Health and Environmental Initiatives
Ny Tanintsika has been pioneering new initiatives to integrate health and environment work in Madagascar since 2003
What
Teacher-training courses, support for school-based environmental and health actions, rural wind-up / solar-powered radio programmes based around listening groups, community-based farmer-to-farmer and pupil-to-family teaching techniques, "champion community" contests, adult literacy programmes and school canteens as a reward for good forest management . all of these are new approaches adopted by Ny Tanintsika.
Why
With the aim of improving standards of living whilst preserving the biodiversity-rich environment of Madagascar, using such an “integrated” approach has been found to be more effective in tackling the root causes of poverty and environmental degradation.
Results
The results have been significant; for example, in twenty villages over just one year; the reforestation of ten hectares with over 25,000 trees, the adoption of improved rice-farming techniques covering 300km² (with an average ten-fold increase in yields), assistance to the construction of over 50 latrines, the provision of clean water supplies to 5 villages, a 19% increase in the adoption of family planning methods, new or improved income-generating activities for over 500 households and the opening of 6 nutritional-surveillance centres aimed at improving the health of women and children…
But most important of all is the appropriation of the project by the communities themselves; villages identifying their own targets for the year and forming committees to animate and report on village actions. Monthly reports are sent by these committees to the centralised commune committee, made up of local authorities and representatives from local public services (education, health …), who ensure the continued monitoring of programme results. This capacity-building at the commune level is essential to ensure the sustainability and continuation of such development initiatives.