By Mamy Ratsimbazafy | Site Director and founder of SEPALI
SEPALI is an organization of the silk producers in the community in the edge of Makira protected area. SEPALI got a permit from the ministry to be a Malagasy NGO since March 22nd 2010. The goal of SEPALI is to work with CPALI to create a new livelihood for the poor farmers living in the edge of Makira primary rain forest through developing a wild silk business marketing and help farmers to set up their own business. After four years of research, 4 species of silkmoths have been identify in this area: Antherina suraka SATURNIDAE; Argema mitrei SATURNIDAE; Hypsoides singularis NOTODONTIDAE; Boroceras sp LASIOCAMPIDAE. Currently, the first species of silk moth (Antherina suraka) has been introduced in the communities after several experiments in the SEPALI demonstration sites.
Currently, the main SEPALI`s work is focused on sensibilisation. SEPALI sensibilate farmers in the four communities of Makira protected area. In five months, SEPALI found at least sixty interested farmers in the four communities of Makira: Ambodivoangy, Marovovonana, Ambalamahogo, and Ambinanitelo. Each farmers will farm at least 250 food plant trees, 5 serious farmers were finish to farm 1200 trees in their land. SEPALI team visits each community at least once a month and teach farmers about all methods of the silk production procedures. The farmers must set up a nursery food plant and take care of the seedlings.
The number of interested farmers increases every week. Probably SEPALI will have a hundred interested farmers by the end of 2010. Until May 2010, 5000 trees have been planted in the field by the farmers and 12000 seedling grow in the four nurseries.
The future SEPALI`s objectives:
1- The SEPALI workshop: In June 2010, SEPALI will organize a workshop in Maroantsetra demonstration site. At least 6 selected artists from each community will attend this workshop. The goal of this workshop are to train and teach the community to make a local product accepted by international market. So after producing their own silk, they will make a product and set up their own business. 2- The SEPALI research program: The future objective is to increase the number of farmers until 500 farmers by the end of 2011. Those farmers must germinate their seeds and plant their seedlings in their land and then, they will follow several trainings organized by SEPALI. Antherina suraka is our first specie of silk moth introduced in the communities. One of the main goal of SEPALI is to produce several kinds of wild silk in the communities of Makira protected area. During this year, SEPALI will strengthen the research program about the second specie of silk moth: Argema mitrei SATURNIDAE.
Currently, SEPALI is studying the Argema food plant. The result of our experiment has demonstrated that this specie exist in the edge of Makira protected area. We have scheduled to introduce the Argema rearing program into the community on 2011. By the end of this year, SEPALI must identify the Argema food plant tree .
RATSIMBAZAFY Mamy ( SEPALI founder) May 2010.
Links:
By Catherine Craig | CPALI President
By Mamy Ratsizambafy | Project leader, Madagascar
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