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Since our last newsletter, SEED has been featured by The Times, BBC News, and Al Jazeera in reports on Madagascar’s crisis. Last week, BBC Africa published an article featuring SEED’s Deputy Director, Tsina, and our Head of Construction, Lomba, who shared their experiences of what many are now calling 'the world’s first climate change-induced famine'. Their words provided an insight into the reality of Madagascar’s crisis on the ground and just how increasingly vital SEED’s Food Distribution work is. The effects of climate change are more apparent than ever before in Madagascar’s Anosy region where SEED works and so, to combat its effects, we have been working to reduce the carbon footprint of our projects and operations, in addition to planting thousands of trees (scroll down to see the actual number!), through our Positive Footprints project and Project Ala. Creating positive change is something that our new partner the BitGive Foundation is all about too, and SEED is excited to be part of the movement which harnesses the power of cryptocurrency ‘for good’! |
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Lomba talks about how his cassava farming has been impacted by Madagascar's crisis. Video by: Louise du Plessis |
'The World's First Climate Change-Induced Famine' |
‘A little goes a long way’ is a phrase we all hear used a lot in the nonprofit sector, but it couldn’t be truer when it comes to SEED’s Food Distribution work; just £3.75 will cover the cost of 2 weeks worth of food for a clinically malnourished child. In fact, your donations earlier this year meant that we could order 75 cases of emergency infant food supplements for children suffering from malnutrition - that’s 11,250 sachets of lifesaving food for children across 41 villages in Anosy. The plight of people living in Madagascar’s rural areas is now shared by those living in its towns, something Tsina and Lomba shared with the BBC, in their most recent article on the crisis. In a separate radio interview with BBC Radio 4, Tsina explained that “So many children start to beg in the streets of Fort Dauphin (the region’s capital city), asking for small money— for small change— to buy food". Lomba, SEED’s Head of Construction, also shared how the crisis has affected his cassava farming livelihood, in an interview you can watch below. |
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SEED's office with all 15 solar panels. Photographed by: Daniel Wood |
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The Anosy region where SEED works continues to be disproportionately affected by climate change, so SEED is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, with a long-term goal of net-zero carbon emissions. We launched our ‘Solar for SEED’ campaign in March with the aim to leave behind fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy with solar power. Your support of this campaign helped us raise an incredible £15,926 which has meant that SEED has been able to purchase 15x325w solar panels for our office. If you follow us on social media, you will have seen that all 15 panels have now been installed on the roof of our office in Fort Dauphin. Moving away from expensive fossil fuels will not only bring about positive changes for the environment, but it will also allow SEED to save vital funds every month, which can now be spent on our project work instead. Our team is excited to say goodbye to the days of hours-long power cuts; time once spent worrying about laptops running out of battery can now be spent on working to enhance our project outcomes for communities across Madagascar’s Anosy region instead - stay tuned! |
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Project Ala's tree planting event. Photographed by: Maria Campuzano |
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Earlier this year, SEED launched a limited edition mouse lemur art print by Louise Miller. Your support of this print helped SEED raise £6,337 for Phase II of our reforestation project, Ala. SEED would like to say a big thank you to all of you who donated to this project, as we have now been able to commence the new and exciting second phase of Project Ala, which seeks to increase the habitat size of forest corridors for three Critically Endangered lemur species, trial novel forest protection measures, and improve forest management skills of the local community. We hope that Phase II is as successful as Phase I, during which the Ala team planted 7,562 trees and increased connected forest habitat in Sainte Luce by 109%! |
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Children at a school built by SEED in Anosy. Photographed by: Mark Jacobs |
Cryptocurrency 'for good'! |
SEED is excited to be partnered with the BitGive Foundation to raise cryptocurrency funds for Project Sekoly, our school-building project. An increasing number of people around the world are using cryptocurrency to support philanthropic causes, and BitGive’s GiveTrack platform makes it easier than ever to do so. BitGive has a mission of using cryptocurrency to create lasting social impact, which works by harnessing the power of Bitcoin and Blockchain by providing a platform for people to make donations to nonprofits doing vital work across the globe. With the funds raised via this platform, SEED will provide education infrastructure for hundreds of children in rural Madagascar. |
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Monthly Mini Malagasy Lesson with Lima ‘Trano atsimo sy avaratra, izay tsy mahalen-kialofana’ - ‘In a family/community, we should help the one in need’ |
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