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Madagascar -- The southern region is one of the driest in the otherwise relatively fertile island of Madagascar. Until very recently it was one of the country’s poorest regions, and people there suffered from recurring famine. Rice cultivation was practiced there in the past but farmers could no longer ensure an adequate supply for food, and the economy of the entire region was in disarray.

A report on Deutsche Welle TV broadcast Christmas day featured IFAD’s Programme for the Promotion of Rural Revenue (PPRR).
Every November the East Coast of Madagascar sees the harvest of lychees, most of which are bound for export to Europe and America for the Festive Season. As stated in the DW-TV report, the programme has helped poor rural farmers to double their incomes by building a commodity chain based around the fruit. Other developed commodity chains include capiscum, honey, rice, maize, fish and rice. After a 2008 evaluation the programme is due to expand to neighbouring regions.
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North-east Madagascar is known for its production of vanilla and spices, a specialization that eventually led farmers to abandon food crops. From 1997 to 2006, an IFAD-supported project fostered a global approach linking production and marketing. It included activities to develop commercial vanilla production while promoting traditional rice farming. It also implemented a network of credit unions to provide access to financial services for poor farmers who were excluded from the banking system and relied on high-interest loans from other sources.

Women in Madagascar, as in other parts of the developing world, are slowly gaining more economic power through step-by-step involvement in new projects. They have proved to be highly responsible managers, sometimes more so than their male counterparts. Yet despite apparent progress they are still under-represented in the local economy and more often than not they are unaware of their possibilities.

"Our fight against poverty will only succeed if this challenge can be met. The Madagascar Red Cross cannot do without community development," he tells a meeting of members and volunteers on providing community development to the most vulnerable communities in this south-eastern province, which covers one-fifth of the island.

The deteriorating agricultural system in Madagascar caused farmers to turn to drastic means to feed their families. Malagasy farmers began burning hillsides to clear land for crops and cattle

Diarrheal diseases are among the leading causes of death in children under five in Madagascar. A Madagascar Ministry of Health survey in 2000 revealed that diarrheal disease accounted for 25 percent of children brought to district hospitals and 24% of child deaths.

The inaccessibility of much of Madagascar's population to health education and information is a major challenge — over three-quarters of people live in rural areas, and only six percent of all households have a television. Among young women, aged 15 to 24, approximately two-thirds have no access to any form of mass media.