Inclusion of women through the field school program

Bôndy: An approach to the inclusion of women through the field schools program.

^{March 8, 2024}

Opening in April and May 2024, of three new field schools in, Analamanga region, in Analamanga region, in Toamasina, in Atsinanana and in Ambanja, DIANA region, a training program in sustainable agricultural techniques, launched in 2020 by the reforestation company Bôndy and dedicated to farmers in its areas of intervention, by adopting an inclusive approach in favor of women.

The field schools program contributes to the empowerment of women in Madagascar by encouraging the participation of women. Previous experiences through the 2022—2023 promotion of the Antolojanahary school field, Ankazobe district, in the Analamanga region, demonstrate that the approach is successful: 80% of this promotion were women. According to Layticia Rasidimanana, head of social projects in Bôndy, the key word is to ensure that women have access to the same rights as men on the same scale. The approach and the activities that result from it then allow women to improve their incomes.

Sustainable agricultural practices

The field schools program, established over six to eight months, helps farmers in the Bôndy intervention areas to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. The objective is to help farmers adapt to climate change, and to improve their food security. The person in charge of social projects in Bôndy emphasizes that the training provided by the field schools is not limited to the strengthening of farming techniques, but also aims to facilitate the marketing of their products by local communities. “Field school classes, made up of an average of thirty learners, benefit from modules around financial education and negotiation. The knowledge acquired during the program, consolidated through a series of evaluations, is then disseminated by farmers, thus strengthening cohesion within their community.”, she explains.  

Young people

Bôndy, through its inclusion approach, is also looking at the youngest as part of another program deployed at the level of schools. Awareness-raising actions are carried out in schools in the areas in which the company operates, in order to make young people aware of the benefits of agroforestry or the restoration of mangroves. Before intervening in a school, the company inquires about the number of girls and boys in the school. Young girls should then be able to participate in these activities.

Water supplies

Reinforcing the efforts made for the emancipation of women in Madagascar, Bôndy is now working on the realization of a drinking water supply project in its areas of intervention. It should be noted that in Madagascar, fetching water is generally attributed to women and girls. ” This project, in addition to providing communities with healthy water, aims to reduce travel times. Women will be at the heart of the project because we will integrate them into the management committees for future drinking water supplies.”, says Layticia Rasidimanana.

Founded in 2019, the reforestation company Bôndy has planted more than three million trees in Madagascar. It now has 150 employees, 1,200 partner producers and 1,500 seasonal workers.

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