Project Report
| Dec 13, 2013
Building a future to look forward to
![Wild silk textile up close]()
Wild silk textile up close
Imagine farming with no modern implements, machinery, fertilizers, and most of all, limited opportunity to improve yields or access markets. This is what it's like for subsistence farmers in Madagascar. They live in villages with no electricity, no water or sewage systems. For centuries, they have been making a living by swidden agriculture (slash and burn). Like our own ancestors, they hunt in the forest but also clear and burn forests to make land for new farms when soils become unproductive.
CPALI/SEPALI Madagascar are designing a new approach to conservation, one that focuses on people and on developing sustainable alternatives to forest harvesting for subsistence farmers, that has been embraced by local communities. We specialize in stepping stone conservation -- helping farmers earn enough income to begin to move up the income ladder from severe poverty to low income and beyond. All without harvesting plants and animals from the forest. CPALI is teaching farmers how to grow and process their own native resources for food and cash. Last year 10 farmers produced 10994 cocoons and about 15 meters of fabric. So far 29 farmers have produced 14953 cocoons and the rearing season is not over. Farmers will not desposit their November cocoons until the end of January.
To take the next step we are raising funds to build a work space for women to use to make the textile at their convenience. Architects for Humanity, Boston, designed (pro bono) a the perfect space that makes use of local materials and will employ local farmers to build it! We are now raising funds to make if a reality! GG's matching funds campaign for recurring donations starts Friday, 20 December. GlobalGiving's recurring matching campaign will match your initial monthly gift at 100%! This match will be sent to us after your recurring gift has completed 4 months total. So that means, if you choose to make a recurring gift during the campaign this December, you're initial gift will be matched in March!
Marketing Update
The goal of our program is build a self-sustaining enterprise that provides farmers with the support the need to mitiage use of forest resrources. We are excited that dConstruct jewelry of Canada is introducing a line of wild silk jewelry in January. dConstruct has donated its first designs to CPALI for holiday sales! Please contact us if you are interested
in purchasng earrings, pendants or bracelets made from wild silk embedded in eco-resin for that special person on your holiday list: info@cpali.org for full details and prices.
Also at the Boston Architects convention, the Architects for Humanity, Boston, gave us a chance to show off three different types of textile made by SEPALI. It was the first time the texitles have been on display. The architects we talked to were excited about the possibility of using the fabric to make room dividers, screens, window treatments and innovative lights. All of our current textiles are designed using cocoons randomly arrayed. In the future we hope to branch out with other patterns and designs. Our current textiles are available at Habu Textile, New York or through CPALI. Contact us at Info@cpali.org.
Thank you for your support!
![Wild silk textile display]()
Wild silk textile display
![Thank you to global giving!]()
Thank you to global giving!
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