Two Gatherings.
One Unbroken Story.
From Monday to Friday, the children of Ciel Ouvert mothers are with us at the centre. And every Sunday, a hundred more come — some with their parents, some straight from the streets. All of them find the same thing: love, belonging, and a future being shaped by God’s hand.
The children come twice — and both times, they belong.
Agape House holds children in two distinct but deeply connected ways. Understanding both is understanding what this ministry is truly building.
Children of the Ciel Ouvert Mothers
When a mother joins the Ciel Ouvert programme to weave raphia bags and rebuild her livelihood, she doesn’t leave her child behind. Both come to the centre. Both are fed. While she works, her child learns, creates, and grows — just a room away.
These children are with us every weekday. They know our faces. We know their names. They are not visitors — they are family.
One Hundred Children at Greater Glory Tabernacle
Every Sunday, around a hundred children gather at Greater Glory Tabernacle. Half come with their parents. The other half arrive alone — straight from the surrounding streets — because they know that here, something is different.
Here they are seen. Valued. Told the truth that many have never heard: that they are children of God, not children of the street.
From the streets to the sanctuary — every single week
Every Sunday, the children’s department at Greater Glory Tabernacle becomes something rare in Antananarivo: a place where a child’s worth is not determined by their address, their clothes, or whether they came with a parent.
Around a hundred children gather each week. Some are brought by mothers who also attend Agape House programmes during the week. But roughly half come entirely on their own — drawn from the streets and neighbourhoods around the church by something they cannot fully name but deeply feel: that they are wanted here.
- Bible heroes brought to life through stories, quizzes, and games
- Painting, drawing, and creative expression workshops
- Malagasy artisanal craft — building, painting, taking home with pride
- The Little Math Club — making numbers joyful and accessible
- Discovery sessions opening minds to the world beyond the street
- Every child fed, every child named, every child celebrated
The Sunday children and the weekday children — they are becoming one community.
What makes this work extraordinary is not just the scale — it is the continuity. The children who come to the Agape House centre Monday through Friday with their mothers are the same children who return on Sunday with the wider gathering. They are building friendships across both worlds. They are growing up together.
And as we develop the Snack & Math programme, it will serve both groups: the weekday children who are with us daily, and the Sunday children who gather weekly. The older ones will mentor the younger ones — just as Dr. Charlene Sheets pioneered in Charlotte — turning the children of today into the champions of tomorrow.
One centre. Two rhythms. One unbroken story of children being transformed.
One centre. Two transformations happening at once.
When a mother joins Ciel Ouvert, she doesn’t choose between work and her child. Both come. Both are cared for. Both grow.
Arrive at the Centre
Vulnerable mothers and young women come every weekday morning.
Craft Raphia Bags
They spend the day hand-weaving beautiful bags — earning dignified income.
Fed Together
Mothers and children receive nutritious meals at the centre — no one leaves hungry.
Learn & Create
While mum works, children engage in drawing, crafts, stories — and soon, Snack & Math!
Go Home Stronger
Mother with income, child with new skills, both with full hearts and full stomachs.
Faces of Agape House
“A child who knows they are loved becomes an adult who stands tall — capable of dreaming and transforming their community.”
Agape House Foundation
Children at Greater Glory Tabernacle & Agape House Centre · Antananarivo, Madagascar
“A mother weaving with her hands, a child learning with their mind — two futures being woven at the same time, in the same place, by the same grace.”
Agape House Foundation · Ciel Ouvert & Children’s Centre
Introducing
Snack & Math
at Agape House
Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Dr. Charlene Sheets and the Snack N’ Math programme in Charlotte, NC — we are launching our own Snack & Math initiative here at the Agape House Centre.
We already have the children gathered every day of the week — weekday children with their mothers, and the Sunday hundred from the surrounding streets. We have the space. We have the relationships. Now we are building the programme.
The vision: every snack time becomes a math moment. Numbers become joyful. Learning feels like belonging. And the older children — those who have been shaped by these programmes — become mentors for the younger ones coming behind them.
Snack Time = Math Time
Counting, sorting, and problem-solving woven naturally into every meal.
Games & Puzzles
Hands-on math games designed for ages 3–12 — building logic through play.
Youth Peer Mentors
Older children mentoring younger ones — the Snack N’ Math model, made Malagasy.
Real-World Math
Measuring, building, crafting — connecting numbers to the world they already know.
Dr. Sheets built something rare: a mathematics enrichment programme that makes learning genuinely accessible and joyful for children in under-resourced communities. Her model trains local high school and college students as peer mentors — turning older youth into champions for younger children’s mathematical confidence.
Her research in problem-posing and problem-solving has shaped how we think about what children are truly capable of when someone believes in them and gives them the right environment.
We are honoured to carry that vision to Antananarivo — to the children of Ciel Ouvert mothers and the Sunday hundred alike — proving that mathematical joy knows no geography.
Why This Vision Matters
“It fills my heart with immense joy and pride to witness the incredible journey of the Snack N’ Math initiative as it spreads its wings into Madagascar. What began as a simple vision to make mathematics joyful and accessible for children is now inspiring communities across continents. Seeing Agape House embrace this model for the children they serve is both humbling and exciting. Every child deserves the opportunity to discover confidence, curiosity, and hope through learning.”
Every weekday, something is growing here.
The children who are with us every day follow a structured weekly rhythm designed to develop the whole child — mind, heart, and hands.
Drawing & free expression — children tell their stories through art
Snack & Math — puzzles, counting games, and number discovery
Story & Bible time — identity, values, and imaginative listening
Hands-on crafts — building with local materials, just like their mothers
Discovery & nature — curiosity sessions opening minds to the wider world
Across the week and across the Sunday — every child grows.
Whether they are weekday children at the centre or Sunday children at the church, every programme is designed to develop the whole person.
Snack & Math New
Mathematics made joyful — counting, sorting, and problem-solving woven into snack time, inspired by Dr. Charlene Sheets.
Drawing & Painting
A free space to express emotions, develop fine motor skills, and discover creativity through color and line.
Bible Stories
Heroes of faith brought to life through storytelling, quizzes, and games — building identity from the ground up.
Hands-On Craft
Malagasy artisanal building with wood and local materials — children create, paint, and take home their work with pride.
Daily Meals
Every child and every mother is fed at the centre — a hot, nutritious meal that says: you matter, you belong here.
Discovery Sessions
Nature walks, sensory exploration, and curiosity sessions that open young minds to the beauty and possibilities of the world.
Every Child Deserves a Place to Belong.
Every weekday, children learn while their mothers rebuild their lives. Every Sunday, children arrive looking for friendship, encouragement, and hope. Through meals, mentoring, creativity, faith, and learning, lives are being shaped for a brighter future.Together, we can ensure that every child who walks through our doors is welcomed, nourished, equipped, and loved.