The Refondation of the Republic government has officially launched its support program for youth entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises. A fund of 200 billion ariary has been announced for this purpose.

Fandroso is the name of the national youth entrepreneurship support program, officially launched yesterday during a ceremony held in the grounds of the State Palace in Ambohitsorohitra. Fighting unemployment through entrepreneurship is the stated ambition.

"Every year, many young people enter the job market, but there are not enough jobs for them. We must therefore create new entrepreneurs to create new jobs. This is why we have implemented this program," explained Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, head of state, in his launch speech for Fandroso. The challenge is thus to transform young people into economic actors by giving them the opportunity to create their own opportunities.

"Young people are not problems, but solutions for Madagascar. You are not burdens, but levers for building tomorrow's Madagascar. The state's role is to open the door for you, but it is up to you to cross it and build your future," said the senior officer, who also stated that "young people are the main wealth of our country. Many of you have projects and ideas, but cannot implement them due to lack of access to financing and support structures."

With funding of 200 billion ariary, Fandroso targets young people as well as small and medium-sized enterprises seeking support to restructure and develop. The program is based on comprehensive support ranging from training to access to financing, including technical guidance. Beneficiaries can access financing in the form of loans at low interest rates, up to 60 million ariary.

The program features two main components. There is the Tsiry category, designed to support young people who want to start entrepreneurship and startups. And the Tafita category, which aims to support those who already have an activity, a small or medium-sized enterprise.

The head of state emphasizes, however, that to be admitted, candidates must present a solid file, a viable, sustainable project with economic and social impact.

Political Dimension

"Development does not result from speeches, but from concrete actions and wealth creation. This is why we need to train a new generation of Malagasy entrepreneurs. A generation that does not just wait for jobs to be created, but creates them itself. A generation that does not ask for or wait for help, but proposes solutions," said the senior officer.

This new initiative to support young entrepreneurs is reminiscent of a previous experience: the Fihariana program under the Rajoelina administration. Launched with similar ambitions, it already aimed to promote youth entrepreneurship by facilitating access to financing and support. The objective was also to combat unemployment.

Through Fihariana, several projects were launched across the country in various fields. Results were, however, mixed. Nevertheless, some beneficiaries were able to leverage the program's support to sustain their activities. In his speech yesterday, Colonel Randrianirina emphasized equity, inclusivity and transparency in selecting Fandroso program beneficiaries.

In a context where access to decent employment, or any employment at all, especially for young people, is a permanent challenge, a program to boost entrepreneurship is always welcome. It represents a concrete opportunity in the face of a saturated job market. Like its predecessor, it is certain that many will place their hopes on Fandroso to see their projects or ideas take shape and endure.

Beyond the socio-economic aspect, the initiative launched yesterday also has a political dimension. It is a test for the government, called upon to learn from past experiences to avoid pitfalls. The head of state himself acknowledged this: "The success of this program will be measured by the number of new businesses created, the number of jobs created, the number of young people who succeed, and the number of families whose lives have been transformed."