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.

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. 

My name is Nila, and I was born in the village of Vombe in southern Madagascar, where basket weaving is more than just a trade, it’s a legacy. At age 15, I decided to leave school to follow in my ancestors’ footsteps and become a basket weaver. So I began learning the craft by making mats and small bags out of satrana, a plant fiber we harvest here. Every piece I sold 3,000 Ar for the mats and 2,000 Ar for the bags helped cover my family’s expenses.

But life presented me with a major challenge in 2022: I became pregnant. The joy of becoming a mother was mixed with anxiety about the future. How was I going to provide my child with the life they deserve?

That’s when the Maharo program came into my life. I decided to submit my business plan, which was nothing more than my handicrafts. The NGO Youth First recognized my potential, and I was selected as one of the young entrepreneurs.

With 500,000 Ar in financial support from the NGO Youth First, I was able to buy more satrana and double ,or even triple, my production. I went from making fewer than 50 mats per quarter to about 100, or even more.

But the money was just the beginning. The Youth First team gave me something far more valuable: knowledge. Through coaching sessions, they taught me the importance of quality, how to satisfy and retain customers, and the basics of marketing. Thanks to them, I realized that my products weren’t just objects, but a reflection of my art and my culture. So I made the bold decision to raise my prices to 5,000 Ar per mat and 3,000 Ar per bag, without ever compromising the trust of my customers.

Today, as I watch my daughter grow up, I know I can provide her with everything she needs. I have become a businesswoman, a mother, and a visionary artisan. Armed with what I learned from Youth First, I now dream of opening my own grocery store in my village and expanding the reach of my crafts to Tulear and beyond.