Food Security Madagascar Project #54882

Recovery & Resilience

by SEED Madagascar

Project Report | Oct 24, 2024
Strengthening resilience through WASH and CSB

By Sharone Houssenaly | Programmes and Office Assistant

Madagascar faces challenges from climate change, economic hardship, and underfunded infrastructure. Healthcare expenditure is particularly low, representing just 1% of national spending in 2020. Rural health centres bear the brunt of this burden as spending is focused on urban areas, leaving remote communities deprioritised.

Some of these health facilities lack access to an improved water sources and hygienic latrines. Unsanitary Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) conditions in Basic Community Health Centres (CSBs) perpetuate the transmission of WASH-related diseases, which can be especially detrimental in medical environments where healthcare workers are in close contact with sick and injured patients. Children are disproportionately affected by these outcomes; 6% of the children die before age five, with WASH-related diseases accounting for 25% of these deaths.

SEED seeks to improve health resilience in these rural communities through WASH and CSB projects. The three health centres will serve over 16,000 people.

Through WASH and CSB project SEED aims to install, rainwater harvesting systems, a groundwater well, and gender-segregated latrines and hand washing systems. Access to clean water and improved sanitation in healthcare facilities will strengthen the community’s ability to recover from health challenges, ensuring healthier futures for women and children, who are the primary users of these clinics.

In addition to this, SEED plans to install solar panels for electrification of the clinics. Reliable lighting is critical for safe childbirth and emergency medical interventions at night. By reducing dependency on kerosene lamps, the project not only improves the safety of healthcare but also builds resilience by introducing sustainable energy solutions.

With your help, in the next several years SEED hopes to enhance the resilience of the Anosy populations by ensuring that communities are better equipped to recover from health crises and maintain long-term well-being.

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Jun 28, 2024
Empowering beekeepers in Anosy region

By Sharone Houssenaly | Programmes and Office Assistant

Madagascar continues to suffer from effects of climate change, rising prices due to COVID-19, and the country’s most severe drought in 40 years. In the southeast Anosy region, where over 98% of rural households depend on small-scale farming, animal husbandry, and fishing, recent failed harvests have severely impacted food security and income levels. This situation calls for the development of alternative, sustainable livelihood strategies. In response, SEED Madagascar launched Project Renitantely in 2016 to improve beekeeping as a sustainable livelihood, enhancing the financial and environmental resilience of communities in the Anosy region.

Project Renitantely has been effective in building resilient livelihoods for the community. In 2023, beekeepers produced and sold over 1,000 litres of honey and 67kg of wax, generating about £1,924. This income has allowed beekeepers to invest in solar panels and livestock for example. Formal contracts with international buyers and obtaining apiary identification codes have opened new market opportunities. Additionally, successful implementation of forage supplementation, apiary expansion, and natural pest management strategies have improved honey yields and the resilience of beekeeping enterprises. These achievements are crucial for ensuring long-term financial and environmental sustainability.

SEED Madagascar is now preparing for Phase II of Project Renitantely, starting in July 2024. This phase aims to expand the project to three new communities. The focus will be on improving financial resilience through comprehensive training in financial literacy and business skills, alongside enhancing market access.

With your help, in the next several years SEED hopes to continue this critical work, ultimately empowering 92 beekeepers to build sustainable livelihoods. SEED aims to support these beekeepers in increasing honey yields, improving market access, and ensuring financial resilience. We thank you for your support in this critical project, helping communities in Anosy to recover and build resilience for the future.

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Mar 8, 2024
Addressing Food Insecurity and Malnutrition

By Alexander Cook | Programs and Office Assistant

Madagascar continues to suffer from effects of climate change including increased cyclone activity, pest infestations, and the country’s most severe drought in 40 years. These events have caused a significant decline in harvests of key foods like rice and maize that have led to widespread food insecurity and malnutrition across Madagascar. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising food prices have only exacerbated the crisis, with hundreds of thousands of children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition.

SEED has been active in providing emergency food distribution across Madagascar. In 2024, SEED has procured and begun distributing RUSF for an additional 1,500 children suffering from acute malnutrition. A total of 1,283 children 6-59 months with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) across project sites have been identified. In addition, rations of rice, oil, and beans distribution to their families has begun.

SEED in collaboration with the Madagascar Ministry of Health has trained Heads of community healthcare centres on maternal and child nutrition, deworming, and associated health conditions. They have also been trained to screen and identifying acute malnutrition using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurements. The trained heads of community healthcare centres are now prepared to subsequently train community healthcare workers and the local community members on identification and reporting of malnutrition.

With your help, in the next several years SEED hopes to continue this critical work, ultimately distributing enough RUSF to meet the health needs of 12,000 children diagnosed with SAM or MAM. Moreover, SEED hopes to continue distributing rice, beans, and oil to nearly 6,000 households, support 12,000 mothers and caregivers in malnutrition screening methods, and continue training community health workers to treat children suffering from malnutrition. We thank you for your support to this critical project.

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