Economic Growth Madagascar Project #51523

Holistically Alleviating Poverty in Madagascar

by SEED Madagascar

Holistically Alleviating Poverty in Madagascar

Project Report | Jan 28, 2026
Bees and Communities Thrive Together

By Cassie Senn | Programmes and Office Assistant

Smoking a Hive

Livelihood opportunities are extremely limited in the southeast Anosy region, creating an urgent need for more alternative and sustainable livelihoods. Beekeeping has the potential to fill this gap, providing vital income, helping to alleviate poverty, complementing farming practices, and supporting biodiversity. Through Project Renitantely, SEED supports independent beekeepers across six rural communities, aiming to improve beekeeping as a viable and sustainable livelihood.

Droughts, floods, cyclones, and wildfires have all had a significant impact on beekeeping in the southeast, with a reduction of bee forage putting pressure on colonies, and leaving bees struggling to find food. In response, SEED has been working tirelessly to increase the forage available, with more than 32,000 seeds planted in dedicated bee forage nurseries. Despite these challenges, in 2025, the 53 participating beekeepers harvested a total of 1,135 litres of honey, an average of over 20 litres per beekeeper. This more than doubles the figures from the previous year, and is primarily attributed to a strong lychee flowering season.

To further strengthen financial resilience, an introductory savings scheme was established in April 2025. The scheme encourages beekeepers to put aside a small portion of their income to be saved and redistributed later in the year, before the lean season begins. A total of 2,512,000 MGA (£425), an average of 52,000 MGA (£9) per beekeeper, was redistributed back to participants in December. This timely support provided beekeepers with a critical financial buffer during a period when crop harvests and incomes are typically low.

Moving forward, Project Renitantely is spreading its wings wider than ever before. The SEED team will be equipping beekeepers with tools and business training to boost honey quality, explore new markets, and even create value-added products like beeswax crafts. These next steps will help transform beekeeping into a stronger, more sustainable rural enterprise.

These achievements represent real, lasting impact in SEED’s mission to aid in the alleviation of poverty, and they are only possible because of your support. With continued funding, we can expand these efforts and continue to help Madagascar’s beekeepers build strong, resilient and sustainable livelihoods, ensuring income today and security for the future.

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Sep 30, 2025
Planting the Future Through Agroforestry

By Cassie Senn | Programmes and Office Assistant

Community preparing planting beds in Tsagnoriha

Communities in southeast Madagascar are under increasing pressure from climate shocks, environmental degradation, and unpredictable foreign aid. The unprecedented dry spell in late 2024 stands out as a stark example of the challenges being faced, with crop failures worsening already critical levels of food insecurity. Simultaneously, traditional slash-and-burn farming, locally known as tavy, continues to fuel deforestation, degrade fragile soils, and increase wildlife risks.

In response, SEED launched an agroforestry pilot project next to Tsagnoriha Primary School in March 2025. Agroforestry offers a sustainable approach that combines the benefits of agriculture and forestry, and has proven effective in restoring degraded soils and improving water retention. With approximately 3,000 m², the site aims to strengthen food security by ensuring a consistent, year-round harvest that supports schoolchildren’s nutrition. Alongside this, the project seeks to promote sustainable farming practices and build resilience to climate change.

Since its launch, the site has achieved notable progress, with 40 planting beds now thriving with a wide range of crops, and Moringa oleifera and fruit tree seedlings taking root. The first harvest in June saw a total of 61 kilograms of courgettes, cucumbers, and radishes harvested, with the vegetables prepared and cooked by a group of parents for the schoolchildren.

This initiative has become a collective effort involving community members, teachers, and students. This demonstrates a shared commitment to restoring the land and securing livelihoods in a challenging climate context. SEED has also delivered training sessions, equipping project participants with essential skills in land preparation and maintenance, organic pest control, harvesting, composting and waste management, and nutritional food preparation. By strengthening local knowledge and capacity, these efforts aim to promote the wider adoption of sustainable practices throughout the community.

Thank you for being part of this journey, helping communities in southeast Madagascar to build resilience to climate change and improve nutrition for schoolchildren. With further funding, SEED can expand on this agroforestry initiative, ensuring continued food security and sustainable livelihoods for the future.

Harvesting courgettes

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Jun 3, 2025
Alleviating Poverty: Project Fanaka

By Cassie Senn | Programmes and Office Assistant

Carpenters preparing to stencil desk-benches

SEED’s holistic and multifaceted approach tackles poverty from all angles— strengthening education, improving healthcare, building sustainable livelihoods, and protecting the region’s environment and biodiversity. One crucial pillar of this mission is ensuring that children have access to functional, dignified learning spaces that support their growth and potential.

Exciting progress has been made recently with Project Fanaka, which aims to furnish 17 rural schools in southeast Madagascar with over 1,300 student desk-benches. Recently, two major furniture deliveries have marked critical milestones in this mission.

In Ranopiso, 214 two-student benches were delivered by our team to the local primary school. Previously, only 16 usable desks had been serving nearly 700 students, leaving the majority of children without proper seating. Your support made this delivery possible, having a real tangible impact with every classroom now fully furnished. Students have already been using the new desks for their exam preparations, and can prepare in a more comfortable and supportive environment.

Our education programme team also delivered 228 additional desk-benches to the primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools in Ifarantsa. These schools had just 58 benches for over 1,000 students, meaning most children had to sit on the floor during lessons. This can make it challenging to write and focus, limiting both the comfort and learning outcomes of the children. Now, all 12 classrooms are fully furnished ensuring every child has a proper seat and workspace. This has transformed the learning environment, increasing comfort and boosting concentration and participation.

These accomplishments represent real, lasting impact—and they’re only possible because of your support. Thank you for being part of this journey and making education more accessible and dignified for hundreds of children. With further funding SEED can continue providing schools with essential classroom furniture, ensuring every child has the access and opportunity to learn and thrive.

A class of upper secondary students in Ifarantsa

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