Welcome to ho avy!
ho avy means future in Malagasy and safeguarding biodiversity and people’s livelihoods for future sustainability is the focus of this grassroots program in southwestern Madagascar.
The program ho avy is a collaborative effort between a Czech-based civic association ho avy o.s. and New Latitude, a US-based 501[c](3) non-profit*. Ho avy's Malagasy counterpart is FIMPAHARA, a rural community association dedicated to propagation and reforestation of native plant species in southwestern Madagascar.
Our joint mission is to implement long-term grassroots projects promoting environmental steward- ship that empowers local families to sustain their livelihoods while protecting and restoring their natural environment for the future.
Ho avy works towards sustainable and participatory development in a unique and unprotected region of Madagascar. We have initiated the framework called 'Interactive Restoration', which means partnering with the village communities, identifying and protecting terrestrial and marine natural resources, and building logistical and human capacity to promote alternative livelihoods that are ecologically sustainable.
ho avy’s current program consists of four projects:
- environmental education inspires healthier lifestyles and livelihood improvements, food and water security, and training builds local capacity and understanding about the value of the natural resources, their conservation and sustainable use (more here)
- sustainable livelihood opportunities and alternatives to conventional sources of energy and income (which is charcoal) to offset overexploitation; rotational harvest schemes, tree planting and green fuel alternatives (solar, biogas, green charcoal), agricultural improvements increasing food production and allowing surplus food and medicinal plant to sell (more here)
- nursery is an outreach facility run in partnership with the community association FIMPAHARA Ranobe for cultivating frequently harvested native tree species and for monitoring and research (more here)
- participatory research to understand the ecology and regeneration of the frequently harvested species; to connect grassroots and academic levels to sustainable and effective community conservation and forest restoration with native tree species (more here)
*New Latitude (www.newlatitude.org) receives 501[c](3) non-profit status as a project of the IHCenter (ihcenter.org). New Latitude is a sister American organization to the Czech ho avy o.s., and has been founded as a broader-spectrum organization that envisions future work in various parts of the world, thus the international name allowing immediate recognition to potential collaborators and sponsors.