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Effort et Esperance in Madagascar

( A Greater Gift)“Why aren’t you in school?” Albertine Razafimahatratra asked some children in her neighborhood. Their answer was short. “No money,” they told her. Many were the sons and daughters of pousse-pousse (rickshaw) drivers, who earn very little.

Albertine decided to do what she could to remedy the situation. She paid for 15 children to go to school, and then she began teaching children in her father’s house. This was when Albertine, backed by supporters in France, started Association Zazakely to educate and feed the malnourished children of Antsirabe in central Madagascar. People told her not to start a center in this location, because it was not safe, but Albertine insisted that this neighborhood was where the most children could be helped.

To address the root problem of a lack of income, the children's mothers and other women in need were invited to join a new embroidery cooperative named Effort et Esperance (Effort and Hope) when it began as part of Association Zazakely in 2005.

The 39 members of Effort et Esperance sold brightly embroidered products to French visitors who carried them home in suitcases; but, the women were not earning sufficient income to care for their families. Then, SERRV International staff members were introduced to Association Zazakely in 2006 by Catholic Relief Services’ Madagascar program, and were impressed with what the group had achieved in a country where 70% of the population lives below the poverty line.

 “The embroidery will change our lives,” cooperative members told SERRV staff, who responded by partnering with the Effort et Esperance embroiderers, knowing that they would need extensive support to succeed in the international market.

SERRV deliberately works with groups at various stages of development, including those like Effort et Esperance who need high levels of support. With assistance from a Catholic Relief Services’ Fair Trade Fund grant, SERRV Product Development Specialist Kerry Evans traveled to Madagascar to work with the women. They learned basic export skills—how to price, check product quality, and pack for export. They also learned about what products they could make that would interest international customers.

While everyone agrees it will take time to strengthen their organizational, leadership and business skills, initial success has already been seen. In the 2007-2008 A Greater Gift catalog, Effort et Esperance's first exported product—an embroidered school bus backpack — was sold. The group had difficulty sourcing fabric, so the backpack is made of reclaimed denim from second-hand jeans, which are widely available in their local markets.

True to the spirit of fair trade, SERRV continues to be willing to take the risk of working with groups who may not get it right the first time and build partnerships that support organizations, so that they do better, reach farther, and grow into stronger and more independent organizations. With hope and effort, they continue to build on these small successes in Madagascar and around the world.