Transform Lives in Madagascar with Silk and Raffia

GLOBAL GIVING REPORT : Sepali Madagascar workshop

September 2023

Acknowledgement:

On behalf of the Sepali team members, I acknowledge all the donors that contribute to support our project during the last three months. Your kindly donation allowed Sepali Madagascar to continue its effort of new design creation by combining our wild silk with plant fibers such as raffia and water hyacinth materials. 

 Sepali Madagascar is starting to purchase raw raffia from one of the thirteen villages that Sepali Madagascar is working with. Therefore, we have set a target of purchasing 120 kilograms of raw raffia fiber by the end of this year (December 2023).

The raffia processing by Sepali Madagascar brings income to averagely 10 households from Ambodivoangy village who have at least three raffia trees growing on their land.

Providing market of raw raffia will help farmers to preserve their raffia trees as well as planting more. 

Therefore increasing the raffia plantation is beneficial for the environment due to its roles in ground water cleaning as well as preserving the erosion. 

Again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely

Mamy Ratsimbazafy

Sepali Madagascar Director

-        Learning about the Betsimisaraka weaving technic:

Sepali Madagascar has been processing raffia fibers since 2016 by collaborating with the women weavers group from Antananarivo. Starting this year, we have decided to explore and valuate the existence of raffia materials in the communities that works with us.

Therefore, Sepali Madagascar was doing research on the Betsimisaraka (ethnicity name of people in our region) weaving technical. Historically, the Betsimisaraka woven raffia textile is very unique due to its character waterproof, so people made cloths and dresses made up of Raffia textile from the Maroantsetra region.

Nowadays, due to the importation of different materials of textiles, the raffia textile become unknown and unused. In addition to that, we have noticed that the youngest raffia weavers that is still alive is about 90 years old now. So the Betsimisaraka weaving technical methods is threaten to disappear forever.

Sepali Madagascar is doing effort to invite the few old women that still remember the betsimisaraka weaving technic to teach our team and then refresh the weaving activities that is going to disappear.

-        Picture 1:  the old women teaching us about the betsimisaraka weaving technic

-        New products design by combining the wild silk material with raffia fiber

The goals of Sepali Madagascar team is to create unique products by valuating the raw materials that exist in Maroantsetra area with respect of biodiversity conservation.

During the last three months, we used different technics to make raffia-wild silk products through weaving technic, gluing technic as well as crochet technic. 

Despite the time that the team spent to set up the traditional loom, the Sepali team is still motivated to go ahead and experiment with the process of raffia-cocoon combination. Therefore, two artisans are needed to work together, so one cut each single piece of silk and the other weaves.

Both of raffia and silk cocoons were processed into table runner, placemats, wall hanging-decoration, and baskets.

-        Picture2: ceranchia silk- raffia table runner and placemats

-        Picture3: silk-raffia basket

-        Picture4: silk-raffia wall-hanging (this product was made up with 7 species of endemic wild silk cocoons).

-        The next step for the rest of this year 2023:

-        The next step of the Sepali Madagascar program is to create textile art to apply for the Lowe Craft competition 2023. 

-        The second goal is to apply to the Santa Fe show 2024 by creating innovative products that will convince the jury to approve the Sepali Madagascar application.

Links:

• Market site to purchase SEPALIM products
• SEPALI MADAGASCAR PRJECT SITE
• MOTHER SHIP FOR CPALI PROJECTS