A dedicated micro credit fund for rural Madagascar

The team has decided to suspend our pig breeding program as part of our microcredit strategy. We had partnered with 11 individuals and one group (the Lutheran church) in all 4 villages. They had been given money to buy a piglet and agreed in writing on a reimbursement schedule, once the pig was sold and they had access to cash. They had also been provided training by our gardener in Tsaramandroso, who very successfully has been raising pigs for years in a sanitary and pig friendly, smell free environment.

One of the challenges was the non-reimbursement on time because. e.g. a pig died. Unfortunately, after a closer examination we learned that in many cases it was not a disease, but the lack of feed, that lead to the demise of a pig. We were told: “It was hard to feed the animals when the people couldn’t feed themselves and their families.”

In addition to this harsh reality pigs have become the target of dahalo, or cattle thieves, because they are big enough to be herded away along with the cattle.

Instead of encouraging the raising pigs, Zahana decided to promote raising chicken and especially ducklings to fight against schistosomiasis and improve nutrition. We do this in the hope to later develop economic opportunities for the communities involved, to sell ducks to city folk, where they are in very high demand.

Consequently, for this coming season microcredit is oriented towards ducks and chicken breeding. With the active involvement of our gardeners, we will also again make improved seeds like corn, peanuts, soybeans and vegetables available to the communities. 

Links:

• Raising piglets

We reported in our October 30, 2021 project report The rice bank: revitalizing a good idea that our newest village had embraced the idea of a seed-bank right after they joined Zahana (or scroll down to our project report from October 30, 2021 on the GlobalGiving Project page).

Instead of the one ton of rice we had initially agreed on, they decided to doubled their commitment and Zahana matched their two tons of rice to support their efforts, thanks to donations likes yours to this project.

Now, with the 2022 rice planting season in full swing after the rains it is time to put the brand new rice seed-bank into action. Our last site visit coincided with the sharing of the rice among their members for this planting season. The photos attached to this report document this historic occasion.

They agreed in writing that they will give back the rice each of them borrowed from their seed-bank around May 2023, after the rice harvest.

Links:

• The rice bank: revitalizing a good idea
• Banking on rice in Fiadanana (2008)