Building a Women's Weaving Cooperative

Over the past three years, Project Mahampy has continued to strengthen women’s livelihoods in Sainte Luce through the Mahampy Weavers’ Cooperative. Following the progress made in Phase I, Phase II (September 2022 – August 2025) focused on consolidating technical, financial, and organisational skills among the most engaged 64 members.

Training introduced both improved traditional techniques and new skills to target the tourist market. These interventions contributed to a 59% increase in sales between year one and year two, though growth slowed in year three due to the impacts of Tropical Storm Jude, which forced the workshop to close for four months. Alongside weaving, women broadened their capacities through 30 months of literacy classes and eight gender-inclusive financial literacy sessions, supporting stronger household budgeting, savings, and financial planning. A market analysis conducted at the end of Phase II identified both persistent constraints and promising opportunities within the Mahampy sector. Findings highlighted barriers to production, market access challenges, and demand-side bottlenecks, showing the critical need for further support to strengthen the cooperative’s autonomy.

As a result, plans for a new phase are underway. Phase III will build directly on these achievements to secure the cooperative’s long-term independence. Three key outcomes for phase III will be

• Enhanced governance through revision of the Cooperative’s constitution, renewed clarity on roles and responsibilities, and democratic elections to reinforce accountable leadership.
• Strengthened finances via the creation of an Introductory Savings Group, transitioning savings and lending into a cooperative-led system to reduce vulnerability and build independence
• Improved market navigation through a tailored business training curriculum designed to expand trading opportunities, strengthen buyer engagement, and improve resilience to shocks.

Through your continued support, the Mahampy Weavers’ Cooperative will be better equipped to thrive beyond project completion through strengthened governance, improved financial management, and increased market knowledge, securing a vital source of income for women and their households in Anosy.

Thank you for being part of this work.