From Réunion to Madagascar, Tsiky is making the diaspora an engine of cooperation

Chaired by Sandrine Ernould, a doctor based in Réunion and of Malagasy descent, the Tsiky association has been developing health and education initiatives in Madagascar for several years. With CORÉOM, it has taken a new step by structuring a first aid training project based on a strong conviction: effective cooperation must stem from local needs and sustainably strengthen local skills.

The ties between Reunion Island and Madagascar are long-standing, personal, familial, and professional. They also constitute a valuable resource for building cooperation projects that are closely aligned with local realities.

It is in this space between two territories that the journey of Sandrine Ernould, president of Tsiky. A doctor and head of the pediatrics department in a public hospital in Reunion Island, she is also deeply involved in Madagascar, where the association has been carrying out actions in the fields of health and education for several years.

This dual affiliation gives Tsiky a unique position. The association understands the realities on the ground in Madagascar, works with long-standing local partners, and can simultaneously mobilize high-level medical, educational, and institutional expertise in Réunion.

For Sandrine Ernould, this knowledge of the two environments profoundly changes the way cooperation is conceived.

«"We start from the ground up. We're not going to invent things with our concepts."»

Start with the needs before seeking funding

The project supported by CORÉOM did not originate from a call for projects requiring the development of a new idea. It is the result of needs already identified and existing dynamics.

For several years, Tsiky has been conducting health education programs in rural schools in Madagascar. At the same time, medical students doing their internships in Sandrine Ernould's department wanted to participate in the association's activities. She then set a clear condition: this was not about going to Madagascar for a few days to experience "solidarity tourism".

«"You are medical students: if you participate, you must bring something personal, particularly in the area of health education."»

The students propose to work on life-saving techniques. This idea aligns with discussions already underway with a partner in Réunion specializing in medical simulation and emergency response training.

It primarily addresses a concrete need observed in Madagascar. Following an audit conducted in health facilities in Majunga, Sandrine Ernould identified the lack of practical training in emergency procedures as a key area for improvement.

The different elements then begin to come together: locally identified needs, mobilized students, available expertise in Reunion Island, Malagasy partners already committed.

CORÉOM becomes an opportunity to transform this dynamic into a structured project.

CORÉOM: Taking a step forward in professionalization

For Tsiky, CORÉOM also represents a change of scale. It is the first significant funding obtained by the association. Until now, the organization had grown gradually, developing its activities at a pace dictated by its resources. With CORÉOM, it enters a new phase of professionalization.

Sandrine Ernould already had experience in writing projects, but the support offered within the framework of the program allows her to strengthen certain dimensions, in particular budget construction.

According to her, the added value of the system lies precisely in this possibility of not having to deal with the case alone.

«"When you're an association, you're not necessarily a professional at project development. You need guidance."»

The support helps him in particular to better assess the real costs of the project, not to underestimate expenses and to structure the budget more precisely.

This skills development extends beyond the association setting. Sandrine Ernould notes that she now reuses methods and reflexes acquired while developing Tsiky's projects in her hospital work in Réunion.

«"What I learn with the association, I now put into practice to create projects at the hospital."»

Cooperation thus becomes a two-way flow of skills: Reunion Island provides expertise, but the associative experience also enriches Reunion Island's professional practices.

Circulating skills rather than multiplying tasks

Tsiky's philosophy is based on a strong distinction between one-off intervention and sustainable cooperation.

As a young doctor, Sandrine Ernould had already been asked to participate in medical missions to Madagascar. She had chosen not to join initiatives that mainly consisted of sending teams for a few days to conduct consultations before returning home.

«"We have consultations, we're happy, then we leave and nothing happens. I wasn't interested in that."»

With Tsiky, the objective is different: to train, transmit, structure skills and enable local actors to continue the actions.

As part of the CORÉOM project, 13 teachers and 12 nurses have received professional training in emergency procedures. Fifteen representatives They were also trained in facilitating health-related group activities.

A Malagasy project manager underwent training in Reunion Island to become a trainer herself.

This logic of transmission is essential for Sandrine Ernould: Malagasy professionals must be able to access the same levels of quality and requirements as those offered in Reunion Island.

«"It's about offering the best to those who are in Madagascar."»

To achieve this, Tsiky mobilized key partners from Reunion Island, particularly in the fields of medical simulation and health promotion.

To produce tools adapted to the Malagasy context

CORÉOM also enabled the association to further professionalize its teaching materials: for example, a graphic designer was brought in to produce illustrated tools adapted for Malagasy children, and simulation mannequins were also used to make the training more concrete. The association worked in about ten schools, including in rural areas requiring several hours of travel.

These new resources now constitute a true educational asset for Tsiky.

They also open up a prospect of sustainability: in the long term, once a sufficient team of local trainers has been established, the association plans to offer paid training courses to companies in Majunga.

The tools produced within the framework of the project could thus become not only widely disseminated educational resources but also a component of the association's future economic model.

The diaspora, a bridge between two systems

Tsiky's experience also shows what an association supported by the diaspora can bring.

Sandrine Ernould is familiar with both the codes of French and European funding mechanisms and the social and institutional realities of Madagascar.

This ability to navigate between several worlds becomes particularly important when it comes to translating local needs into the language of calls for projects.

She also notes that Malagasy professionals can perfectly master the technical dimensions of a project, while being less familiar with certain cross-cutting concepts expected by donors: gender equality, resilience, environmental viability, impacts or sustainable development.

The question, therefore, is not simply one of "doing instead of," but of creating bridges between different frames of reference. The diaspora can precisely play this role of translation, provided that to stay connected to the field and not to impose frameworks designed elsewhere.

This close connection to the field is one of the main factors in Tsiky's success.

In Madagascar, the association works with educational and health authorities, schools, and various local stakeholders. For Sandrine Ernould, cooperation cannot function without this involvement.

«"We are truly working hand in hand with the local authorities."»

Knowledge of the territory also makes it possible to identify boundaries and risks.

During the project, some of the schools initially planned had to be excluded due to access difficulties during the rainy season. Some of the journeys presented too great a risk for the teams.

This experience leaves one question open: how to reach the most remote populations without exposing volunteers and professionals to disproportionate risks?

«"How do we reach places where the car can't go? I don't know the answer to that question yet!"»

Recognizing this limitation is also part of the association's stance: not to try to intervene everywhere at the expense of team safety.

After CORÉOM, expand the project to the communities

Tsiky is now considering a new step. Rather than immediately continuing towards ever more remote areas, the association wishes to develop a project focused on drowning prevention in the coastal areas of Majunga.

This new direction stems directly from the lessons learned by the CORÉOM project. The training programs for children generated requests from adults and local partners. Tsiky therefore wishes to expand its activities to include parents, communities, and especially fishermen.

«"The idea is to educate the children, but also the community."»

The association is currently working to continue this momentum, particularly through new regional cooperation funding and support from the Réunion Region.

Turning belonging to two territories into a strength

The journey of Sandrine Ernould and Tsiky ultimately reminds us that diasporas are not just communities established outside their country of origin.

They can be key players in international solidarity, capable of linking territories, mobilizing professional networks, facilitating dialogue between institutions and contributing to the circulation of knowledge.

In Tsiky's case, the diaspora is not simply an emotional link with Madagascar. It becomes an operational resource for building a more rooted, more demanding and more sustainable cooperation.

And behind this experience emerges a simple principle: the quality of a project is not measured solely by what is brought from one territory to another, but by what can continue to exist, to be passed on and to grow after the implementation of a project.