Nora Madagascar: A Scandinavian-Malagasy Non-Profit in Sainte Marie
The organization NORA-Madagascar was founded in 2025 by Trine Bom.
In August 2024, she went on vacation to Madagascar—a trip that would change everything: It started as a solo trip, driven by curiosity and a thirst for adventure, but quickly developed into a deep personal commitment to people, communities, and children’s conditions.
From the capital Antananarivo to the lush coasts and small villages of the east coast, she experienced both Madagascar’s unique nature and culture and the complex social challenges facing the country. Meeting local families and children who lacked access to basic rights such as education, health, and security made an indelible impression on her.
She was captivated—not only by the red soil, the rainforest, and the crystal-clear sea—but by the strength, energy, and joie de vivre of the people, despite their adversity.
From guest to commitment: Volunteer work in Madagascar
On the small island of Île aux Nattes – where transportation is on foot or by pirogue – she experienced daily life in the island community. It was a tropical island vacation where excursions became much more than nature experiences – she got close to a completely different culture and a completely different life. During a visit to a remote village on the neighboring island of Île Sainte Marie, she was invited home by a local family, a woman with six children. She gained insight into their everyday life, helped fetch water, cooked food over a campfire, and talked to the family about their lives through an interpreter. It was a turning point.
After returning to Denmark, it was clear to her that she was not done with Madagascar. She longed to return—not just as a traveler, but to immerse herself in island life and find out how she could get more involved in the long term.
She arranged to work remotely for her Danish employer and returned to the island for almost three months. During that time, she also had the opportunity to collaborate with a small local organization that works with primary-school children aged 5-15. It became clear to her how great the need for support was, but also how much could be achieved when local forces and committed people came together.
The start of NORA–Madagascar
Visits to schools in vulnerable villages, where many families live in deep poverty, led to a concrete idea: to set up school kitchens and ensure that children receive a nutritious meal during school hours. Experience and research show that this can make a noticeable difference—not only for children’s health and learning, but for the cohesion of the entire local community.
With this idea, she took the first steps to establish a new organization, created to strengthen local communities and give children better opportunities, based on their own needs and resources. In April 2025, she moved permanently to Île Sainte Marie and founded the organization NORA – Madagascar.
Why NORA?
Our Projects
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Dive into our Projects, meet the Children, explore the Schools & Villages!
Our project in Sahasifototra, Ile Sainte Marie, installs solar lights around the public school. This enhances safety children and teachers.
The kitchen is being built through a true partnership that fosters community ownership from day one. In close collaboration with the school, a major part of the execution is supported by volunteers from the local community.
This initiative is designed to do more than just feed children; it’s about fueling their potential and creating a ripple effect of positive change for the entire community. We believe in the power of a single meal to transform young lives and uplift the whole village.