What

The Champion Community approach has been promoted by USAID through its ERI and SantéNet programmes. It aims to integrate five key areas of development: improved healthcare and sanitation, environmental protection, good governance, education and economic development. "Champion Community" encourages the participation of all members of the community, not only in the implementation of activities, but also the setting of objectives related to the five categories; objectives which are achievable and to the benefit of the whole community. Field staff give support to village volunteers, and progress is monitored by community development committees. This self-governing approach seeks to motivate the community to change their behaviour which leads to sustainable improvements to their quality of life. Ny Tanintsika - Feedback Madagascar currently supports thirteen communities with this approach: four in the Ambalavao district and nine in the Ikongo district.

Why

The Malagasy government is currently seeking to promote rapid and sustainable development through reducing poverty on a local level. Within this framework, the Champion Community approach seeks to promote the achievement of important, yet attainable, objectives which offer immediate and measurable results that in turn encourage behaviour change and sustainable development within the rural communities of SE Madagascar.

Sustainable development is dependant on the participation of the community at all levels. The four areas of development identified by the Champion Community project are interlinked and must be addressed simultaneously in order to achieve development goals which have long lasting effects. Sustainable resource management and improved healthcare and sanitation are dependant on good governance within a rural community. Without working on all these aspects, economic development, which leads to poverty reduction, cannot be achieved.

Ny Tanintsika - Feedback Madagascar is working within communities where the use of family planning is very low. Malnutrition and poor sanitation is widespread. Poor health care and low levels of sanitation mean that people are unable to work and therefore productivity falls.

Another key objective of this approach is to address the problem of the "burning season". During the dry months of the year vast areas of forest and shrub land are burnt to make way for cattle grazing ; with devastating effects both environmentally and agriculturally, and is leading to current water shortages in Madagascar.

Results

Community educators and field staff have worked closely with local communities to implement changes relating to the five categories of the programme and there have been great improvements made in most areas.

A community is awarded the status of "Champion Community" when they have achieved the objectives set at the beginning of the project and receive a star for each of the five categories. "Champion Community" status was granted to three communities in the first phase of this project (2005 - 2006) after evaluation, and festivals were held to celebrate their achievements, during which certificates and prizes were distributed.

The second phase of this project (2007-8) was evaluated in 2008 for the 13 communities. The results are as follows; 7 out of 7 achieved their health objectives, 9 out of 10 achieved their environment and good governance objectives, and all 10 achieved their objectives related to economic development. Festivals are being held between January and March 2008 to celebrate these significant achievements. Ny Tanintsika-Feedback Madagascar is currently seeking funding in order to continue our support to local authorities and community development committees in their adoption of the approach; to set new objectives, to continue monitoring and evaluation for the next year.