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The day begins gently on this October morning. The heat is quite mild, and a strong wind has been blowing since the night, laden with sand seeds. We set off from Fort Dauphin, the regional capital, in the direction of Farafara Vatambe, a small village close to a Farmer Business School (FBS) promoted by GIZ Prada in Madagascar. FBS is a concept developed in 2010, and it refers to a comprehensive adult learning approach for smallholder farmers, by creating market opportunities and improving productivity as well as family income. It comprises a series of farmer group-based experiential learning activities with dedicated facilitators[1].
An hour later, along a bumpy road, the village came into view. We were greeted by joyful singing, smiling faces and contagious energy. We were there to witness a milestone event: the completion of a cycle of a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), an initiative that enables villagers to save and help each other. A VSLA is an informal savings model for groups of 10-25 people in marginalized communities, often where financial access is limited. Members elect a president, secretary, and treasurer, and savings are securely stored in a box with keys held by three different individuals to prevent fraud. The savings are divided into two boxes: one for redistribution at the end of a 9-month cycle and another for social activities decided collectively by the group. Claude François, our GOPA AFC facilitator, took the floor. He guided the villagers through the stages of sharing their savings as it was the end of the first cycle. During the last meeting, the wooden box containing all savings is opened and the collected savings are distributed proportionally through the members.
Jasmin, one of the project beneficiaries, confided: "I used to live from hand to mouth. The land didn't give me enough. The GIZ PRADA project taught me how to make basket compost. Our cassava production tripled, and I was able to sell the surplus in the market! With the help of GOPA AFC, I put my small savings into VSLA and was able to invest in new seeds and improve my field. Today, I hope to be able to provide better education for my children”. Her smile was radiant with pride and gratitude.
We were touched by the strength of these women and men who, despite the odds, never gave up on their dream. The VSLA was much more than a development project, it was a subtle yet profound transformation and renewal.
When we left Farafara Vatambe, we took with us much more than memories. We left with the conviction that change is possible, that sometimes all it takes is a small spark to ignite entire communities. The next step will be providing financial education sessions to VSLA members, who as of November 2024, are more than 1400.
We are now in the second phase of the "Adaptation of Agricultural Value Chains to Climate Change (PrAda)" project, which runs from December 2022 to June 2025. This project is funded by GIZ.
Check out our article about project start, the news about the project extension, our article about the drought insurance product, or learn more about the predecessor project.
For more information, please contact benedetta.ferraro [at] gopa-afc.de.