Madagascar

In Madagascar, unsustainable agricultural practices threaten destruction of both the rain forest and arable land. With a birth rate of 6.9 in sensitive areas or “hotspots,” the island’s population growth is outpacing conservation efforts, and slash-and-burn agriculture exacerbates the problem. Between 1990 and 2000, Madagascar lost 1.17 million hectares of forest. More than 80% of the forests are gone.

C-Change worked with youth in Madagascar through the Ankoay Doré (Golden Eagle) program to change the situation. Building on the Ankoay (Eagle) program and launched in partnership with Madagascar’s National AIDS Control Committee (CNLS), Ankoay Doré engages groups of young people in a series of participatory life skills activities to become involved in and young leaders on social issues such as environmental degradation, hygiene, adolescent reproductive health (ARH), and HIV prevention. Ankoay Doré involves youth in community development and peer mentoring using a mix of individual and collective activities to engage youth as leaders of national efforts to improve health and environmental sustainability.

To recognize and celebrate this leadership, the program holds festivals at which Ankoay Doré groups demonstrate their talents and skills using peer education, village theatre, and musical presentations. Neighboring communities are invited and local media cover these events. This approach fuels interest among other youth to participate in Ankoay Doré programs and spawns an ever-growing number of youth engaged in sustainable environmental practices and healthy behaviors.

In addition, C-Change focused on helping strengthen the capacity of local organizations to use behavior change communication programming in health programs, initiating health programs to link schools and communities with environmental protection, and assisting people to advocate for their own health and that of their community.