SEED works with both rural communities in the Anosy region and the urban population of Fort Dauphin on its various projects. SEED ensures that these respective communities are directly involved at every stage of project planning, implementation, evaluation and development via direct employment, regular community meetings, and rigorous monitoring and evaluation. SEED’s projects are designed to respond directly to the needs of local communities, and after 15 years of working in the region, SEED prides itself on its trusted position within communities and its ongoing dialogue with a range of stakeholders including elders, government authorities and the private sector. SEED Madagascar is dedicated to providing locally developed initiatives based on the expressed needs of our partner communities. Our approach is based on partnership, co-management and skill-sharing by individuals, communities and local organisations.The programmes that result from this approach will lead to lasting change, alleviating poverty and supporting environmental conservation for some of the world's most vulnerable people in threatened and irreplaceable environments.
SEED implements a number of projects across its four programme areas – Community Health, Sustainable Livelihoods, Environmental Conservation and Education – taking an integrated and holistic approach to ensure knowledge and internal learning is shared across departments. Although Project Stitch is primarily aimed at empowering women and developing sustainable livelihoods, recent activities have included health talks on subjects such as maternal health and malaria prevention, educational training in English language and computer skills, and promotion of environmental conservation through involvement with World Environment Day celebrations.
SEED currently supports a number of gender-based and livelihood projects in the region. Project Votsira, now in its third phase, works to improve maternal and child health in Fort Dauphin through targeted focus groups and house visits by trained health specialists. Project Safidy, which is just entering a significantly scaled up third phase, aims to develop resources to improve sexual health education and awareness among school students in Fort Dauphin, as well as developing a nationwide Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights network to improve sexual education across Madagascar. Project Renitantely is a livelihoods project focused on developing beekeeping as a viable and sustainable source of income in rural communities, with recent emphasis on encouraging women to keep bees.
Other recent achievements for SEED more broadly include:
Completion of project Tatirano, the construction and evaluation of a rainwater harvesting system providing clean drinking water for 144 school children from a rural primary school in Sainte Luce.
Construction of over 700 household latrines in Fort Dauphin as part of Project Malio, an urban sanitation project. The project has also conducted WASH education in 17 schools and run community triggering sessions in each urban district aimed at bringing about long-term behaviour change in sanitation practices.
Building of two new school buildings, as well as two new latrine blocks and a well, for the secondary school in the rural commune of Manambaro, as part of SEED’s ongoing construction project, Sekoly.
Conclusion of Project Fatsaka, SEEDs health and sanitation project aimed at increasing long-term access to clean drinking water in the rural commune of Mahatalaky, which carried out the rejuvenation of 15 wells across the commune.