Reports on Building a Women's Weaving Cooperative

Project Report | Sep 30, 2026
Helping Mahampy Weavers Reach New Markets

By Lorin Thompson | Programmes & Office Assistant

Value Added Mahampy Products

With support from GlobalGiving donors, the Mahampy Cooperative is continuing to build the skills, systems and opportunities it needs to become more independent and create sustainable sources of income for its members.

A key focus recently has been exploring new ways for the Cooperative to reach customers and sell higher-value products. The Cooperative recently trialled selling Value-Added Products in local markets in Fort Dauphin. These products have more complex designs and colour schemes than the Mahampy products currently available in local markets. The trial showed that there is potential to sell these products at higher prices than the Cooperative’s existing designs. For example, bags sold for up to 5,000 MGA and mats for up to 10,000 MGA, which is higher than the prices of comparable basic products. While the products sold for less than they do to tourists at the Cooperative workshop, some of the sellers expressed an interest in continuing to sell the Value-Added Products. This gives the Cooperative an opportunity to continue exploring local markets and reach customers beyond its workshop.

Alongside this, the Cooperative has been strengthening the systems it needs to manage its own activities. SEED provided the workshop with a smartphone and training in WhatsApp, email and key financial services. The telephone will help the Cooperative communicate with materials suppliers, customers and business partners, including Tamala, as well as supporting future marketing activities. SEED has also completed the administrative work needed to establish a bank account for the Cooperative’s savings group. The account will provide a more secure way to store the group’s savings and could also be used in future to receive income from sales made through the Cooperative’s partnership with Tamala.

Together, these activities are helping the women of the Mahampy Cooperative put their skills into practice, explore new markets and build the systems they need to manage their business more independently.

Thank you to all the GlobalGiving donors who continue to support the Mahampy Cooperative. Your support is helping the women of Sainte Luce build new opportunities and a stronger future for their cooperative.

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Jun 4, 2026
Preparing for Long-Term Independence

By Betty Gisore | Grants and Administrative Assistant

TanalaLAB Visit

Over the past six months, Project Mahampy has taken important steps towards its long-term goal of enabling the Mahampy Weaving Cooperative to operate independently and sustainably. While previous phases focused on strengthening weaving skills, product development, and establishing cooperative structures, Phase III is centred on ensuring members have the systems, skills, and confidence needed to manage and grow the cooperative beyond the life of the project.

A key milestone during this reporting period was the beginning of a new partnership with TananaLab, a Malagasy organisation specialising in strengthening small enterprises and community organisations. In March 2026, TananaLab conducted an in-depth assessment of the cooperative, examining areas including governance, communication, production processes, inventory management, and market readiness. This assessment provided valuable insights into the cooperative’s strengths and areas for development and will inform a tailored programme of business training and mentoring over the coming year.

The project has also continued to strengthen members’ financial resilience. Despite seasonal income pressures during the lean season, members continued to contribute to the cooperative’s Education Savings Scheme, helping families prepare for future school expenses. Progress has also been made towards establishing a formal bank account for the savings group, which will provide greater security, transparency, and financial accountability.

Alongside these developments, cooperative members participated in refresher training sessions designed to strengthen understanding of departmental responsibilities and improve internal coordination. These sessions helped identify and address operational challenges, supporting members to take greater ownership of day-to-day cooperative management.

Monitoring data collected during this period also highlighted an important challenge: a decline in workshop sales linked to reduced tourism in Sainte Luce. While this has affected income opportunities for weavers, it has reinforced the importance of the project’s strategy to diversify markets and strengthen business capacity. Over the coming months, support will focus on market development, business skills training, and strengthening commercial partnerships, helping the cooperative build a more resilient future and move closer to full independence.

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Feb 5, 2026
Strengthening Independence: Mahampy Phase III

By Betty Gisore | Grants and Administrative Assistant

Weaving Products in the Mahampy studio

We are pleased to share an update on Mahampy Weaving Project (Phase III), which commenced in October 2025. This phase focuses on strengthening the Cooperative’s governance and preparing members for full independence. We are deeply grateful for your continued support, which has made the progress outlined below possible and has strengthened the confidence and stability of the weavers involved.

A key milestone has been the successful creation and ratification of a new Cooperative constitution. This document clearly outlines the delegation of roles and responsibilities, governance procedures, rule enforcement, and member financial contributions. It provides a strong foundation for accountability and collective decision making as the Cooperative moves toward self management.

The Cooperative has also continued to demonstrate encouraging economic activity. Since November, members have sold products worth 1,573,000 MGA (approximately £252). While modest, these sales reflect growing coordination, improved organisation, and renewed motivation among artisans to expand production and reach new buyers.

An important development during this phase has been the establishment of a partnership with Tamala, a Malagasy social enterprise based in Antananarivo that collaborates with artisans across Madagascar. Tamala supports producers to improve product quality, strengthen business operations, and connect to regional, national, and international markets. This partnership is expected to significantly increase visibility and long term income opportunities for the Mahampy Cooperative.

Phase III is designed to support the transition of the Cooperative to independent governance. Through ongoing capacity building, access to resources, and strengthened market linkages, members are developing the skills and confidence needed to manage operations sustainably.

Thank you for your commitment to this work. Your support is helping build a resilient, self sustaining Cooperative and creating lasting opportunities for Mahampy’s weaving community. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to sharing further progress as the Cooperative continues growing and strengthening its independence.