From Failure to Resilience: Soafiavy and His Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Androka

My name is Soafiavy Jean Baptiste, and I live in the commune of Androka, in the Ampanihy district, within the Atsimo-Andrefana region. 

Previously, I lived with my parents and depended entirely on their financial support. However, I was starting to want my independence because I wanted to start a family with the woman I love. I had a passion for chicken farming, but I did not yet have a real income due to a lack of resources. 

That was precisely when I encountered the MAHARO program with the staff of the NGO Youth First. This five-year program aimed to sustainably prevent and reduce acute food insecurity for vulnerable households. I saw this as an opportunity to present my farming project. 

I was admitted after passing the tests. Thanks to 500,000 MGA in funding from the NGO Youth First, I was able to invest in 20 chickens. Throughout the process, I also benefited from their entrepreneurship training and invaluable support, which helped me immensely. I learned how to account for and manage my money there. Unfortunately, most of my chickens succumbed to illness even though I had them vaccinated. 

But that didn’t stop me. I talked about my problem with my coach from Youth First, and she told me I could still restart with another project. Their unwavering support helped me regain confidence in my abilities. I then started making dried cassava. I buy the cassava in Ampanihy, dry it, and resell it in Androka. I sell about 5 bags of it a week. This activity has brought in a fair amount, even though the road conditions remain my main difficulty. 

With the profits, I then bought 2 solar panels to generate electricity since there is none in the neighborhood where I live. Afterward, I rented out my services as a neighborhood phone charger. The profits, combined with those from the cassava, allowed me to acquire technological equipment such as 2 television sets, a tablet, and a phone.

That was when I got the idea for my third business, which is to open a small cinema room (commonly called a “video”) in my neighborhood. Young people like to be entertained, and I had the means to satisfy them. So, I launched this venture. Thanks to all the profits, I was even able to resume my chicken farming. 

I can say that I achieved all this thanks to the training and support of the NGO Youth First, because they knew how to awaken my entrepreneurial spirit. Meeting this organization was a life-changing experience, because despite my young age, I was able to achieve economic empowerment. 

Today, I have my own home where I live peacefully with my wife and child. We have decent furniture that we are proud to show our guests. I also help my parents with certain expenses. 

My next step would be to open a grocery store, alongside all the ventures I have already started.