Craft Industry Training Centres  (Ateliers de Formation et Production Artisanales - AFPA)

		Sector: Vocational Training Location: Antananarivo, Madagascar Local Partner: Association Accueil des Sans-Abri (ASA) (Accomodating the homeless)    Start of Partnership: 1995

Context and Considerations

Madagascar’s capital witnesses a daily influx of rural families, forced to migrate because of land-related problems which make it impossible to make a living out of farming. These populations join the numerous homeless living in the poor neighborhoods of the city, deprived of favorable future perspectives.

Solution Proposed

The Malagasy association ASA (Accueil des Sans Abri – Accommodating the Homeless) has implemented 2 programs which aims are to reintegrate populations in either rural or urban environments. In 1994, it had conducted a big investigation on the living conditions of the homeless in Antananarivo and the current programs are based on professional and humane trainings. In partnership with the IECD and the support of the French ministry of Foreign Affairs, the urban program was launched in 2002 in order to help the families in need who cannot or do not want to leave the city.
The training’s main challenge is to provide the homeless with professional skills which will allow them to either launch their own activity or find a remunerated job. This is done by training them in handicraft jobs, a sector with immense employment potential in Antananarivo. The one-year training in the Handicraft Training Center (Centre de Formation Artisanale - CFA) is divided into two parts: a six-month training in which the required handicraft and managements techniques are taught, followed by six months of production training in order to strengthen the beneficiaries’ experience. After this year, all participants are guaranteed a post-training monitoring in order to give them the necessary technical, administrative and social support they might require.

Impact and Results

Since its creation, the CFA has trained 5 classes, in total about 300 handicraftsmen out of whom 80% have found a job. The program benefits indirectly to all their families who are witnessing an improvement of their living conditions. The 6th class started its training in October 2009.