A dedicated micro credit fund for rural Madagascar

A big Thank You to all of our donors who supported our Zahana Microcredit fund (or the 'true seed fund' as we like to call it) over the years! You make our work possible. We couldn't do it without you!  Did you know you can make donations to any our Zahana projects at GlobalGiving as gifts to friends and loved ones...

A while back Zahana bought a dozen ducklings in a basket. We gave the basket to our partner in the village in the hope the ducklings may build the foundation for and income-generating project, though future eggs and ducks. A lesson we learned: it is better to try a new idea with an individual that is willing to be an...

Dear friends,We are happy and proud to announce that for August 2011 Zahana is featured in the ‘Project of the Month Club’ at GlobalGiving. Every month GlobalGiving awards this designation to a new exceptionally high performing project.  For August our ‘Solar cookers for the school in Fiadanana’...

In early 2010 Zahana introduced Moringa oleifera seeds in both villages. Everything of this beneficial fast growing three can be used. The leaves, high in protein, can be cooked as vegetables.  Powdered Moringa leaves have been successfully used in West Africa for decades in infant formulas. The entire seedpods can...

Thank you!  We could not have done it without your support! The temptation was big to just send a progress report with two words: “Thank you”. But, we wanted to explain it a bit more: February 2011 Zahana was awarded “Superstar” status, the highest level an organization can reach on...

Thanks to GlobalGiving’s endorsement Zahana is entitled to compete for the $10,000 prize money in the Ford Focus Global Test Drive. Another creative fundraising strategy to explore, we just submitted a video. Now we hope to get chosen with your help. If you are on Facebook and would like to support us, the steps...

Dear Friends of Zahana: This is a reminder: Thursday, December 16 is Bonus Day at GlobalGiving. Every donation is matched by 50% until they run out of matching funds. Last time GlobalGiving ran out of matching funds for the first time, so please donate early, if you can. We apologize in case you get this progress report...

Rule of thumb for our microcredit: If you try it once it is an experiment; A second time if it worked well, as a promising approach; A third time it becomes implemented as a program. For the second time, the ‘seed fund’ with potatoes has been a great success in our second village (Fiarenana). Each participant...

Zahana has recently hired Bary, a second gardener to work in the village of Fiadanana, or first project site where Zahana’s participatory collaboration started in 2005. Bary is currently being trained by our original gardener in the second village (Fiarenana) and shows an equally amazing green thumb combined with great...

Dear friends, It is certainly easier to report about the opening of a school or the planting of trees, but on a more somber note, here is the latest sad news from Madagascar. Our village of Fiarenana was attacked for the third time by ‘dahalo’, or cattle thieves, a few weeks back. They came into the village at...

Dear donor to our microcredit fund, 50% interest in one day? Sounds too good to be true? Not really: The GlobalGiving “Bonus Day” is a wonderful opportunity to ‘super size’ your donation to Zahana by 50% at not additional cost. Thank you! It is your donation that makes our work possible. GlobalGiving has...

Dear supporters and friends, Despite the current volatile and complicated political situation in Madagascar Zahana is working in both villages. Our work is needed more than ever. This report by email from May 19, 2010 illustrates the impact of the economic crisis: “The villagers got a good rice harvest this year,...

Dear friends of Zahana, One very telling example for Zahana’s seed fund is the potato crop introduced to the village of Fiarenana in late 2009. The villagers were provided with 100 kg of small potatoes as seed stock. Potatoes were one of new crop suitable for a diversified crop rotation recommended by the agricultural...