UNESCO is strengthening its support for Madagascar by granting $120,000 for the rehabilitation of the Vavitiana Museum and community radio stations in Toamasina, which were severely damaged by Cyclone Gezani. This announcement was made during a meeting at Mahazoarivo between Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison and Louise Haxthausen, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa.
This contribution will allow for the restoration of the Vavitiana Museum, located in the Ampasimazava district, as well as the community radio stations affected by the disaster. Inaugurated in 2020 in a renovated former Creole house, the museum is one of the main sites for preserving the cultural heritage of the Atsinanana region. Its name pays tribute to Timasy Vavitiana, a famous 18th-century healer with whom the site is historically associated.
The museum houses over 1,800 archaeological objects, photographic collections by Jacques Faublée from the Geneva Museum of Ethnography, and exhibitions dedicated to Betsimisaraka traditions, port heritage, and the history of the slave trade, notably through the ‘slave cave’.
Beyond this financial aid, discussions between the Malagasy government and UNESCO covered several national priorities. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the importance of education, particularly through the construction of schools and the development of training programs aligned with labor market needs.
The discussions also touched upon the project to create a museum dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 1948 events at Ampitifirana Ankatso. Furthermore, both parties expressed their desire to intensify cooperation in the fields of biodiversity preservation and the promotion of bamboo culture, which is considered a sustainable solution to deforestation.
Through this new contribution, UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to Madagascar for the preservation of cultural heritage, the strengthening of community media, and sustainable development.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-23 05:38:45 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/toamasina-lunesco-rehabilite-le-musee.html