The American Chamber of Commerce in Madagascar (AmCham) was a sponsor of the latest Salon RSE&IDD that took place at Novotel Alarobia on October 6-7. The event, co-organized by Ur-CSR Consulting and BuyYourWay, gathered different stakeholders from the public and private sectors, the civil society, and international organizations.

The two-day exhibition was an opportunity for private companies to highlight their approaches in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and their initiatives towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A few AmCham members were present at the Salon. Five of them share their impressions of the event.

ISCAM Business School

ISCAM is known as one the leading business schools in Madagascar. Justin Nathanaël Andrianaivoarimanga, Ph.D., in charge of Master’s and international programs explains that as ISCAM trains future private sector leaders, the school is committed to offering trainings on Sustainable Development and CSR. This is the reason why ISCAM has launched a new master’s program in partnership with IAE School of Management in La Réunion and Université des Mascareignes in Mauritius. The Master in Sustainable Business Management is now open to prospective students.

Michou, a student enrolled in the program, says she is impressed by the study cases and different CSR approaches adopted by companies. She finds that Malagasy companies in general do not have a structured CSR strategy. Dylan, another student, explains that the program has provided him networking opportunities and quality teaching with trainers from Mauritius and La Réunion. He added that the Salon RSE&IDD showed that Malagasy people are not familiar with nor captivated by sustainable development and environment protection yet.

El Bissap Mada

El Bissap Mada (EBM) is an individual start-up created in December 2021 and specialized in the production and sales of hibiscus-based products. Their products are now available in major supermarkets in the capital city. Toky, member of the team, explains that EBM seeks to show the therapeutic properties of hibiscus. The company uses 100% natural products, recyclable packaging and employs young people. EBM sees the Salon RSE&IDD as a great initiative. As a young company, they could approach new customers and build partnerships with CSR and SD stakeholders during the event.

Rio Tinto/QMM

QMM has never missed any edition of the Salon RSE&IDD. As a mining company, they started carrying out CSR activities very early in Madagascar. A lot has been done in terms of restoration and rehabilitation of the mining area, community development, education, water management, and so on. For the Salon RSE&IDD, QMM wanted to promote the first protected areas established near a mining exploitation in Madagascar, starting with Mandena. Besides, Andry Francis, Media and Events Advisor, acknowledges that the Salon has evolved over time and has seen the increased participation of different stakeholders from various sectors. He adds that QMM is delighted to discover during the Salon that the government is planning on making CSR a law. “Today that we see fire destroying our national parks, our primary goal is to protect the environment; and everyone of us is responsible and should be involved,” Andry Francis concluded.

Telma

Beyond being a telecom company, TELMA is committed to the society and implements three categories of CSR activities: digital inclusion (to make telecommunications a lever for economic and social development), environment protection (against climate change), education (by building Sekoly Telma – or Telma schools – across the country). Additionally, a new initiative aiming at recycling unused or broken electronic devices has been recently launched. Through the project, Telma will repair the collected devices and distribute them to different associations as part of the company’s CSR activities. RABENJAMINA Christèle, in charge of the CSR and Impact department, explains that the Salon RSE&IDD gathered the private sector and offered networking and partnership opportunities. “We should favor partnerships. Private companies, their partners, and associations must bring together their skills, share their respective expertise, learn from each other, and collaborate,” she added.

Mutuelle de Santé Harena

It is the first time ever for Mutuelle de Santé Harena to be involved in the Salon RSE&IDD. The organization promotes access to quality health services and contributes to SDG3 “Good Health and Well-Being”. Mutuelle de Santé Harena proposes to companies to include health insurance in their CSR strategies. Rohintsoa Randriamahefa, coordinator of the health care mutual, regrets that the health component is sometimes sidelined by private companies in their CSR strategies, compared to environmental commitments. Anyways, she was pleasantly surprised with the outcomes of their participation in the event, including new partnerships with other stakeholders and donors. “They should organize the Salon twice a year!” was the message Rohintsoa wanted to share with the organizers of the event.

The AmCham is looking forward to the 8^th edition of the Salon RSE&IDD next year!