Holistic Thinking Brings Great Change
in the Spiny Forest
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| Villagers gather to share stories and experiences. Source: World Wildlife Fund |
The Spiny Forest of Madagascar defies description – not quite a forest,
not quite a desert. It is home to a wealth of cultural diversity and a
range of animal and plant species. In fact, almost 100 percent of its
plant species are found nowhere else in the world. The Spiny Forest
receives only 12 to 24 inches of rain per year, and its plants and animals
are uniquely adapted to withstand these dry conditions.
The Spiny Forest is home to four ethnic groups, each with their own
intimate relationship with the land. The forest is their hardware store,
their pharmacy and, in times of drought and famine, their vital source
of food. The forest also serves as grazing pasture for cattle, a refuge
from rural cattle thieves, and a burial ground – earthen tombs are built
above ground creating sacred places. Together with the unique wildlife
and vegetation, the customs and traditions of the local people make
this a truly extraordinary place.
The Spiny Forest supports a range of cultures and species, yet is
one of the most threatened ecosystems in Madagascar. Very little of
the Madagascar Spiny Forest eco-region is protected, and recent
developments, including environmental degradation, have increased
the movement of people into the region. In the past, the taboos of local
tribes kept them from hunting certain animals such as lemurs. But with
the recent influx of people, these taboos are no longer enough to protect
animals from over-hunting. Furthermore, as the populations that live in
and around the forest increase, trees for firewood and charcoal production
are in growing demand. Even small-scale logging for firewood and
construction materials is a serious threat since the spiny thicket forest
has a naturally slow rate of growth and regeneration.
Roads are few and far between, as are government services such as
schools and health centers, including access to family planning (FP)
and reproductive health (RH) information and products. The Spiny
Forest’s communities are deeply attached to traditions, some of which
increase pressure on natural habitats, such as building homes from
local trees, and others of which lead to high population growth rates.
Until recently, having 14 children was considered ideal and topics like
human reproduction and family planning were considered taboo and
not discussed openly, even within families.
Recognizing how population pressures, lack of access to needed
health services, and the Spiny Forest environment are linked, the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) began working with the
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Action Santé Organisation Secours (ASOS) to implement a population, health, and environment
(PHE) project that addressed these linked problems
by simultaneously:
- Building community awareness of FP options
- Providing FP counseling and access to services
- Initiating sound natural resources management
practices and sustainable livelihood strategies
Beahitse is a small village located in a dusty clearing near
a few baobab trees. The men in the village tend small rice
and vegetable fields while the women and children gather
food and fuelwood from the forest. Polygamy is common;
men are accustomed to taking two to four wives, and each
wife bears at least seven children. Supporting a family of
this size is a significant hardship, and yet, due to social
norms, it is challenging for women to discuss their desire for
smaller families with their husbands. It is also difficult for the
women to access FP products at the local health center,
which is almost 40 kilometers away, a walk that is nearly
impossible in the desert-like conditions of the Spiny Forest.
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A local villager showing Judy Oglethorpe of WWF-US how the fuel-saving stoves are constructed.
Source: World Wildlife Fund
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Since USAID started its PHE project in Beahitse, women are beginning to openly express their desire to space
their children, have smaller families, and work with others to spread the PHE messages. FP products are readily
available for those who want them, and local villagers are trained by professional health staff to counsel both
men and women on the importance of smaller, well-spaced families and to distribute condoms and pills. USAID
has also introduced a fuel-saving wood stove technology to the village that reduces the amount of firewood
women need to harvest from the forest, which frees up some of their time. One woman from the village who
started using a fuel-saving stove has cut her firewood gathering time by two-thirds. She allocates this time to
child care and farming. She also decided to use DepoProvera, an injectable method of contraception that will
last for three months. Some of the early adopters, like this charismatic woman, have now become ambassadors
for the project in surrounding communities.
The linked approach has also served to reach more men in the community with these important FP messages.
Men in Beahitse are primarily engaged in the PHE project through community-based natural resource management
and agricultural activities. USAID educates villagers on the importance of the forest, particularly its role as a
natural wellspring that maintains the village’s precious yet sparse water resources. However, they also integrate
health messages into these environment messages by explaining that healthy people need a healthy environment
for precious water, food, and income generation purposes. During their trainings on improved rice cultivation,
staff compares the need to space out the planting of rice seedlings for a better crop with the need to space
births for the health of the mother and child. During this process, the men who participate in these activities
come to appreciate the delicate balance between their families and the Spiny Forest. One such man recently
described how using FP has benefited his family because he has more time to dedicate to agriculture and
producing food to eat and sell.
The increasing success of the PHE project in the Spiny Forest resulted from the simple approach of helping
people think holistically – from planning at the household level to managing community landscapes for existing
and future generations. Through informal channels, small successes within families have generated widespread
interest. Men and women are now discussing subjects like FP and RH that were once taboo. Local champions
are acting as social marketers of PHE, and because people see the improvements in human well-being, PHE
ideas are even beginning to spread to new sites.
January 2008
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