Madagascar – Capacity building and empowerment of rural women

Local partnerThe CADRI, created in 2004, by Marie Randriamamonjy and her husband Claude aims to contribute to the socio-economic development of the Municipality of Anosiala, in the region of Analamanga. Adopting a holistic approach to development, it has implemented, to varying degrees, five interrelated departments addressing different segments of the population and from different angles, the common denominator being the most disadvantaged sections of the rural population :

• The Department of General Education (primary and the first part of secondary) for children from 4 to 17 years, from Kindergarden to grade 3.
• The Department of Vocational Training, currently being set up, offers short-term training courses in metalwork, joinery and carpentry, masonry and handicrafts sectors. The agricultural sector includes livestock activities and market gardening and food crops.
• The Health and Community Department includes the Mother and Child Reception Center (CME), the distribution of KOBA AINA (“Porridge of life”: a mixture of cereals enriched with vitamins, produced in Madagascar), the latrine operation, the sanitation and the protection of the environment.
• The Department of Productive Activities aims to promote income-generating activities (IGA) to parents of students especially in the field of agriculture, livestock and market gardening.
• The Cultural and Sports Department is transversal and aims to make known and appreciate Malagasy culture and traditions.

CADRI was born out of a private initiative of people native to the region who remained real actors, eager to put their skills at the service of disadvantaged populations of the Municipality of Anosiala. These “actors” are grouped within the “Association for the Promotion of CADRI” which manages the various departments. At the level of the Center itself is the FVVH Association (Fikambanan”ny Vehivavy Vonona Handroso: Association of Women for Progress) which coordinates the activities. It is affiliated to the Network of Rural Women’s Associations coordinated by the Municipality of Anosiala.
CADRI does not receive any state subsidies. Funding is therefore entirely private: members, associations, benefactors etc.

The 11 villages with which CADRI works are scattered within a radius of 10km, with a total population of about 5,000. Since 2004, for more than 14 years, CADRI has been the only structure in the zone offering technical activities, training and health services for rural women.

The problem

Women attending GCE / CADRI are 100% from disadvantaged rural areas. They are farmers (65%) or Retailers (14%) but with few means of production and very little income. The others are housewives. Those who are married are dependent on their husbands in terms of income and decisions in the household and domestic violence is common. 80% of them are married under the traditional regime and do not enjoy legal status for themselves or their children. They also have limited rights with respect to access to land. In addition, sanitary conditions are very precarious in Madagascar. Women suffer from malnutrition and access to clean water is a real problem. Finally, the average level of study of women is the end of primary school. To overcome this situation of general poverty of women, 97% live below the poverty line, it is necessary to work on their financial autonomy.

Objectives/Activities carried out

The general objective of the project is to contribute to the socio-economic development of the municipality of Anosiala, an area of strong rural exodus of men and young people, working in particular with rural women who have so far no access development services.

The specific objective is, on one hand, to provide women with sufficient income through a professional qualification and the paid work, through individual and collective productive activities and, on the other hand, to improve the health and food situation of their young children. It also aims to strengthen CADRI’s operational capacities for vocational and technical training, and health and community activities within the WEC.

The planned activities are as follows:

• Activity 1: Equipment of the various CADRI professional workshops (craft, livestock and agro-food) and the training room and make them operational (purchase of furniture and tools, provide technical support and audio-visual equipment …)
• Activity 2: Provide technical and vocational training in the agricultural, livestock, handicrafts and agro-food sectors to women beneficiaries
• Activity 3: Realize the promotion of income-generating activities (AGR) for the women and create the revolving fund and support the beneficiaries in the assembly of their project
• Activity 4: Strengthen the reception capacities of CADRI (buildings), install agricultural parcels dedicated to IGAs and create the buying and selling center for the benefit of women
• Activity 5: Equip the CME further, increase and improve the quantity of its activities (purchase of equipment and porridge, layout of premises …)

Beneficiaries

4000 malnourished children, 1200 women living in precarious economic and health situations.

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