved. Their departure was heartbreaking for everyone here,” said with emotion Brother Romain Bruno Légaré, Madagascan by adoption for 58 years and the man in charge of the Centre Sacré-Cœur where the school farm is located.

Once everything was set up, the dairy had to be operated. This was why the six members of the group took courses in milk processing before leaving so as to pass on their knowledge to the villagers and the person in charge of the school. As a result, the school farm can now train 18 youngsters a year.

“We are pleased that we were a solid team, capable of tackling the challenges we had to face. Above and beyond the dairy complex, for us the life experience and the human relations were the most significant aspects of our stay. Nothing compares to the rewards of a real-life experience, of sharing and learning,” concluded Benoît Gosselin.

Complexe laitier à Madagascar