Villagers of Soavinandriamanitra Andranovelona in Ambohimanga Rova commune are gradually transforming their settlement. Residents have set up vegetable gardens in their yards and built an exhibition shelter to showcase their crop samples. "We have become very attentive to village cleanliness and clean much more often. Those who can afford it are gradually replacing their thatched roofs with corrugated iron," said Elisabeth Razafinantoandro, a sixty-year-old resident, yesterday.
This transformation is only beginning. With support from the non-governmental organization Synergie d'encadrement pour une volonté engagée (NGO Seve), the locality is becoming an eco-village. "Our next objectives focus on harmonizing facade colors, definitively abandoning kerosene for shared lighting, and building a facility dedicated to chick farming," Razafinantoandro explained.
According to Nirina Randria, executive director of NGO Seve, an eco-village goes far beyond simple environmental showcase. "It is primarily a social and community initiative. It involves identifying local resources to transform them into common heritage serving everyone," he said. Over a 5-year program, NGO Seve aims to launch 50 eco-villages throughout Madagascar, support a hundred women's associations, and develop income-generating activities for 5,000 vulnerable households.
The program includes several key components. "Environment holds a central place, particularly its protection and restoration. To achieve this, we must address: How to promote sustainable agriculture? How to achieve food self-sufficiency? What energy sources to use? The same applies to water management and waste storage and disposal. For success, these villagers must become autonomous," explained Sata Maria Rafaraharivelo, regional director of environment and sustainable development for Analamanga. This directorate aims to include this site in Ambohimanga Rova's tourist circuit.