Who we are
Friends of Boky Mamiko (FBM) is a U.S. public charity dedicated to strengthening communities in Northern Madagascar by advancing opportunity, environmental sustainability, and long-term personal well-being. We work in partnership with Malagasy-led organizations to support five essential pillars of sustainable development: quality education, employment creation, health and nutrition, environmental protection, and scientific research and literary creation.
Our commitment is rooted in a simple belief: lasting change begins with local leadership and personal development. Madagascar is home to extraordinary cultural richness, natural beauty, and resilient individuals; yet, many people in rural areas continue to face barriers to education, economic opportunity, and basic health resources in a country where over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and where only 6% of children who complete elementary school can read. FBM exists to stand alongside these communities, helping expand access to the tools, training, and support needed to build a sustainable future.
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We collaborate with trusted partners, most notably Boky Mamiko, a respected Swiss NGO, to invest in programs that have tangible and lasting impact.
Our mission is to:
Strengthen education by supporting students, teachers, and schools with scholarships, salaries, libraries, books and materials, facilities, and learning opportunities.
Promote employment creation through education and training, community initiatives, and support for local enterprises.
Improve health and nutrition by providing meals for schoolchildren and promoting child health and community wellness through infirmaries and nursing stations.
Protect the environment through initiatives that preserve Madagascar’s unique biodiversity and promote sustainable practices.
Advance scientific research and literary work that enriches local knowledge, cultural expression, and community development
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We believe in collaboration over charity. We partner directly with vetted Malagasy schools and organizations that understand their communities best, providing financial support, capacity-building, technical assistance, and international awareness.
Our work includes:
Funding essential programs and facilities
Supporting students through scholarships
Strengthening community-led initiatives
Providing accurate documentation and transparency
Sharing Madagascar’s stories, needs, and successes with global audiences
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Madagascar is one of the most culturally rich and environmentally unique places in the world. It is also one of the most underserved. Many communities, particularly in rural areas, lack consistent access to education, healthcare services, and income-generating opportunities.
Yet despite these challenges, the strength, creativity, and resilience of the Malagasy people inspire everything we do. FBM is honored to support their efforts and stand beside them in building a brighter future!
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FBM is dedicated to transparency, stewardship, and responsible partnership. Every donation directly supports programs and organizations working on the ground, ensuring that impact is both meaningful and measurable.
Every motivated and talented child and young person deserves opportunity, every community deserves respect, and every partnership must be rooted in trust.
Meet the Board
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Andrew Starcher
PRESIDENT AND CHAIR
Andrew will always be grateful to the people of Madagascar for welcoming him into their lives and for allowing him to continue to pursue his personal mission of creating learning opportunities for talented and motivated young people in parts of the world where good options are scarce. The work of the Swiss-Italian NGO Boky Mamiko (“Books My Love”) has convinced him of the value and effectiveness of small-scale, long-term commitments to the development of individuals and schools that will in turn grow their communities, gradually becoming self-supporting.Before co-founding Friends of Boky Mamiko (USA), Andrew previously served as Vice President of Boky Mamiko (Switzerland/Italy). As President and Chair of Friends of Boky Mamiko, he is responsible for leading the organization, overseeing finances, evaluating impact, and building and maintaining relationships. His main job is to listen. He visits students and partners in Madagascar at least twice a year, monitoring progress, interviewing prospective scholarship students, and co-leading workshops for students and teachers.
Andrew’s career has been centered on international higher education management, teacher education, and English language teaching. He has served as the Chief Academic Officer of Franklin University Switzerland (Lugano, Switzerland), the American University of Afghanistan (Kabul, Afghanistan), and the Asian University for Women (Chittagong, Bangladesh). Previous affiliations include the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, Switzerland. Andrew holds degrees from the University of Bath (UK), the University of Washington (Seattle, USA), and Williams College (Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA).
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Maura Feenan
DIRECTOR - SECRETARY
Throughout her extensive career, Maura has built a reputation for bringing clarity, compassion, and purpose to every organization she serves. With comprehensive experience in executive leadership roles, she has led teams, managed complex initiatives, and supported mission-driven work across multiple sectors. Her background spans business ownership, corporate training, freelance writing and documentation, public speaking, and event planning, all of which have strengthened her ability to communicate effectively and mobilize support for meaningful causes.Maura has also contributed her expertise to several nonprofit boards, deepening her commitment to community impact and organizational excellence.
Her dedication to the people of rural Madagascar began four years ago and has deepened as she has witnessed both the challenges and the extraordinary resilience of these communities. Today, she is passionately committed to advancing the mission of Friends of Boky Mamiko.
As Secretary of the organization, Maura focuses on maintaining accurate documentation, raising awareness, and securing essential resources to support Friends of Boky Mamiko’s partners and programs. This work aligns with her lifelong belief in education, opportunity, and human dignity.
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Amanda Starcher
DIRECTOR - TREASURER
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Bridget Bilger
DIRECTOR
Bridget is currently pursuing a Master of Science in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies at the London School of Economics, critically examining how development goals can be profoundly human and humbling when viewed through the eyes of those who live within their realities and consequences.Bridget’s connection to Boky Mamiko began four years ago during her undergraduate studies in International Relations at Franklin University Switzerland, where she began working with Boky Mamiko and conducting academic research on rural Madagascar. Her research interests include demographic transition, health and nutrition, and child marriage, and how these issues can be supported through quality education and decent work opportunities, specifically in North-West Madagascar.
Bridget has played an active role in supporting Boky Mamiko’s mission. She founded and served as President of Naman’ny Boky Mamiko, a student organization dedicated to fundraising, advocacy, and community engagement in support of the NGO's initiatives. Through this role, she organized fundraising events, liaised with local partners, and helped translate academic ideas into tangible support for children and communities in Madagascar.
Bridget has also worked directly with Boky Mamiko throughout two internships focused on curriculum development, workshop design aligned with the Malagasy education system, and coordination with local partners in Madagascar. Bridget is also the author of the children’s book, Caroline é Leon, published with Boky Mamiko, and in use in Malagasy schools.
In 2025, she joined the Board of Directors of Friends of Boky Mamiko USA, where she continues to support the organization’s work across education, nutrition, environmental protection, and community-led development. A central belief of Bridget’s is that children’s futures should not be constrained by the circumstances they were born into, and that locally rooted, dignified education is one of the most powerful tools for lasting change.
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Rossana Galli
DIRECTOR
