The future of Madagascar is dependent on the restoration of its forests. Mahabana was a small community, but over time, people kept on moving there to live a better life. They would cut down trees to build their houses, and eventually, their environment began to degrade. The mud was eroding. The crab, shrimp, and fish started to vanish from the area, causing the economic revenue from the ocean to decrease. As this continued, the lack of a healthy ecosystem drove this community into deeper oppressive states of poverty.
We are helping reverse this cycle by employing and training the Malagasy community on how to restore their environment. As the community becomes involved in producing and planting trees, they become committed to protecting their forests long-term, as seen in Maman’i Kambana’s story.
Maman’i Kambana is a single mother of six children who was struggling to make ends meet. She moved to Mahabana as a last resort to earn an income to provide for her children. When we launched a reforestation project in Mahabana, she joined our team as a planter. She starts her workday at dawn by canoeing or sometimes walking to the site. Then, she carefully plants propagules 1 meter apart in the thick mud. Since joining our team, Maman’i Kambina has been able to afford her family’s daily necessities and pay for her children’s school fees.
Maman’i Kambana is one example of how our resilient reforestation employees overcome a challenging situation through reforestation. To hear Maman'i Kambana's full story, watch the video below.
