International Day of Cooperatives: The Mahampy Weavers' Association

On today's International Day of Cooperatives we're looking at how the Project Mahampy Weavers' Association encapsulates this year's theme: "Cooperatives Build a Better World."

In the south of Madagascar, over 90% of people live below the international poverty line (ACAPS, 2021), with the majority of Malagasy people relying on natural resources to make a living.?Mahampy?reed weaving is an example of this, a traditional women’s livelihood activity dependent on the health of the?mahampy?wetlands where the reeds grow.

SEED began Project Mahampy in 2019, to increase the income generated from?mahampy?reed weaving and to ensure the sustainability of?mahampy?weaving as a livelihood activity. To do so, SEED partnered with five women from the Mahampy Weavers’ Cooperative who, in June 2021, began research to assess the effects of different harvesting techniques on the growth of the?mahampy?reeds. The women have become the first in Sainte Luce to take part in ecological research and are at the heart of this initiative, leading on a management strategy to ensure the sustainability of?mahampy?weaving and the future of their livelihoods.

Since their research began, all five women have reported an improvement in their numeracy skills and their ability to use research equipment, building capacity throughout the cooperative to share their knowledge and skills with others. To learn more about the women’s findings and SEED’s wetland research to date, head to our website or click here to see the project progress report.

Short written by Polly Hedley - Senior Programme Officer, Conservation and Livelihoods