Ski Madagascar

Committed to Promoting a Country and Contributing to the Development of its People

Brothers Philippe and Mathieu Razanakolona seized a unique opportunity when they represented Madagascar at the Turin Winter Games in 2006. There was much more than the hope of a gold medal behind their Olympic dream; their greatest desire was to take concrete action for their father’s native country. For them, they weren’t just taking part in the world’s most prestigious sports event, they were making the most of an exceptional opportunity to promote and contribute to the development of Madagascar.

Philippe and Mathieu Razanakolona were born in Québec of a Madagascan father and a Québécoise mother. In 1995, when Philippe visited Madagascar for the first time, he was completely taken aback. Why was there such a difference between the standard of living of Canadians and that of Madagascans? Following a second trip in 2003, he decided to personally do something to improve the situation in Madagascar.

It was at this moment that his brother Mathieu, a high-calibre amateur skier, became the cornerstone of his project. He would participate in the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics and thus become the first ever winter Olympian from Madagascar, a country where there isn’t even any snow! Their goal was obviously to attract the attention of the entire planet to the African island nation.

In the words of Mario Pescante, the Italian government’s Games supervisor on the Turin Olympic Committee, “Mathieu Razanakolona may not have won a medal in Turin, but his journey gleams of Olympic spirit. He is one of the first athletes whose primary goal is to promote the development of his country. The Raz brothers have succeeded in knocking down the barriers to their Olympic dream one after the other.”

The President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, also congratulated them: “Your participation in these Games was a first for our country. The entire nation is grateful to you.”

More than a year after the Games, the Ski Madagascar project is still the talk of the town, above all because of its tangible results in Madagascar. The Raz brothers have not drastically altered the situation but they are doing everything they can in order to improve it. And the goal of raising $300,000 for carrying out sustainable development projects should be attained by the end of 2007.

Already, more than $130,000 has been raised. Among other things, an agreement has been reached with the WaterAid organization in order to provide the 1,150 inhabitants of the village of Betafo with drinking water and latrines. Cuisiniers sans frontières has opened a cooking school that aims to socially reintegrate street youth in Mahajanga. The Madagascan folk dance company Landy-Vola-Fotsy has been on tour to raise awareness among young people about the risks associated with certain sexual practices. With the help of students at the École de technologie supérieure, a dairy complex for a village school farm has been built. A scholarship program for Madagascan students has been set up with the participation of the V’là l’Bon Vent troupe from Québec City.

And the positive impact does not end there. Students from the education faculty at UQAM will soon be leaving to carry out internships in Madagascar and in the near future street youth will be able to participate in various projects. Thanks to their commitment, the Raz brothers have made sure that their island will never again be forgotten.

Ski Madagascar