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Our work in Madagascar

Overview

The situation in Madagascar has been characterized by a series of institutional crises since the country gained independence from France in 1960. These have held back socioeconomic development and limited the per capita gross domestic product to US$500, which is less than a third of sub-Saharan Africa’s average of US$1,633 . This has led to widespread poverty, a lack of infrastructure and entrenched institutional weakness. The situation has been exacerbated recurring health (COVID-19; bubonic and pneumonic plague) and climate (cyclones, floods, droughts) crises that have plunged 79.8 per cent of the population below the poverty line.

Our work in Madagascar

Climat et justice écologique | Climate and ecological justice icon
Ecological justice
Démocratie et participation citoyenne | Democracy and citizen participation icon
Democracy and citizen participation

Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada works in Madagascar because the people face insecurities owing to their exclusion from decision-making in public life and with respect to the governance of natural resources. People do not have adequate access to, safe use of or control over the natural resources of their environment. In rural areas, they also struggle against exploitative systems.

Our programme is based on an approach that values the empowerment of people for their own development through self-help.

Our partners conduct two groups of complementary activities that:

  • Improve the food, financial and climatic security of communities to facilitate the uptake of climate-change-adaptive practices;

  • Empower citizens to participate in formal and informal decision-making related to the governance of natural resources, the environment and public affairs.

*This program has received financial support from the Government of Quebec since 2017 through its ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs and/or its ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie.

What is next in our work?

Madagascar’s prospects hinge on building a self-help-based system of resilience. We will continue working to organize people at the community level so that they can bounce back individually and collectively in a sustainable manner. This will be done through improved networking and stronger advocacy to facilitate the creation of social and agricultural policies that are favourable to the people.

Resources

Play Video about Image video An ecological conversion in Madagascar
Play Video about Image video Madagascar Living in the Shadow of a Mine

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