Youth from the Malagasy diaspora are participating for local development in Madagascar!

The Malagasy diaspora embodies a vibrant force for national development, particularly through its youth. With their remarkable qualifications and entrepreneurial spirit, young members of the diaspora are crucial in driving socio-economic revitalization in Madagascar. This project aims to harness their potential and strengthen their ties to their homeland.

Malagasy Youth from Diaspora as Catalysts for Change

The Malagasy diaspora, which has more than 250,000 people (according to the latest statistics from 2013), represents a dynamic pool of talent and innovation. The majority of the Malagasy diaspora community is young people, whose diverse experiences and skills acquired abroad represent an important potential to meet the challenges in Madagascar. The aim is to give these young people the opportunity to return to their home countries in order to participate in local development.

Youth engagement through national structured initiatives

In recognition of the value of the Malagasy diaspora in building national unity and socio-economic recovery of Madagascar, the Government of Madagascar through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has led several institutional and normative approaches to mobilize, engage and involve the diaspora in the train towards national development. Targeted initiatives have been launched to actively involve the youth of the diaspora in national development. The creation of the Diaspora Directorate and the adoption of a national policy for the mobilization of the diaspora are steps towards the development of significant contributions. These initiatives create pathways for youth to collaborate and invest in their countries.

TADY: Empowering the Malagasy diaspora for national development

Launched in July 2023, the Tantsoroka hoan'ny Diaspora, known as "TADY" project is designed to support the National Policy for Engagement of the Malagasy Diaspora 2021-2030 (LPNED). Its objective is to create the conditions for the diaspora to contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of Madagascar.  The main objectives of the project include institutional capacity building for NDPA (LPNED) implementation, exploitation of diaspora cultural and economic capital, and promotion of research to foster dialogue on migration, Diaspora and development.

TADY is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) through the Diaspora and Migration Directorate, in partnership with IOM Madagascar, Expertise France (EF) and the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD).

To know more about TADY project: Tan-tsoroka ho an'ny Diaspora 

LOHARANO II: Mobilizing Youth for Local Development 

The LOHARANO II program is an essential initiative to mobilize the talents and skills of the Malagasy diaspora, particularly its youth, for the development of local communities in Madagascar. This effort is part of a broader strategy under the TADY project to harness the potential of the diaspora for the socio-economic advancement of Madagascar. By building on the success of the pilot phase, the program aims to create lasting connections between the diaspora and their homeland through meaningful engagement in local development projects.

LOHARANO II: Scaling Up the Youth Diaspora engagement

Through the funding of the French Development Agency (AfD), implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with IOM Madagascar, Expertise France and the Institut de recherche pour le Développement: 

LOHARANO II aims to achieve a significant result by mobilizing 40 young volunteers from the diaspora over a four-year period. These volunteers, selected for their potential and commitment, will be involved in community development projects in Madagascar for periods ranging from 4 to 6 months. By integrating with local projects, they will help strengthen local communities and foster socio-economic growth in different regions.

The LOHARANO II programme builds on the success of its pilot phase LOHARANO I in 2019, an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar and IOM Madagascar, focused on improving the contribution of young members of the Malagasy diaspora to local development. 09 volunteers were deployed to the commune of Mantasoa, Talata-Volonondry and Manjakandriana for 03 months in order to bring their added value in community development.

LOHARANO II Key Goals

LOHARANO II focuses on mobilizing the expertise and dynamism of young members of the Malagasy diaspora to stimulate effective local development. 

The specific objectives of the LOHARANO Volunteer Programme are: 

1. Promoting the participation of young people from the Malagasy diaspora through their involvement in local development projects ; 
2. The involvement of the talents and skills of young people from the Malagasy diaspora in sectoral activities to support local development within communities; 
3. Creating a space for exchange between the diaspora and the local community, while giving young people the opportunity to discover and immerse themselves in the local environment.

This volunteering program LOHARANO II is part of the Tan-Tsoroka ho an'ny Diaspora (TADY) project, funded by the French Development Agency, and implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar in partnership with IOM Madagascar, Expertise France and the Institute for Research for Development.