---
title: Andriantantely update - Working together for conservation
description: Surveys in Andriantantely reveal Madagascar’s rare rainforest wildlife and show how conservation can support ecosystems, communities and climate resilience
image: https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hubfs/Andranomihaotra.jpg
---

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# The Aspinall Foundation

# Andriantantely update - Working together for conservation

Posted by [The Aspinall Foundation](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/author/the-aspinall-foundation) on 26 Sept 2026, 10:00:00

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One of the most exciting aspects of our multi-year project supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is the programmes of activities allows us to work with more local communities in and around the lowland rainforest of Andriantantely.

![Bezamba (40)](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Bezamba%20(40).jpg?width=619&height=464&name=Bezamba%20(40).jpg)  
Our Field Coordinator Haingo addressing community members in the village of Bezamba © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar

The Importance of Rural Communities  
Our projects in Madagascar are managed by our team, but they are a collaborative process with all the main stakeholders, of which one of the most important are the local communities living in the project areas. The role of the communities is vital for many reasons, including:  
• Under the formal structure of the Malagasy government, it is the communities that elect, and are governed by, their VOI (community association) and the VOI assume responsibility for the management of natural resources within a designated area  
• Alongside responsibilities local people have a right to live in their ancestral homeland and a right to benefit from ecosystem services  
• The subsistence lifestyle that rural communities face to survive includes customs and practices harmful to endangered wildlife and vital habitats, but with assistance to transition to sustainable climate-smart lifestyles the communities can significantly reduce harm and engage more effectively in protecting the areas where they live.   
• The strengthening of rural communities enables them to better manage the migrants entering rural areas who are increasingly having an adverse impact with activities such as gold mining and logging.

The Importance of Rural Communities

![Tolongoina (46)](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Tolongoina%20(46).jpg?width=619&height=464&name=Tolongoina%20(46).jpg)  
Our Field Coordinator Haingo working alongside DREDD Agents and Gendarme Units as they carry out awareness-raising in Tolongoina © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar

The Benefits of Training Local Rangers  
Another of the key stakeholders is DREDD. the Regional Directorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development, whose agents are representatives of the government offices operating under Madagascar's Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD).

Madagascar is split into multiple administrative regions, and there are several DREDD branches across Madagascar that represent the Ministry and they are tasked with local conservation, tree-planting campaigns, protecting water sources, and combating illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.

Our team collaborate with DREDD in the following areas of our project:  
• They provide training to local rangers on aspects of law and regulations  
• They work with our team on awareness-raising in the communities on matters of law and regulations  
• They work with our team and local community members in relation to the administrative process for the creation and renewal of the management contracts that provide formal recognition of VOIs.

The Gendarme unit is also actively participating in the project as they are part of the OMC (Organe Mixte de Conception) which is an official structure that brings together administrative authorities (such as prefects or regional heads), judicial authorities, and law enforcement agencies (gendarmerie, police, army).

**Regular Communication**

![Sandraka (6)](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Sandraka%20(6).jpg?width=619&height=464&name=Sandraka%20(6).jpg)  
Community Meeting in Sandraka © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar 

Rural communities in Madagascar face many challenges, some driven by natural events such as cyclones and drought, whilst others are socio-economic, such as lack of infrastructure and investment. Cultural traditions are also regarded as highly important and villagers are guided by elders, known as Tangalamena, who serve as the keepers of ancestral customs and community rules.

With community-led activities at the heart of our project, it is essential that the needs of the individual communities are respected and that everyone is kept informed of what the project is hoping to achieve, why it is important, and, crucially, for people to know they have a voice and a part to play in the process.

To ensure this is maintained throughout the project our team hold regular community meetings, and they carry out field visits every month.

The School ProgrammeWorking with the local schools is just one of the programmes of activities that are being undertaken as part of this project. In previous blog posts on our work in Madagascar, we have covered the significance we place on working with the local schools. In summary the three main reasons are:  
• Teaching children climate-smart agriculture enables them to develop key skills for when they become adults which will empower them to make better lifestyle choices for both them and the habitat/wildlife where they live.  
• Rural schools receive little governmental support, yet education is important to the families and communities we work with. By working with a local organisation, NGO Fanambinantsoa, our project helps teachers develop their skills and help towards environmental education becoming a mainstream topic.  
• The practical element of the programme involves the creation of school market gardens which, aside from providing the teachers and children with the opportunity to practice their new skills, also provides fresh healthy produce to supplement their diets.

![Evaluation des élèves EPP Bezamba](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Evaluation%20des%20%C3%A9l%C3%A8ves%20EPP%20Bezamba.jpg?width=619&height=348&name=Evaluation%20des%20%C3%A9l%C3%A8ves%20EPP%20Bezamba.jpg)School children have lessons on theory that they subsequently put into practice developing school market gardens © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar

At the start of the project our colleagues at NGO Fanambinantsoa undertook an assessment of the schools taking part. They also held several meetings with teachers and their governing boards. With the programme of activities now ongoing the school market gardens are beginning to come together.

![Jardin  potager](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Jardin%20%20potager.jpeg?width=619&height=464&name=Jardin%20%20potager.jpeg)  
One of the school market gardens © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar 

The level of commitment from the teachers and children cannot be understated. Some schools have only one or two teachers and one of the participating schools, Andranomihaotra, currently has no school building due to it being destroyed by extreme weather conditions, and yet the single teacher there has still created a garden.

![Andranomihaotra](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Andranomihaotra.jpg?width=619&height=279&name=Andranomihaotra.jpg)  
The school garden at Andranomihaotra © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar

We look forward to bringing you more updates on the school gardens, and other elements of the project over the coming months. In the meantime, we would like to thank CEPF for their support and collaboration.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Canada, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

 Topics: [Conservation](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/conservation), [Madagascar](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/madagascar), [community](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/community)

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