Guanomad – JCI Iarivo: A commitment to quality education for all
Guanomad, through “Ho Maitso ny Tontolo”, its CSR association, significantly expanded its grip over the territory with the decentralization of its activities in 6 branches in the regions of Sava, Bongolava, Analamanga, itasy of Vakinankaratra and very soon Atsinanana and Menabe. The company is now partnering with the International Junior Chamber (JCI) to promote quality education for all.
A Commitment to education
Once again, the leader in the production of organic fertilizer has been able to help its Malagasy compatriots by its social commitment. To do this, Guanomad has put its societal efforts at the service of education, including the Public Primary School of Antanety 2 Vontovorona located 30 minutes from the City of Antananarivo. Driven by the motivation of its 16 teachers, this school has 8 classrooms and a large staff up to fifty students per room. To overcome this lack, children are divided into two groups, one for the morning and another for the afternoon, like all the schools of the Madagascar. The school mentioned its difficulties related to the learning conditions of the children. Guanomad made it a concern and granted 24 bench tables to the school.
Guanomad-JCI Iarivo: a project for quality education for all.
CSR, “Corporate Social Responsibility” is a social and management commitment for Guanomad, stated Roger Dago, the new Executive Director of Guanomad. Said speech was given at the inauguration of the project “Unite For Education» last Saturday at EPP Antanety 2 Vontovorona. This project, which aims at providing quality education for children, was initiated by the Junior International Chamber or JCI Iarivo in 2011. This third edition included Guanomad as a Partner in its implementation. As a reminder, JCI is a non-governmental organization founded in 1915, headquartered in the United States. As part of its contribution to the project, Guanomad went beyond the awareness-raising stage by partially financing the equipment of the classrooms. This third edition enabled the company to demonstrate its social commitment strengthened by a partnership agreement with JCI. To close his speech, M. Roger Dago highlighted the importance of continuing his studies and never give up: “you have to pursue your dreams because dreams become reality and education can change your condition and make you reach places and positions you could not imagine. Guanomad, strongly convinced of the importance of education for development, is now opening a new history path where the company is the promoter and the children the actors.
Guanomad: a successful model for the decentralization of Corporate Social Responsibility actions.
As one of the pioneering CSR companies in Madagascar, Guanomad, with Mr Erick Rajaonary its Chairman, did not limit the application of the standard rules of the Iso2600. Innovative ideas such as the creation of the association “Ho Maitso ny Tontolo” and the effective implementation of its five regional offices made the year 2016 a fruitful one for the company.
Ho Maitso ny tontolo: 5 regional offices set up
Beyond the provincial delimitation, the association ” Ho maitso ny Tontolo”, wants to extend its zones of intervention to the regional level. “This extension will allow a good distribution of the impacts of our social and societal actions,” said the Chairman of Guanomad, who is also the National President of the association. Five regional branches have been put in place in 2016. As a reminder, this Malagasy association, headquartered in the region of Analamanga, is the real backbone of the implementation and decentralization of the CSR actions of the company Guanomad.
It sets societal environmental and humanitarian objectives in order to make its spatial approach effective. Three antennas, namely Sambava and Vohémar, in the SAVA region and another in the Bongolava region, were set up in the third quarter of 2016. Two other branches, in the Atsinanana and Vakinankaratra regions, have soared in the fourth quarter of the year. Currently the association has more than hundreds members. Its success rests not only on the multidisciplinary competences of the members (economists, lawyers, humanist scientists and foresters etc) but also on their voluntarism.
Social, societal and environmental actions: a plan that meets the needs of the beneficiaries.
Addition to the emergency or crisis interventions, other actions were carried out according to the demands of the population. The bottom-up approach, literally from the bottom upwards, is the credo of the association. According to its National President, “listening, responding to expectations and participative methods are paramount for us”. To that extent, the association works in four areas of intervention: rural development and agricultural development, health, childhood and youth development and environmental protection. In figures, more than 500 beneficiaries per region, including children and adults, benefited from these actions.
As an example, the 2016 activities started with the reforestation of 4,500 young tree seedlings of Acacia and Eucalyptus in Sambava; a Donation of PPN products made to more than 300 elders and vulnerable people during the national holiday in the large city of Vohémar. Also, together with NGO Op Smile, during its annual session, more than 500 people with facial disabilities received a support. The NGO “Masoandro mody” (Care and hosting center for people with Alzheimer) Mahazoarivo, Fokontany Namontana, the pupils of the school “EPP Baghdad Tsiroanomandidy” and those of the 2 “EPP Est Ivohitra and Ambohimena in the city of Antsirabe were the beneficiaries for the 2016 year end period.
Our values
GUANOMAD Corporate Social Responsibility Department was set up in 2011. In 2016, GUANOMAD created its social Association« Ho Maitso nyTontolo ». It aims to promote and support actions, projects or initiatives that contribute to the sustainable development of Madagascar
For years, food insecurity has been a challenge for Madagascar. By promoting agriculture, which is a solution to world hunger, GUANOMAD takes part in the fight against food insecurity.
For that purpose, we have established partnerships for nutritional support, in terms of both quality and quantity. We bring help and support to school canteens and the elderly.
GUANOMAD works closely with several local communities and stakeholders operating in rural areas and is actively involved in social and economic development of communities it is working in. This is part of the accountability policy implemented by the company. On the other hand, we are working with local authorities and “fokonolona” prioritizing local hiring for extraction, transportation and processing of guano. We also support the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure in these remote communities by building land paths, urging school rehabilitation after natural disasters, or distributing school supplies to children.
In the context of agricultural development, we work with schools and agricultural training centers in order to share with young people and those who work in agriculture experiences, knowledge and skills which the company has benefited from since its creation through training and technical support
Apart from the human and social aspect, the environmental aspect is also important for GUANOMAD. Indeed, our activities are based on the exploitation and processing of guano, which is a renewable natural resource. Also, the Environmental Protection ensures sustainability and durability to the company. In this sense, we have implemented an Environmental Management System to minimize impacts guano operating activities has on the ecosystems involved and their components; such as caves, surrounding forests, bats.
Apart from agriculture and aside from its commercial activities, GUANOMAD confirms its social commitments through various sponsorships and donations, motivated by causes that are important such as education, childhood health and humanitarian aid.