IRC Africa, a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the USA, operates in southern Madagascar, a region facing economic hardships and significant unemployment among women. We focus on empowering women, enhancing their safety and independence, and addressing gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and forced early marriages.
Employment is critical to economic independence, so we promote professional training for women and integrate digitization into our activities to bridge the digital divide. Additionally, we provide emotional, medical, and legal support to women while respecting local culture and ensuring sustainability for a secure and sustainable future.
We are not part of the “International Rescue Committee (IRC)”
Through our initiatives and programs, IRC Africa has provided large volumes of essential sorghum seeds to hundreds of rural families suffering from drought. This has restored their economic independence by renewing the seed cycle, delivering new opportunities and avoiding catastrophic poverty and food deprivation. We enrolled eight children in a private elementary school, giving them access to quality education that will benefit each individual, but also provide long-term advantages for their communities. We supported women in developing independent businesses and funded vocational studies, strengthening their economic independence. Taking a holistic approach to improving life across the region, we provided nutritional assistance to needy families, essential for their health and quality of life, with a goal of eliminating hunger in all communities over time. These are just a few examples of the tremendous impact of your contributions. Join us to continue changing lives – every donation makes a difference!
In the communities we work with, we find that many women are single mothers who have been abandoned by their partners. They face economic and existential distress and ongoing challenges that impact quality of life. Being exposed to exploitation, sexual violence, and abuse, they struggle continually. It has a larger impact than the individuals too, with over 30% of the children of these single mothers being malnourished. We promote several programs aimed at strengthening the economic and personal independence of these women through vocational training, psychological support, and the establishment of support centers for victims of violence. We strive to improve their lives and ensure a better future for the women and their children.
In early 2022, Eldad Garfunkel, founder of IRC Africa, arrived in Madagascar on a solo trip of discovery. Eldad is a social entrepreneur, environmental activist, vegan, and spiritual guide for patients with life-threatening illnesses. Above all, he is a complex and multidisciplinary figure. Throughout his life, Eldad has faced many challenges, including battling a rare disease, CIDP, that affected the nerves in his hands and feet. But he has overcome it all, and following a lengthy rehabilitation, he returned to full function and continued leading social and technological initiatives.
During his visit to Madagascar, Eldad encountered the harsh reality of hunger, thirst, diseases, and a lack of basic services that the people in this region must deal with on a daily basis. While volunteering at a local clinic under the auspices of the Brazilian aid organization FSF, he realized the deep need for immediate and prolonged action. His rich experience in this kind of work, along with the connection with the local community he built over more than 100 days working closely with them as a volunteer gave him a deep understanding of the region’s unique challenges.
We are actively recruiting caring individuals whose goals align with IRC Africa and who will contribute their knowledge and experience.
Making a change is not easy, but we know that it can be done.
We are open to new initiatives, ideas, and collaborations.
Join us and collaborate in various channels of activity to promote innovation in Africa:
We promise not to be a nuisance and only send updates on our projects and plans if you are genuinely interested.
