STOLEN at the Sarobidy Maternity Center

Posted by on July 17, 2014 in Blog, Uncategorized | 1 comment

We’re super sad to report that the Sarobidy Maternity Center was broken into just before dawn on Sunday morning.  Every-one is OK.  There was no threat to life or injuries for which we’re extremely thankful after a few other burglaries in our city this weekend where this wasn’t the case!!  

Nonetheless, it comes with a whole host of emotions… anger, frustration, sadness, the sense of violation and an underlying uneasiness at noises in the night that would normally go unnoticed.

The thieves got away with a lot of expensive equipment… a fetal doppler, infant scale, 2 full computer set-ups– complete with keyboards, mice, cables, a printer and modem as well as some incidentals… a new soccer ball, a sprinkler head, curtains, yogurt for this week’s snack for the ladies in our program as well as a pot of leftovers that was in the fridge!  Of course, there’s quite a monetary loss in all of these things as well as a work-load loss in all the important information on the computers for the Sarobidy Maternity Center and for Eden Projects.  To add insult to injury, the majority of these items are from the USA.
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To be honest, we have no suspicions of who the thieves were.  We’ve talked to everyone.  We’ve done as much as we can in reporting to the local police while still trying to avoid the heavy corruption that comes with “law enforcement”.  We’re now leaving it in God’s hands and He will be the Judge.  We are however, moving forward so we can continue working and serving the ladies of the Sarobidy Maternity Center.

The total price to replace all the stolen items and replace the weak entry-way doors is $4,000.  You may remember that last month we began to rebuild the perimeter wall around the maternity center with the Westmont students and the Malagasy team.  We’ve planned that this would be an ongoing project over the next several years because of the large perimeter of the property (1,150 feet at 7′ high) and the high price tag of the project.  However, we clearly need to act more quickly on this as this was the second break-in to the maternity center in the last 15 months!  The total price for rebuilding this 45-year old wall is $15,500 with an additional $1,100 if we use barbed wire at the top for added security.  

We’re weary-hearted to come yet again to you, our partners, friends and family with yet another request after all the requests on behalf of Josy’s health.  We’re weary of asking for financial support and guess that many of you may be weary of receiving these requests.  For this, we apologize.  At the same time, we’re quite burdened to share this news with you as we need your help to ease the burden of this loss. The Sarobidy Maternity Center simply doesn’t have the funds to cover the loss of these items without taking from the monthly operating funds to keep our center open.

If you’d like to help us in this way, you can do so by CLICKING HEREwhich will direct you to WorldVenture, our mission agency, where 100% of your tax-deductible gift will be used towards the items above for Sarobidy Maternity Center!

To get a glimpse into the lives of some of the women that we have the privilege of serving at the center, you can read these recent posts, a Grace story and Genotine’s Story.

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For God, who said, “let light shine out of darkness”, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.                  2 Corinthians 4:6-9

Standing firm in Christ.
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1 Comment

  1. Hi Jamie and Alissa,
    I came across your blog and after reading the bad news , I really felt sad because with the cares you give away to people, theft action should not happen in that maternity.
    Frankly saying , I cannot support you financially but will support you with a heart full of prayers.
    My very best regards to you all.
    God bless you.

    Serge , former student of BAO

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