Social Entrepreneurship with Infrastructure for Clean Water and Fish Processing Facilities in Madagascar
NEXUS Madagascar
Investment size:
CHF 285,000 from 2018-2027
Impact:
Build-up of infrastructure for clean water and fish processing in 7 villages in the South-West of Madagascar, supporting social start-up businesses with “Blended Finance” model.
Application:
Local fisher communities organized in cooperatives
Technology:
Trunz Water System / Swiss Fresh Water
Implementation:
Nexus Madagaskar GmbH
Financial partner:
Foundation
What is the project all about?
The rural population in the Southwest of Madagascar does not have constant access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. In addition, climate change is making agriculture more difficult and forces inland people to move to coastal areas as fish becomes their single source of food and income. This increases the pressure on natural resources and causes social as well as economic challenges. Several attempts to address these individual problems have failed.
NEXUS Madagascar equips fishing villages with access to safe drinking water, clean energy and cooling solutions for fisheries products. The project also organizes the fishers in cooperatives and helps them to sell their products profitably on the market. Fishermen will be able to fish higher quality and a greater variety of products in a sustainable way. Thanks to an integrated cold chain, improved knowledge and coordination, the fishermen are expected to benefit from higher market prices. The fishers’ cooperatives will also become co- owners of NEXUS Madagascar over time to strengthen their engagement for the long-term development of their eco-system.
Our objectives
This project shall be developed with an entrepreneurial approach. Access to modern technologies combined with relevant know-how will allow fishers to increase their income and manage their resources more sustainably. Adding relevant services to an existing value chain and bringing the demand and the supply side closer together to jointly make an impact on local communities and the environment while offering investment opportunities is unique. The implementation of an education and coaching concept for the fishers and other stakeholders is an essential part of the approach.
The technologies to be implemented range from water treatment, cold storage facilities and fishing solutions to energy generation. But also indirectly connected hardware like Information & Connection Technology, buildings and mobility solutions are part of the holistic approach. Access to these technologies combined with relevant know-how will allow fishermen to increase their income – and manage their resources more sustainably.