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Caring Response Madagascar Foundation collaborates with existing missionary
and relief efforts in Madagascar
to identify areas of unmet needs, to develop creative projects to address those needs, and to seek support from private donors
and foundations in order to initiate and sustain our projects.
Caring Response Madagascar Foundation is a charitable nonprofit agency dedicated
to responding to the needs of the poor in Madagascar, particularly
in the district of Tamatave (Toamasina) which lies along the country’s Eastern coastline. It was incorporated in the
the State of Ohio, U.S.A. in November 2001, and has been designated a tax-exempt public charity by the Internal Revenue Service
under Section 501 (c)(3).
This site will present our organization's cause and ideas to the world. As communicating is not always easy, we
try to include photos and images that convey our message. We also include specific information about our organization
and its members, so no one forgets the people behind the work.
Our Story
Caring Response had its beginnings in France when David Wiltse was participating in a study abroad program. He attended
classes with Brother Edwin Joseph, who was studying French in preparation to lead a new development effort among the poor
of Madagascar. They became friends and Brother Edwin invited David to work with him in Madagascar the following summer. During
the summer of 2000, David worked with Brother Edwin in the areas of literacy, education, sanitation and hygiene, healthcare
and micro-lending. Upon his return to the United States, David shared his stories and pictures with his mother, Virginia Wiltse.
Touched by the stories and clear need, Virginia began a correspondence with Brother Edwin. They began to ask questions:
What could they do to alleviate the suffering that David had witnessed? What is the responsibilty of those who have so much
to those who do not even have access to life's basic necessities? The response was Caring Response Madagascar.
Our Leadership Team
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Edwin Joseph, F.S.G., M.Ed, M.A.
Brother Edwin Joseph, F.S.G., has been a member of the Montfort Missionary Society, the Brothers of
St. Gabriel, for 25 years. He has advanced training in education and development and worked in his native India
before coming to Madagascar in 1999. Brother Edwin is assisted
by a team of twelve local leaders, Equipe St. Gabriel, who work with him to monitor and direct the projects of CRMF,
UNICEF and WATERAID.
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Vero Manitra
Vero became the
CRMF literacy coordinator in September 2008. She manages all of the literacy centers and oversees operations at the computer
centers. Vero has seven years prior experience with CRMF; she has taught, trained the literacy center volunteers, worked as
an advocate for the learners and led the 2008 Literacy Day celebration.
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Silvester Marianathan
Silvester, a sanitation technology engineer from India, leads the team constructing the facility
and components for the SANITEC sanitary wares manufacturing facility.
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Virginia Wiltse, Ph.D. -
Vice-President
Ginny serves as the volunteer
director of Caring Response Madagascar Foundation in the United States. She has more than thirty years experience
in the communication arts as a published author, grantwriter, and freelance multi-media producer. She coordinates U.S.
support and fundraising for CRMF’s overseas programs.
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David Wiltse,
M.S. - President
David Wiltse serves as
the president of Caring Response Madagascar Foundation in the United States. He has a B.A. from the University of Notre
Dame concentrating in Development Economics and a Master of Science in International Studies from Georgetown University. David
has taught economics in Lithuania and China. He
has three years of corporate finance experience from General Electric Corporation where he worked in financial analysis, pricing,
and forecasting. David is currently a Presidential Management Fellow with the United States government.
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Board of Trustees: Rev. Christopher Armstrong, Virginia L. Dornheggen, John McKiernan, Thomas E. McKiernan,
E. Huxley Miller, Jr., M.D.
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