Reduce poverty; save the environment; plant giant yams. That appears to be the magic formula in Madagascar—although it leaves out a few key details. Masoala Mikary ran from 2012-2016 with the generous support of the European Union and the French Government. It also partnered closely with local government actors in Madagascar. With a little under half a million dollars and 4 years, the project was able to reach 19,000 people directly, and 122,313 indirectly.
What did we accomplish?
- Reduce poverty: The number of families living below $1 a day dropped by 59%, down to 29% at the end of the project. Families saw a 50% increase in their income.
- Reduce hunger: 63% of households were able to cut the hungry season in half (from 6 months to 3), and 75.6% of families now have enough food to last at least 9 months of the year. That’s a 25% improvement since 2012.
- Improve yields: Farmers saw a 9 fold increase in yam production, and a 140% increase in rice production using improved agricultural techniques and better seeds.
- Protect the environment: In the protected areas near the communities where CARE worked, deforestation due to illegal tree cutting dropped 70%, poaching by 76%, and illegal mining activities by 84%.
How did we get there?
- Put communities in charge: The project worked with 52 community forest management committees to improve governance and involvement in the way the protected areas worked.
- Improve Infrastructure: The project worked with communities to select investments for infrastructure, and fixed up 50 kilometers of roads and built 80 bridges to improve access to resources and markets. They also built irrigation systems.
- Get new agricultural techniques and products: 61% of farmers adopted new agricultural techniques after 154 training sessions. The project also provided seeds for improved varieties—including 2.8 tons of rice and 13.5 tons of yam seeds.
- Get creative with your messaging: The project used local leaders and radio stations to help spread messages about agriculture and environmental sustainability. They also used school gardens and cooking demonstrations.
Want to learn more?
Check out the final evaluation (in French).