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.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
