Update from the field

4 July 2010

Dear Friends

Today is my last day in Madagascar. I have a day in the city to catch up from the "Tropic Asia".

While in Maroantsetra, Tom Corcoran, student intern, was working on a fantastic video for CPALI/MSEPALI - we think the story line is going to be perceptions of Makira people of forest conservation - when Tom interviewed the president of the TMA – the farmers association that was set up to manage the border forests edging the Makira Area -Tom asked the president what he thought conservation/biodiversity was - The President replied “it means setting up an NGO. We hope that we will be better able to educate community members through the CPALI program.

Mamy is now organizing our farmer networks - 1 lead farmer for 9 farmers - the lead farmer will take data on farmer economics as well as the sites where the trees are planted. We will have a special training session for the leaders and hopefully with the new solar powered, crank radios we can stay in better touch.

Mamy and the team are working on setting up a board for the new MSEPALI. Everyone is very excited about it. Our first new board member will be a Malagasy PhD student from UC Berkeley, Tendro Ramaharita. He is working with farmers in the area doing land mapping and assessment. He is taking baseline data that he has kindly agreed to allow us to use when we begin to compare CPALI project effects.

We had our second textile workshop - three women who had participated before and two new ones. This time with two industrial sewing machines that were "new" - at least to us and Madagascar. Each machine had a name tag of the previous owners - Mercedes and Flower. We think they probably came from a Chinese, industrial garment factory. The crew soon became pros at making the textile and we now can do it much faster. We were only slowed down by the fact that we did not have more machines. I am sure that we will be able to use solar powered machines and take this work to the village.

The biggest remaining news is that Mamy is getting married to Lalaina Raharindimby! She is planning to move to Maroantsetra - she manages a major hotel in Tana. Given her business skills, she would be a great asset to the project - keep you fingers crossed that our next proposal is funded.

Thank you again for your generous support.

Cay

Catherine L. Craig, PhD

CPALI CEO and President

Links:

• CPALI website

Pictures:

• Mario sews textile (JPG)
• Fanja pieces textile together (JPG)
• 9 feet and counting! (JPG)