This is the first of a series of blog posts contributed by LVDI International’s Board Member, Mr. Bruce Engelbert.
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Since serving as a member of the Board of Directors at LVDI International, I’ve heard wonderful stories about the impact of our conservation program in Maromizaha, Madagascar. In this rural area, most people subsist on less than $2 per day and still rely heavily on the surrounding forest environment, especially as a primary source for fuel and building material. This places great ecological stress on the forest and native animals, especially the lemurs, which exist nowhere else in the world.
Recently, my wife and I had the opportunity to see Madagascar on a LVDI International Field Expedition. LIFE, as it is called for short, is a program that harnesses the power of volunteers to advance the organization’s mission. For us, LIFE is the ultimate way to learn and affect a cause we truly believe in. Led by Dr. Chia Tan (Vice President), we visited the Maromizaha forest and the surrounding communities. We saw firsthand the beauty and diversity of the rain forest. We were hugely impressed by its many endangered species, as well as the numerous ways LVDI International helps protect that forest by making a difference in the lives of the people who live on its edges.
One of the most memorable LIFE experiences we had involved an insider’s look at how our organization empowers the local people. We were invited to the home of Hoby (pronounced “Yupi”), a single mother of two who lives in Anevoka outside the Maromizaha forest. Over tea and koba (a sweet rice bread wrapped in wild ginger leaves), and through the help of our translator, we began to understand Hoby’s world and admire her determination to improve her situation.
The transformation in Hoby’s life has been rapid. Ever since she started working for LVDI International, first as a field cook in 2015, then trained and promoted in 2017 to a research assistant, Hoby has been able to earn enough money to expand her one-room house as well as extend her daughters’ education beyond the primary school level, something she could not do when she was a young girl.
Over the last several years Hoby has been learning English, though she was still too shy to practice on us. On the other hand, both of her daughters greeted us in perfect English. Hoby proudly said, “Marina and Sarah started learning English in the Little Green Guards® program, and now their English is very good!”
Determined to build on her assets, Hoby also became a member of the Groupe des Entrepreneurs de Maromizaha (GEM). GEM is an alternative livelihood program created by LVDI International to help women like Hoby to overcome the many hardships of an impoverished life. While we were there, Hoby began weaving a beautiful basket. Working quickly with her hands and feet, she finished the basket, with a strap and all, in less than 90 minutes!
We asked Hoby who taught her grass weaving and she said her mother. Rasoa, Hoby’s mom who lives next door, is also a part of GEM. To help preserve their traditional skills, LVDI International is encouraging GEM members to produce grass-backed placemats and other handicrafts, in addition to the lovely dolls, as souvenirs to sell to tourists.
We greatly appreciated meeting Hoby because it allowed us to witness the impact of LVDI International’s work and brought us closer to the people we care about. This kind of personal connection is what makes LIFE meaningful.