Summary

In Madagascar 70% of people live below the poverty line in isolated rural communities, working in subsistence agriculture and fishing. Livelihood diversity is very limited in the South East, with most agricultural land given over to the staples of rice and manioc. Rapid population growth and decreasing availability of fertile land are rendering traditional agricultural practices unsustainable, yet there are no information sources available to the rural poor on ways to improve or implement alternative livelihood strategies. This has caused stagnation of the agricultural sector, increased deforestation and led to growing problems of food insecurity and malnutrition. People remain dependent on dwindling harvests and are increasingly vulnerable to climatic shocks.

This project expands upon our award-winning Sustainable Livelihoods training & capacity building programme for rural communities in the Anosy region. This was set up in 2001 to improve access of the poorest people, including women, to affordable, appropriate, practical information which they can use to help themselves. In the project zone of 2 rural communes Mahatalaky & Mandromondromotra[where? Give names.] the project continues to provide households with practical training in the most sought after livelihoods techniques, such as new and improved cultivation techniques and beekeeping.

The project will also increase access to livelihoods information for communities across the region through a new collaboration with Siren Conservation UK, a charity implementing the PACE (Pan Africa Conservation & Education) project across Africa which produces ‘Action Sheets’ of practical livelihoods information including water & forest management, energy conservation, alternative energy & soil conservation aimed at government & community development workers & teachers. This project will translate into Malagasy and distribute over 400 pages of livelihoods information to development workers in the region.

Project Aims

• To contribute to the implementation of the Madagascar Action Plan Engagement Commitment 4 (Rural Development), challenge 3 ‘to launch a sustainable green revolution’, which prioritizes projects encouraging crops diversification and reform of agricultural practices.

• To contribute to the implementation of the Madagascar Action Plan Engagement Commitment 7 (Environment), challenge 2 ‘to reduce the natural resource degradation process’, which prioritizes the promotion of alternative, more sustainable livelihoods practices

Purpose

To bring sustainable alleviation from poverty for rural communities in the Anosy region through the provision of practical livelihoods training and by facilitating access to educational resources which improve life quality in accordance with the Madagascar Action Plan.

Objectives

1. To improve capacity of rural households in two rural communes to increase income through livelihood diversification.

2. To improve capacity of rural households in two rural communes to increase food security through livelihood diversification.

3. To distribute 200 manuals of practical livelihoods techniques to participating community organisations and development workers, who will be able to introduce techniques into their communities.

Principal Activities

Training through extension
Our community extension agents set up demonstration areas in the community to raise local awareness of new and improved livelihoods techniques. After practical demonstrations of the techniques by the agent, participants replicate the techniques for themselves, overseen and supported by the agent.

Small grants
Provision of small seed grants to participants for the purchase of the inputs needed to establish an income generating activity.

Publication
The project will adapt the PACE Action Sheets into the local context and translate them into the local Malagasy dialect. Copies will be produced & distributed to community development workers including NGOs, associations, churches, teachers & government workers. These are literate and motivated groups and individuals who will be able to use the information to tackle poverty and improve livelihoods within their own communities. Feedback will be reported to PACE, for development of the definitive publication for national distribution in Madagascar.