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Newsletter
Eugenie accepting funding from FFEM/AFD.
The silk trail
The village of Soatanana is a new tourist destination in the Amoron’i Mania region. For adventurous people wanting to discover local culture & village life, visitors have the opportunity to stay within the community. The women’s cooperative ‘Tambatra’ provides meals, weaving demonstrations & even lessons! This year, Ny Tanintsika has received funding from the French Fund for Global Environment (FFEM/AFD) to promote community-based ecotourism in the village. This is integrated with our existing project to improve hygiene & sanitation in the area; the ‘silk trail’ has become a pilot site for USAID’s programme to promote hygiene. We are also partnering up with the regional tourism office (ORTAM) to further develop this village as a tourist destination as well as the marketing of silk products.
Interested in taking part in a Silk Trail Homestay? Contact us for more details
Student Volunteers
UK Students help Madagascar
Over one hundred students from the UK came to Madagascar during their summer holidays & worked with FBM/NT on small construction projects in rural communities. The associations of student volunteers all aimed to promote health and hygiene awareness in the districts of Ikongo & Ambalavao; SKIP continued building 3 community nutrition centres, World Challenge repaired rural health clinics, while Outlook Expedition volunteers built a women’s association crafts sales point near a National Park, as well as public latrines.
Tuberculosis affects all members of Malagasy communities, young and old.
The Struggle against TB
The campaign to stem the spread of tuberculosis continues. Because of cultural taboos & financial barriers to treatment, many villagers do not actively seek diagnosis or care at the local government health centres. Recognising these barriers, FBM/NT’s programme to raise awareness and promote continued treatment addresses such issues as inability to pay for transport to get diagnostic testing. 126 health volunteers have been trained to recognise symptoms of TB & to accompany & monitor patients’ taking of medicines, to prevent a lapse in treatment & consequent resistance to the medication. Through a generous grant from The Besom, health volunteers have access to bicycles to fetch medicines from the health centres for rural patients.
Weaver preparing materials
Fair Trade for the Fairer Sex
In 2006, FBM/NT catalysed the creation of the women’s association ‘Soamiray’ in Ambohimahamasina to develop basketry into a sustainable & income-generating activity. Now Soamiray, who produces baskets, handbags, placemats, hats and other wicker items, is making products of better quality that are ready for the international market, & the fair trade company Hazomanga is their main client. Over 70 women work in 11 workshops spread over different villages &, with new funding from the French Embassy for a 2 year project, this is set to increase.
If you are interested in ordering any of these basketry products, please contact Hazomanga at www.hazomanga.com or email stephane@hazomanga.com.
Rainforest
Supporting Community Action to save the Rainforest
Madagascar’s magnificent natural resources are the pride of the Malagasy government & the people, but it takes active community-based resource management to protect the remaining rainforest ‘corridor’. The rainforest provides for not only natural biodiversity, but also serves as a water stock for the surrounding communities & the south of the island. In collaboration with Conservation International, FBM/NT financed 18 mini- projects that were proposed by associations & forest-management groups in these communities; including income-generating activities, reforestation, awareness-raising & trainings. Achievements have been tremendous; villagers have seen improvements to their livelihoods as a result of rainforest protection. It only costs £200 to support a small conservation project, which can make all the difference for the Madagascar rainforest… FBM/NT welcomes all contributions.
Yams!
Clams for Yams
Feedback teamed up with the Royal Botanical Gardens - Kew to conduct a study on local yam species & their various uses, by training up members of the local forest management associations in survey techniques & specimen collection. Yams are an important food for villages near the rainforest corridor, as they are nutritious & can serve as a substitute for rice during the hungry season. In an exciting turn of events, the survey found an unidentified species of yam, as well as the rare Dioscorea Tanalarum. Following the survey, FBM & Kew are developing a project to promote the sustainable cultivation of yams in local communities, with the aim of conservation & improved food security.
Inauguration ceremony at Anivorano school
Education for all
Members of the FBM/NT team, local officials, traditional leaders, villagers & schoolchildren attended an inauguration ceremony for a new primary school in Anivorano, Ambolomadinika commune. The ceremony included the traditional sacrifice of a zebu, a village feast, & festivities that lasted the whole day. Anivorano previously had no primary school, & pupils were unable to cross the river to attend classes in Ambolomadinika’s overcrowded school during the rainy season. Built with a generous donation from Tara & Alex Nairn, the new primary school will allow children to attend classes year round in Anivorano.
Help us create more Champion Communities!
More communities were declared “champions” this year as this innovating approach to promote local auto-development was expanded into new areas. Thirteen communities participated, setting objectives in the fields of health / environment / economic development & governance, with assistance from FBM/NT. An evaluation carried out by government services in each sector found that, in less than one year, the majority of objectives had been met & communities could proceed with festivities to celebrate the success. Community development committees are being encouraged to continue their efforts by setting new objectives for the following year; however funds are desperately needed in order to continue support to these remote areas.
Our fundraising target is £1,500… but every small donation makes a big difference…
- £5 pays for a development handbook to chart communities’ progress
- £33 pays for a megaphone for awareness-raising
- £70 pays for training for a fire-prevention committee
- £100 pays for a prize to reward the community for achieving their objectives
Beautiful silk scarves, the fruit of cottage industries set up with our help in conjunction with 1000 Livelihood Appeal.
Launch! 1000 Livelihoods Appeal 2007-2008
Our Sustainable Livelihoods campaign aims to raise £20,000 to help people out of rural poverty and build a better future, by providing them with a sustainable income through a range of tried and tested cottage industries.Silk production and weaving, wickerwork/basketry crafts and bee-keeping have all proved to be reliable, successful businesses in rural Madagascar. With the launch of our new appeal we are confident that we will be able get as many as 1,000 people out of the rut of rural poverty, and into Sustainable Livelihoods, for life. More info click here >>
You can purchase the products that are created through this appeal:
Buy Silk Scarves made by the women's cooperative at www.fullcircletrade.com
Buy Basketry and Wickerwork products at www.hazomanga.com
A small selection of the online retailers who contribute to our fundraising through www.easyfundraising.org.uk
New Easy-Fundraising Initiatives
Feedback Madagascar has joined forces with www.easyfundraising.org.uk to enable people to support us with even more ease and at no cost to them! Just by shopping on line as you normally would or using the www.easysearch.org.uk search engine (powered by yahoo) you can help make a difference to the lives of the people of Madagascar. For more info click here>>
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