It is the first time in the history of the ministry that a 32-year-old woman has been appointed Vice-Minister in charge of Youth. Through an interview with the AmCham, Juliana Ratovoson announces the upcoming amendment of the National Youth Policy (PNJ) and provides a framework for the scope and direction of the ministry’s priorities.

It is not common to see a young woman like you holding a government position. Let us go back over your impressive history within the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

I joined the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2016 as the director of partnerships and development and kept that position for two years. In 2019, I was promoted Director-General of Youth within the same ministry until President Rajoelina appointed me Vice-Minister in charge of Youth in August 2021.

From your personal observations since you were involved in the ministry, how active and involved are young people in Madagascar, especially those in the regions?

Young people in Antananarivo are quite active. So do their peers in other regions but they do need more backing. As our President said, no region or district should be left out.

Could you give us updates about the National Youth Policy (PNJ)?

The last update of the PNJ dates to 2015. Since then, priorities have changed, and we must consider certain amendments. We must assess the real impact of the PNJ on youth. Today, we focus our efforts on the implementation of the National Youth Council, an inclusive and federating platform and every stakeholder from any region will find their proper place. The National Youth Council will make the amendment of the PNJ easier. The Ministry has also created the Coordination Cell of Movements and Associations (CCMA) to map and gather every single player in every corner of the country. As of now, the amendment is still a project to be submitted to the Parliament.

What are the most pressing youth issues that the Ministry considers top priorities?

Always unemployment first. How to provide jobs to young people and how to help them create jobs through entrepreneurship. However, there are many other important issues that we must address through civic and citizenship education, personal development, trainings. We must protect young people from early pregnancy and drugs. We must empower young people because many only wait for things to be brought to them on a silver platter.

The Ministry is also launching a new department called “Direction de la Jeunesse et du Rayonnement International” to promote our youth’s participation in international fellowships, internships, workshops, or scholarships. The directorate will work with these youth programs and embassies. I was fortunate enough to have an international background and I would love to inspire my younger peers to follow the example.

Let us go back to the unemployment issues. What solutions does the Ministry come up with to tackle youth unemployment? What kind of coordination or collaboration is there between different ministries?

Interdepartmental collaboration is essential. We fight for better services to young people, but the other ministries (Technical Education and Professional Training / Industrialization, Trade and Consumption / Crafts / Public Offices, etc…) provide the needed resources. We should offer more professional trainings and build on the talent of our youth. Young people are not enough equipped. If we look at FIHARIANA, for example, not a lot of young people have been beneficiaries so far. We must fight for a larger quota of young people. With the “Pôle Emploi Jeune”, we are seeking to support young entrepreneurs at the national level to scale up their small businesses.

Youth associations have changed the game these last years. How would the Ministry support their valuable efforts?

I call on youth organizations from every field to lend a hand and discuss about the strategy to implement to address youth issues. The Ministry will keep providing resources (trainings and equipment). We are going to identify the most talented artists from every region and launch a nationwide competition to boost entertainment in Madagascar. All of these represent a huge challenge, but we must be ready to take it up and prove that young people are capable of making things happen.

Does the government really listen to young people?

Appointing a 32-year-old woman member of the government clearly shows how committed to young people the President is. The purpose of my position as Vice-Minister in charge of Youth is to get closer to young people and to break the wall between young people and government officials.

Your message to young Malagasy people?

Young people are the future of our country. It is high time young people woke up and took their responsibilities. The Ministry is here to serve the youth. However, I call upon youth communities to walk hand in hand with us to develop and strengthen youth policies. We need young patriots, young people who care for the country and its future; and young people who mind their neighbours.

Interview by Kenny Raharison

ANTANANARIVO – Today, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Health Office Director, Sophia Brewer, and a Representative from the Ministry of Public Health officially closed out a collaborative project focused on improving access to quality healthcare services, primarily through private-sector engagement. The project, Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector otherwise known as SHOPS Plus, has been implemented by ABT Associates since 2015.

On behalf of the American people, USAID has funded SHOPS Plus with more than $10 million over six years. During this time, the project established public-private partnerships, reduced financial barriers by improving private providers’ access to health financing, and enhanced healthcare services by creating and deploying sustainable healthcare and health management training.

Major Achievements of SHOPS Plus:

  • 3,090 private clinics integrated into the national health system through collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Studies, Planning and Information System.
  • 1,623 healthcare providers from more than 900 private clinics trained, improving the quality of healthcare and services in partnership with the Institute of Training and Management Technology. Training covered maternal and child health; malaria; family planning; water, sanitation, and hygiene; COVID-19; and financial management and reporting.
  • 463 loans in the amount of $2.9 million provided to strengthen private clinics’ technical capacity in partnership with “Accès Banque” and “Baobab Banque.”
  • Federation of “MIARA-MIAHY” health mutuals established and significantly contributed to health policy, particularly through contributions to the 2020-2024 Health Sector Development Plan and implementation of the Universal Health Coverage strategy.
  • 300 "model" private clinics formally created across the 13 regions, expanding services and providing continuous quality healthcare.
  • 13 local organizations and the Medical College of Antananarivo set up for ongoing training through 33 trainers to ensure the sustainability of SHOPS Plus-developed courses.

Government's health commodity distribution and logistics system strengthened by identifying public-private partnership opportunities.

This partnership is an excellent example of how the United States and Madagascar are working together like “mpirahalahy mianala” to improve health outcomes through the delivery of family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, and malaria treatment that is accessible to all at any time.

The U.S. government is the largest single-country donor to Madagascar's health sector, providing $74.5 million in 2020 alone to fund USAID’s health projects. These projects reduce Madagascar's maternal and child mortality, provide access to potable water and sanitation, protect communities from malaria, improve access to family planning, ensure a reliable supply chain of vital health care supplies and medication, and reinforce the national community health policy.

Source: Presse Release by USAID Madagascar - U.S. Embassy Antananarivo

Published in Madagascar and the US

ANTANANARIVO – The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar and Comoros congratulated 11 young Malagasy leaders for completing a six-week intensive U.S. leadership training known as the Mandela Washington Fellowship in an official ceremony last night.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). In past years, it has provided accomplished young leaders with the opportunity to study for six weeks at a university in the United States. In 2020, however, COVID-19 forced the program to change. Those selected for the program had to postpone their Fellowship or a year – only for it to become a virtual program in 2021.

Referencing these challenges, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Amy J. Hyatt said, “Confronted with these changes, you demonstrated perseverance. You displayed resilience, recovering quickly from each challenge. You remained adaptable, embracing the new virtual format and the opportunities that came with it. These are exactly the leadership traits we need right now.”

This year’s Mandela Washington Fellows from Madagascar include: Manamamonjy Alexandre (Civic Engagement track at the University of Delaware); Heriniaina Andriamalala (Public Management track at Georgia State University); Henintsoa Rakotoarison (Public Management at Wayne State University); James Rakotomalala (Business and Entrepreneurship at Clark Atlanta University); Tojosoa Ramarlina (Business and Entrepreneurship at Lehigh University); Tsiry Randrianavelo (Civic Engagement at the University of Georgia); Vony Randrianonenana (Civic Engagement at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln); Misa Rasolofoarison (Public Management at Arizona State University); Nadia Ratsimba (Business and Entrepreneurship at University of Notre Dame); and Patricia Razafindrakala (Public Management track at Georgia State University).

Addressing this group during the ceremony, the Vice Minister in charge of Youth and YALI Regional Center alumna Tahina Juliana Ratovoson said, “The reason why you’ve been selected for such a program is that you are among the best.” Minister of Economy and Finance Rindra Hasimbelo Rabarinirinarison and Minister in charge of Fishing and Blue Economy Paubert Tsimanaoraty Mahatante – both alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship – also joined the ceremony to congratulate this year’s Fellows.

Since 2014, more than 75 young Malagasy leaders have been selected for the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Source: Press Release by U.S. Embassy Madagascar

Published in Youth Initiatives

This donation is part of the U.S. government’s partnership with the Ministry of Public Health to improve the quality of health services for the Malagasy people.

MAHAJANGA – The American people, through our development agency the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have donated 200 beds and mattresses and other medical materials and equipment to health centers in the Boeny and Sofia regions of northwestern Madagascar. The donation was implemented by the USAID ACCESS health project, in partnership with Project C.U.R.E., a U.S. non-governmental organization that supplies medical equipment to developing countries. This equipment, worth $1.5 million, also includes diagnostic tools, birthing kits, intravenous solution stands, and scales that will be dispatched to 13 districts in the regions. The donation is part of the U.S. government’s effort to provide needed health equipment and supplies to help improve the quality of health services in Madagascar. Previous donations were made to the Atsinanana, Analanjirofo, Vatovavy Fitovinany and Atsimo Andrefana regions.

Improving the quality of health services is a priority for the ACCESS health project, and providing medical materials and equipment is a key to improving health quality. Rural people will particularly benefit from today’s donation, and they will have greater trust in their health centers’ capacity to deliver health care.

The donation included 200 beds and mattresses. (Photo by USAID Madagascar)

Focused on the most vulnerable, underserved, and poorest people in 13 of Madagascar’s 22 regions, the USAID ACCESS project aims to improve the health of the Malagasy people. The project also supports the Ministry of Public Health in its COVID-19 response activities at national and regional levels, including infection prevention and control, surveillance, and awareness-raising efforts, strengthening national coordination, and support to vaccine roll-out.

The U.S. government and the Government of Madagascar are working together like “mpirahalahy mianala” to improve the capacity and quality of health care in Madagascar. The U.S. government remains the largest single-country donor to Madagascar's health sector, providing $74.5 million in 2020 alone to fund USAID’s health projects. These projects reduce Madagascar's maternal and child mortality, provide access to potable water and sanitation, protect communities from malaria, improve access to family planning, ensure a reliable supply chain of vital health care supplies and medication, and reinforce the national community health policy.

Source: Press release by U.S. Embassy Antananarivo / USAID Madagascar

Published in Madagascar and the US
Monday, 06 September 2021 07:00

Labor Day message to workers and trade unions

This is a joint op-ed co-authored by the U.S. Ambassadors and Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe.

The story of the United States of America is the story of its workers, whose enduring contributions we recognize annually on the first Monday of September. Throughout our history, the American worker has labored not only to erect buildings and cities but also to raise the standards of workers worldwide. Through protests and picket lines, by organizing and raising their voices together, workers have won small and large victories that have pushed the United States closer to ensuring safer and healthier workplaces for all.

The Biden-Harris Administration supports labor rights at home and abroad, including the freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labor and child labor, acceptable conditions at work, and freedom from discrimination. The administration’s foreign policy promotes broad-based, equitable growth where all workers can work safely, assemble freely, and earn a fair wage. Labor policy is key to implementing our shared vision of a democratic and prosperous Southern Africa centered on a growing middle class. And workers and trade unions are critical pillars to making this happen.

The Biden-Harris Administration believes that unions across the Southern African region play a significant role in addressing income inequality and creating a more equitable and democratic economy – key ingredients to establishing the cornerstones of middle-class security. When unionized workers are compared with their nonunionized counterparts, studies show that union wages are usually significantly higher. Union participation has also been shown to help address the gender pay gap: Hourly wages for women represented by unions are significantly higher than for nonunionized women.

The United States bolsters workers' rights across the region through technical assistance. In Lesotho, for example, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Better Work project partnered with export apparel factories, trade unions, the government and others to boost factories’ compliance with labor law. For workers, this meant better compensation and improvements in contracts, occupational safety and health and work hours.

Through its worker-centered trade policy, the Biden-Harris Administration seeks to promote equitable growth and shared prosperity to all workers and communities in Africa. It also supports worker rights through U.S. trade preference programs, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. That is, for countries to remain eligible for the benefits of the AGOA and GSP program, they must meet criteria on internationally recognized worker rights. Through AGOA engagement, the U.S. government has worked with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to prompt action tackling a variety of labor issues, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers, trafficking in persons, and capacity-building of the labor inspectorate. This contributed towards the DRC’s ultimate reinstatement into the AGOA preference program in 2021, and the U.S. Department of Labor will soon be launching a technical assistance project in the DRC to further support progress on international labor standards.

African laborers form the backbone of the Southern African economy and for far too long African women have worked in environments that failed to protect them from harassment and violence.

They deserve a better economic present and future that is free of violence and harassment. We stand in solidarity with the many trade unions and worker associations in their call for action on this issue, taking into account the provisions of ILO Convention C. 190.

As the United States works with its African partners to stand up for workers, we are especially committed to protecting the most vulnerable workers, including child laborers. Every year the U.S. Department of Labor issues its Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report, which highlights key child labor challenges in countries around the world, including our partners in Southern Africa. The report also spotlights efforts these countries are undertaking to eliminate child labor through legal protections, enforcement, policies, and social programs and makes recommendation for further action. Namibia, for one, saw significant advancement in the 2019 report, including its enactment of the Child Care and Protection Act.

We also provide technical assistance to support our African partners in their efforts to combat child labor. In Zambia, for example, the U.S. Department of Labor’s EMPOWER program provided entrepreneurship and leadership training to more than 1,400 adolescent girls at risk for child labor, many of whom went on to start their own businesses, generating income and avoiding child labor.

And in Madagascar, the U.S. Department of Labor is providing funding to reduce child labor in mica-producing communities, including support to increase the capacity of government officials to address child labor in the mica supply chain. Additionally, partnerships between USAID Madagascar and U.S. and local businesses in vanilla, cocoa, and aquaculture that are focused on improving livelihoods and conserving biodiversity, have clauses banning child labor and monitoring systems to ensure the ban is enforced throughout the supply chain.

Our commitment to the world’s children stems from our belief that all children should have the opportunity to grow and learn and that economies are stronger when labor rights and human rights are protected. We recognize the important contributions governments, companies, unions, and civil society have made to eliminating all forms of child labor and look forward to strengthening our partnerships across the region to ensure that child labor is eradicated.

The U.S. similarly protects additional vulnerable worker populations through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Global Labor Program (GLP). In South Africa, for example, USAID through GLP supports farm workers, domestic workers, and migrant workers to overcome long-standing exclusion from core labor rights and protections, while building the capacity of committed representatives of these populations to become union leaders.

Nowhere is the spirit of partnership between our countries stronger than in our joint efforts to combat COVID-19. Since the pandemic’s outbreak, the United States has worked hand-in-hand with health professionals across the region to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19. We’ve contributed approximately $125 million USD in COVID-19 specific funding and have provided almost 11 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the 12 countries where we serve as representatives of the United States, which has helped to ensure vulnerable workers are protected and can do their jobs safely. This is in addition to our 4 billion USD contribution to Gavi in support of COVAX.

Even in the United States we still have work to do. The dreams and goals of our current labor movement remain unfinished and unrealized by many. As much as we hope to impart, we also have even more to learn and gain from our partners. We understand that while workers across the region may share similar challenges, the African continent’s narrative is multidimensional and diverse.

U.S. engagement in the region is based on a shared hope and belief that the prosperity narrative led by African workers is one we can build together by building a partnership of equals. When African workers can work in greater prosperity, harmony, freedom, and dignity, the United States and the world is better off.

Source: Press Release by U.S. Embassy Antananarivo

Published in Madagascar and the US

AMBOVOMBE – U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Amy J. Hyatt donated nearly 300,000 pre-packed humanitarian meals from the U.S. Department of Defense to the regional office of the Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et Catastrophes (BNGRC) and Catholic Relief Services in an official handover ceremony on August 25.

“This $2.1 million contribution by the U.S. Department of Defense is part of the U.S. government’s unwavering support for the Malagasy people facing food insecurity in the South and the Government of Madagascar’s response to the crisis,” Chargé Hyatt said. These pre-packed humanitarian meals are designed to meet daily nutritional needs, delivering no fewer than 2,200 calories per meal. The amount donated today could feed an estimated 2,100 people, in both Beloha and Tsihombe, for 90 days.

The donation was made possible by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which supplied the humanitarian daily rations valued at $1.6 million, and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), which provided $520,000 of humanitarian assistance funding to ship the rations to Madagascar. Catholic Relief Services will implement the project in coordination with BNGRC, and the Sisters of Charity in Ambovombe will ultimately distribute the meals at their canteens.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 1.35 million people in southern Madagascar are projected to be food insecure or worse this lean season. The U.S. government will continue to support Madagascar’s efforts to provide essential human services to vulnerable populations. Since 2015, the U.S. government has been the leading provider of assistance to the south, committing more than $236 million through USAID to respond to the urgent needs of families in hunger and provide long-term solutions to food insecurity.

Following the handover ceremony, Chargé Hyatt visited the drought-affected regions of Androy and Anosy, and interacted with beneficiaries of ongoing U.S. government emergency food security and development assistance programs.

Source: Press Release by U.S. Embassy Antananarivo

Published in Madagascar and the US

In this focus on “Lambahoany”, we meet Samira Mihaja MOUMINI, founder of 3 Ladies Pirates, and learn more about the brand.

Lambahoany: Samira explains.

A Lambahoany is simply put a traditional Malagasy fabric panel, looking a bit like Tanzanian and Comorian “kanga”. However, unlike “kanga”, a lambahoany displays less repetitive pattern and conveys a message or a Malagasy proverb. The image of a typical Malagasy life scene is printed on the bright-coloured panel made of cotton and processed by COTONA.

Lambahoany worn by Malagasy women, tied at the waist (Copyright: Henintsoa Rafalia)

Wearing a lambahoany is the Malagasy way of dressing up for fancy and family events: weddings, family visits, or funerals. It is a unisex attire. We can choose to tie it at the waist or around the chest. We can veil it to protect ourselves from the burning sun of the coasts, and that is why it is made of comfortable fabric like cotton.

The lambahoany is not worn only in Madagascar; our diaspora loves it a lot. A way for them to reconnect with the Malagasy culture!

Nevertheless, beyond its traditional purpose, women wear a lambahoany as a pareo on the beach. We can use a panel to cover our car seats or our sofa pillows, or simply as a wall deco.

3 Ladies Pirates: the pioneer of lambahoany-based high-end fashion.

Samira, “Chief Captain” of 3 Ladies Pirates recalls how the adventure started in 2013 in Antsiranana with two friends from JCI (Junior Chamber International). Their first business move was the resale of free zones products. Later they started copying fashion designs found on the internet, until they realized it was a non-viable and non-sustainable idea. 3 Ladies Pirates was born in 2015. It is the first fashion brand of high-end ready-to-wear using lambahoany in its items tailored for men and women: shirts, skirts, jackets, dresses, kimonos, or bombers.

Today Samira works with three independent and motivated seamstresses who have their own sewing studios. Before Covid-19, 3 Ladies Pirates dealt with an average of 15 orders a month.

3 Ladies Pirates is a fully digital fashion brand which sells its items only on social media: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Later, customers will be able to buy items directly from their website.

A brand tailored for the international market.

At the very beginning, Samira and her colleagues thought of using only cotton, “soga”, or even wax. Even though 3 Ladies Pirates uses some “landy” from time to time, they already envisioned their brand would go international, hence lambahoany sounded more appropriate. Lambahoany items would look more wonderful and best represent Madagascar in online stores in Africa, Europe, Asia, and America.

3 Ladies Ladies sells local, but its prices are not that “local-friendly”. Most of their customers are senior executives, expatriates and tourists who want to take a piece of Madagascar with them. 3 Ladies Pirates’ slogan “Bring out the Malagasy that lies in you” suggests whoever wants to wear their products can, regardless of their nationality. Since the Covid outbreak, the company has received huge orders from the diaspora in Europe and Africa.

Ethical brand

3 Ladies Pirates is an ethical brand and does not hold stocks. Items are made on demand via social media and are delivered within three weeks, depending on the customer’s location. At the local level, the brand works with MBike bicycle delivery service. To better serve international customers and to speed up deliveries, 3 Ladies Pirates uses the postal system for local deliveries outside Antananarivo and abroad and has started using DHL International’s services since June for international deliveries. This is to give customers options in terms of delivery time and costs.

Besides, Samira offers collections as well from time to time, such as BASIA (or “star”), a women-only collection launched earlier this year.

Powersuit Kamala, BASIA collection (Copyright: Daniel Rabemazava)

Today, the ethical side of 3 Ladies Pirates’ activity makes it stand out from other new players who have followed the wave. The brand’s focus is on packaging (ban of plastic bag, paper or cardboard packaging only), on less polluting delivery, on the quality of the fabric used (made in Madagascar by COTONA). It is important to recall that 3 Ladies Pirates is a high-end ready-to-wear brand, not a high fashion company though.

It is important to note that when Samira launched the BASIA collection, she worked with three female models: Warda, Laurence and Dina who do not necessarily have the morphology of a typical slim, young, and tall model with a flat belly.

 

“Women should feel comfortable regardless of how their morphology is. Women are highly valued by our brand.” – Samira Mihaja MOUMINI

 

The right attire for the right event

Samira gives an example of a couple preparing for the big day. She would draw and propose a model appropriately designed for the probable weather on the event date and the body part the client would like to highlight.

Nevertheless, recently, 3 Ladies Pirates has significantly reduced the volume of lambahoany used for an item in order to offer something not-too-much formal that someone could wear everyday.

3 Ladies Pirates’ next move

Today, 3 Ladies Pirates is working on having its items on sale in African online stores and envisions to list the brand among the must-have brands in Africa.

This year’s focus is on communication and networking. Some collaboration with Maro Madagascar is also ongoing. Fashion addicts will have to stay patient for one or two more years to see another collection come out. “Creating a new collection takes a lot of time and research”, Samira explains.

Interview by Kenny Raharison

The U.S. government funding is feeding 683,000 people in the south and southeast.

ANTANANARIVO – For the past eight years, a series of droughts have devastated southern Madagascar, and this year the situation is especially severe. Many people are struggling day-to-day to find enough food to eat. Farmers are experiencing sandstorms instead of rainstorms and the outlook for the current harvest is not optimistic.

That is why, barely a month after announcing a commitment of $40 million in emergency aid for the south and seven months after launching three new emergency and development programs worth a combined $100 million in the region, the U.S. government is announcing more desperately needed food, health, and agricultural assistance for southern Madagascar.

“Today, we’re announcing another $7.5 million that will go towards feeding people, treating children and pregnant women with malnutrition, and trying to get farmers back on their feet,” John Dunlop, Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said.

“Our projects will deliver food, drinking water, and health care to 46,000 people. We will provide treatment for 13,000 children with malnutrition. And 41,000 farmers will get seeds and other support, along with the hope that the next harvest season will be better,” USAID Mission Director Dunlop added.

The money announced today will fund activities by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in the hard-hit Ampanihy region and Action Contre la Faim (ACF) in Atsimo Andrefana, Androy, and Anosy regions.

“The sad reality of the situation is that the crisis is deepening and continuing to pull in more and more families,” said the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Amy J. Hyatt. “That’s why we are acting again to bring more assistance. The United States will continue to stand by the Government and people of Madagascar to respond to this crisis, to try and prevent starvation and famine, to help those who desperately need it.”

Projects funded by the U.S. government are feeding 683,000 people, improving water access for 50,000 people, and preventing and treating malnutrition in 159,000 children and pregnant women. This assistance will continue until the end of September.

From October 2021 to March 2022, USAID food assistance, funded by June’s $40 million announcement and today’s $7.5 million announcement, will be delivered to 489,000 people, and activities to prevent and treat malnutrition will help 357,600 children, pregnant women, and new mothers.

The two new five-year development projects announced in December, designed to introduce long-term solutions that prevent and reduce acute food insecurity among some of the most vulnerable people, have begun operations in the regions of Atsimo Andrefana, Androy, Vatovavy-Fitovinany, and Atsimo Atsinanana.

“Unfortunately, all the money we’ve dedicated to this emergency isn’t enough to feed and care for everyone who needs it. That is why we continue to see reports of people eating leaves or locusts,” USAID Mission Director Dunlop said. “More needs to be done. Some donors have recently announced contributions. This is very welcomed, but even more help is necessary to meet the tremendous need that exists.”

More than 1.1 million people are currently facing high levels of food insecurity and that number is expected to rise. At least 14,000 people are already at the point of famine, the upcoming harvests are projected to be very poor, and access to food will likely worsen heading into 2022.

The U.S. government continues to stand by the Government and people of Madagascar like “mpirahalahy mianala” to respond to this crisis, to try and prevent starvation and famine, and to help those who desperately need it.

Last year, USAID assistance to Madagascar totaled $133.5 million. That amount included $74.5 million in activities for the health sector, where the United States is the largest single-country donor, and $48.5 million for food security. Since 2015, the U.S. government through USAID has been the leading provider of assistance to the south, committing more than $236 million to respond to the urgent needs of families in hunger and provide long-term solutions to food insecurity.

Press release by USAID Madagascar - U.S. Embassy Madagascar

Published in Madagascar and the US

Vakinankaratra is a region in the South-east part of Madagascar, on the National Road 7, about 172 km from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The gate of this region is the town of Antsirabe. Famous for its potatoes, rickshaws and cheap vegetables, the town is one of the most visited places by tourists in Madagascar. But what is the history behind such fame?

Antsirabe – its past…

The early history of Antsirabe can be traced back in the 1860’s when Thorkid G. Rosaas, a Norwegian missionary came and settled in the town. Aware of the richness of Antsirabe, he and a well-known figure in the Malagasy Lutheran Church, Pastor Rajaona decided to work together for the common good.  With some help from the inmates at that time, they managed to plant the trees alongside the Avenue, considered as an urbanization plan of the town.

They also built the most ancient facilities in Antsirabe in 1888: the village for lepers and Andranomadio hospital. Thanks to these initiatives, the hospital is still running now for health access services.

In 1870, Pastor Rosaas was the one behind the breakthrough about the use of thermal spring in Antsirabe as a benefit and not a taboo. At the same time, he established the first Malagasy Lutheran Church (FLM) in Antsirabe.

As a whole, Pastor Thorkid G.Rosaas is the most important figure in the foundation of the town of Antsirabe.

LOVASOA 4C as promoter of culture and history

However, Pastor Rosaas looked further into the future generation and established the Norwegian school of Antsirabe, which became LOVASOA Cross-Cultural Competence Centre in 2011(LOVASOA 4C). The organization highlights not only the different aspects of Norwegian-Malagasy cooperation but also the history of the town of Antsirabe as above-mentioned. The cultural center, where the museum is hosted, presents Norwegian and Malagasy Culture and History and works towards the promotion of various cultural products through its activities including the Malagasy Lutheran Church archives, a library, cultural events and workshops and a sound recording studio.

As such, the LOVASOA 4C museum is equipped with several unique objects collected from several mission stations such as one of the first Malagasy bible published in 1835 by the London Missionary Society and the first rickshaw ever in Antsirabe. The uniqueness of its collections allows visitors to experience and learn interesting historical facts about the history of the town of Antsirabe, the Malagasy Lutheran church and the works of the Norwegian missionaries which are strongly linked to the development of Madagascar and its population. The library and the archives are backup support for a better understanding of the history. 

The LOVASOA museum is accessible to the general public, both residents and foreigners.

So, if you are ever in the area, feel free to stop by and enjoy a hint of the history of one of the most glamorous town in Madagascar. LOVASOA 4C Antsirabe warmly welcomes you.

Published in Destination Madagascar

The United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration is underway!

The United Nations Decade is a call by the United Nations to all countries of the world to unite and act for the Earth's ecosystems. For it is only in a healthy ecosystem that we can thrive as a human species.

The purpose of this call is to create political momentum and global initiatives for ecosystem restoration. Ecosystem restoration is in the interest of both nature and people.

For the decade 2021-2030, we give ourselves another chance to stop the loss of nature and rebuild a healthy environment that benefits humans. How do we do this?

Through systemic change. Environmental protection goes beyond planting trees or creating protected areas. It must include sustainable livelihoods, reproductive rights, strong health and education systems, anti-corruption initiatives and more.  

Tiana Ramahaleo, Conservation Director, WWF Madagascar: "These issues need to be explored, shared and addressed if we are to make this decade of restoration a success.” 

Moreover, the current circumstances can facilitate these changes: a political will to re-green the island, the value of Madagascar's natural capital which is being evaluated, the emancipation of various civil societies... WWF's commitment to ensuring that humans can live in harmony with nature joins this call for the protection and restoration of vital ecosystems globally and in Madagascar. WWF has 60 years of experience in protecting and restoring nature. We are committed to working with the Malagasy people to provide scientific and technical support for the successful restoration of Madagascar's degraded biodiversity. The forest landscape restoration is certainly the process that legitimizes WWF's contribution to the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. A recent WWF report on forest landscape restoration around the world shows that restoration has multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. It must be implemented in close collaboration with communities to be sustainable. Forest landscape restoration is a planned process that aims to restore ecological functionality and improve human well-being in degraded forest landscapes.

As a reminder, World Environment Day 2021 was celebrated on June 5, under an appropriate theme "Ecosystem Restoration”.

 

Leader’s pledge for nature: let's take action!

Last May, 84 heads of state signed the Leader’s pledge for nature, launched in September 2020.

The signatory countries of the pledge for nature must take action and translate their commitment into a series of actions. The real will to reverse the loss of biodiversity must be visible before the next UN assembly with the Conferences of the Parties on Biodiversity and Climate this year. Indeed, the signatories must ensure "an ambitious and transformative global framework for biodiversity beyond 2020" at the 2021 COP15 on biological biodiversity in China.

Ultimately, these actions and commitments for nature that are being developed around the world are beneficial for all of humanity.  For Madagascar, the Government has already demonstrated a real willingness to promote sustainable development, particularly through the green and blue economy. Moreover, on June 8th, we celebrated the World Oceans Day under the theme "the ocean: life and livelihood""Madagascar, being an island, has 5,600 km of coastline and more than 1,140,000 km² of ocean, home to various marine resources that are sources of food and employment and therefore income for many people in the country, especially fishing communities.  Also, the emergence of a sustainable blue economy depends on it because if exploited sustainably, these resources can support the dynamism of the fishing industry and other important industries using the oceans. Therefore, it seems important to me to seek more integrated management of the oceans for their key role in building sustainable development and to seek to preserve this natural ecosystem which is currently threatened with waste and various pollution from human activities. Let us seize this day of the oceans to act together in their favor" said the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Lucien Ranarivelo.

A multi-stakeholder campaign to encourage action and ambition

Other non-state actors are joining the heads of state as partners in the Leader's Pledge for Nature. Their goal is to build ambition within government, business and society, and to put nature and biodiversity loss issues in the spotlight before these key events. This joint race reinforces an advocacy that links climate, nature and people.

Moreover, we are in a situation of global emergency. Human activities are destabilizing our climate and destroying the natural systems on which we depend faster than they can be replenished. This new race to the bottom is an opportunity to take ambitious, integrated and transformative actions and decisions on our environmental challenges to create an equitable, nature-friendly and carbon-neutral world for all. Madagascar's signing of the leader’s pledge for nature is more relevant and necessary than ever.

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This website was funded by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.