Friday 20 January 2012

Silk moth rediscovered by SEPALI



The rediscovery of the Ceranchia silk moth brings a flutter of excitement to fledgling farmers in the North East of Madagascar





In 2011 MfM was delighted to team up with a Malagasy conservation and development NGO called SEPALI. Tapping into Madagascar’s rich heritage of silk weaving, SEPALI has launched a project to conserve forests and relieve rural poverty in the North East of Madagascar through the production of wild silk.

Madagascar suffers from acute poverty, environmental decimation with desperate suffering as a consequence. This project enables farmers to earn a living in an environmentally beneficial way. Silk cultivation is a win-win development project for both people and their environment, because in order to produce silk you need to plant trees and look after your local environment so that silk moths will thrive. By helping farmers living on the edge of a ‘Protected Area’ this project helps to preserve endangered species in 2 ways: Primarily, the cultivation of wild silk requires farmers to improve and protect their land and value the eco-system around them. Secondarily, farmers are less likely to need to encroach on the Protected Area if they have an alternative source of income.

So far 69 men and 57 women from 6 poor farming communities on the edge of the Makira Protected Area have each been given 250 indigenous trees to plant. Already 15,000 trees have been planted. In 2 years time these trees will become the host plants for the farmers’ silk worms. In between these trees farmers are planting vegetable crops to reduce predators on the silk moth larvae as well as providing much needed food for themselves. The results of this project will be: silk to sell, food to eat and a well cared-for local eco-system.

Of course the farmers aren’t just sitting around waiting for their trees to grow! As well as planting and tending their trees and crops, the farmers are making the equipment they will need for silk production, meeting to exchange ideas and train new farmers and even rediscovering a forgotten species of silk moth! The rediscovery of the Ceranchia silk moth by SEPALI in 2011 opens up potential for producing new silk products.


Meanwhile, in the US, project pioneer Dr Craig is exploring markets for SEPALI’s exotic new silk products including garments, furnishing and jewellery made from pressed silk cocoons.

With this dress made from pressed silk cocoons making it on to a New York catwalk this year, the SEPALI team is excited by potential new interest in their products.




We look forward to sharing more news from Makira as we follow the story of the farmers who are trying to improve their environment and their livelihoods with the help of indigenous silk moths.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Madagascar Golden Orb Spider proves spinning threads of gold is not just an old yarn.

Have you heard that the golden silk produced by over a million Malagasy Golden Orb Spiders has been woven into the most stunning spider-silk golden cape and 4 metre long shawl. It’s true! These unique spider-spun garments have just have just been revealed in an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The exquisite beauty of these intricately woven garments is a testament to the incredible skill of Madagascar’s finest weavers. Traditionally weaving ceremonial shawls or ‘lamba’ from raffia, cotton and silk, these highly skilled weavers have turned their hand to spiders’ silk with stunning effect.

Follow the link below to see the garments and hear an interview with ‘spidermen’ Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley, the masters behind this fantastical project.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/today/hi/today/newsid_9677000/9677046.stm

If you’re intrigued by the ingenious silk producers of Madagascar, watch this space for our home-spun story from our new project in Makira - revealing the discoveries of the silk specialists of SEPALI .



Wednesday 11 January 2012

Happy New Year! 'Tratry ny Taona 2012'



Looking back on 2011, Money for Madagascar would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported our anniversary year. Whether you ran, sang, cycled, ate, waded, knitted, danced or simply made a donation...thank you for joining in our big celebration of 25 years of helping the poorest people of Madagascar.
The money raised by these events has helped us to build new classrooms in Fianarantsoa, start a programme to feed and educate children in prison in Toamasina, launch a vocational training programme for vulnerable teenaged girls in Tana and fund a community conservation project in Melaky in addition to our on-going work protecting vulnerable people and endangered environments.

Looking forward to 2012 -Watch this space for inside stories coming soon from each of these life-changing projects that you have helped to fund.

With warmest wishes to all our supporters from the MfM team.