Nila, a young artisan and visionary businesswoman in Vombe

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.