Fisherwoman, Entrepreneur, and Pioneer: Elysa’s Rise

In the Beloha district, a 25-year-old woman named Elysa gets up before dawn. Her day begins with preparing her fishing gear, a legacy of a family tradition. But Elysa is no ordinary fisherwoman; she is a pioneer in a male-dominated field, where her credibility is constantly put to the test. In addition, Elysa collects and processes fish and lobsters in her village. She sells them to local consumers. Yet, despite her expertise, she struggles to carve out a place for herself in the market.

That’s when the Maharo program came into her life. This program aims to combat food insecurity in southern Madagascar. Seeking to provide financial support and entrepreneurship training to bright young entrepreneurs, the NGO Youth First was looking for just such young talent. Elysa, seeing an opportunity to break down barriers, applied and, to her great surprise, was selected thanks to her obvious potential.

With 500,000 ariary in funding, Elysa invested wisely: 200,000 to buy fish and 300,000 to upgrade her fishing equipment by purchasing additional nets and containers.

The marketing training provided by Youth First opened her eyes to the dynamics of the local market. She learned how to stand out, not only through the quality of her products but also through her innovative sales strategy, using a Facebook page to reach her customers and promote her products.

Today, Elysa is a respected figure in her village. Her thriving business has earned the trust and respect of her peers. She inspires other women to follow in her footsteps, proving that with determination and support, barriers can be broken down. Thanks to her profits, she has been able to improve her living conditions by purchasing furniture and household appliances.

Elysa isn’t stopping there. She dreams of building a specialized facility for fish preservation, a project that would not only extend the shelf life of her products but also contribute to her community’s food security.