Madie Férère

(by Tess Robeson April 2026)               

“I am interested in growing roots here.”

Madie Férère comes across as energetic and empathetic. Yet there’s more to Madie than meets the eye.  

Madie was born Marie-Denise Férère in Baltimore, Maryland, of Haitian parents. At six months of age she was sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Cap-Haïtien, while her parents prepared to move to West Africa. Madie was reunited with her parents in Korhogo, Cote d’Ivoire, three years later.

“I had a happy childhood,” said Madie, who has an older brother and a younger sister. “I loved to climb trees, build makeshift houses with branches.”

Madie went back to the US for college, studying International Relations in Dayton, Ohio. She then completed a master’s degree in Latin American Studies, with a focus on women and cultural anthropology, in Tucson, Arizona, where she met her future husband Daniel, a Canadian. “We’ve been in love for 40 years now,” shared Madie.

Madie’s career spans numerous positions in government and nonprofit organizations. She worked as a family planning educator for Planned Parenthood in Tucson. She served as a counsellor at a battered women’s shelter in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, as well as a human rights advisor for the University of Guelph. She was a workplace mediator for the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington DC, working closely with the Indian Health Service. She served as a family, workplace, and small claims mediator for the DC Superior Court. “Women’s causes, human rights – these are important to me,” said Madie. “I have a strong commitment to justice.”

Her husband’s work with the University of Egerton in Nakuru, Kenya, and later the World Bank, gave the family the opportunity to live in a number of countries. They lived in Kenya for two years. This was where their first child, Malaïka Mathilde, was born. “In Africa a name carries a lot of weight,” said Madie. “Malaïka means ‘queen, the one who aspires to perfection’ in Kiswahili.” Mathilde is the name of Madie’s paternal grandmother. Their second child is Nehanda Ann. “Nehanda means ‘the leader of the people, the one who leads by example’ according to the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe,” said Madie. “I was committed to raising strong women.”

From Kenya the family moved to Guelph, Canada, then Bethesda, Maryland. “Daniel then got a job in India, where we stayed for three years.” They also lived three and a half years in Abidjan, Côte-d’Ivoire, seven months in Burkina Faso, and four years in Bogota, Colombia.

While in India, Madie studied naturopathy, which emphasizes natural therapies and the body’s ability to heal itself. In Colombia and in Toronto, Canada, Madie trained as a Pilates instructor. “I reinvented myself.” She has been a Stott Pilates Certified Instructor for the past 11 years and has practiced Pilates for 14 years.

Madie’s husband retired in 2021. Their eldest daughter, who had visited Portugal, suggested they explore the place. “We love it here,” said Madie. “The weather is fantastic, and the people are kind.” The couple bought a Moorish-style house in Bicesse, where they live with Madie’s 95-year-old parents.

Madie joined IWP in 2024. “I enjoy socializing, making friends, connecting with women. I wish more Portuguese women would join our organization.”

Madie works part-time as a Pilates instructor. She also provides nutrition counselling. She likes to cook food from various parts of the world, especially the countries she has lived in. She enjoys lifting weights, taking walks with her husband, reading books, and watching movies. She’s looking for dancing classes that will fit into her schedule.

“I’m happy to be here in Portugal,” said Madie. “I am interested in growing roots here.”