The Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s (ADRA) office in Madagascar has launched the “Alleviating Poverty Through Improved Livelihood and Health in Fandriana” project, jointly financed by the European Commission and ADRA’s office in the United Kingdom.

Benefiting 1,400 people directly, with an additional 4,125 benefiting indirectly, the project contributes to the alleviation of poverty among the poorest households in five communes in the Fandriana region where activities to improve living standards will be implemented: promotion of improved rice farming and kitchen gardens, promotion of income-generating activities in agriculture or crafts, and establishment or reinforcement of community-based health services.

To ensure sustainability and to restore the communities’ ability for self-development, the project will put a strong emphasis on capacity building for local associations.

ADRA will work with 10 craftswomen and 65 farmers’ associations to improve their productive, technical, and marketing capacities, and to ensure better availability of community-based health services.

The project, which is worth US$970,030 (=€758,400), is scheduled to last three years. The European Commission provided US$727,371 (=€568,770) in funding and the remaining US$242,419 (=€189,601) was provided by private donations to ADRA’s office in the United Kingdom.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar was ranked at 146th on the Human Development Index (out of 177) in 2005 with GDP per capita estimated at under US$800 (=€630). Life expectancy is just 57 years, and 75 out of every 1,000 babies don’t make it out of infancy.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender or ethnicity.