When Women Gain Confidence, Entire Communities Move Forward
Growing Confidence, Growing Opportunities
HERIMANANTSOA Malalaniaina Volana Cynthia lives in Ambatonikala. Married and a mother of three daughters, she was already engaged in farming before receiving support from the FIARY Project. However, her farming activities were occasional and primarily focused on meeting her family’s immediate food needs.
“I was already farming before, but I often did it irregularly. Sometimes I would leave the field, and then, when I felt like farming again, I would cultivate a small amount.”
Today, Cynthia has a different perspective on agriculture. Through the support of the Fiary project, implemented by ADRA with Funding from the French Embassy, she has received agriculture training, quality seeds, and ongoing technical support that have helped transform both her farming practices and her confidence to turn farming into a more structured and sustainable source of income for her household.
Cynthia participated in various training sessions covering improved agricultural practices, financial management, identifying market opportunities, women’s rights, leadership and the prevention of gender-based violence.
For her, these trainings were as important for the knowledge she gained as they gave her assurance for her capabilities. She also came to understand that agriculture could go beyond simply producing food for her family and could become a genuine source of income.
“After attending the different training sessions through the FIARY Project, I started thinking that I needed to make my farming activities more professional. I realized that agriculture could become a real source of income, enabling me to better meet the needs of my entire family.”
This realization marks an important step in her journey. Cynthia no longer sees farming simply as a way to feed her family, but as an opportunity to strengthen her household’s economic independence and resilience.
Cynthia grows various vegetables, including zucchini, leafy greens, green beans, while actively seeking markets and buyers for her produce.
Through ADRA’s Farmers Market School approach, she has also learned to better manage her income, identify potential buyers, compare business opportunities, and build relationships with different potential customers.
But Cynthia does not want to develop her business alone.
Together with other women in her community, she plans to coordinate their production, consolidate their harvests, and jointly seek access to larger markets.
“I don’t want to keep market opportunities only for myself. I work with my friends, and we farm together. When we produce, we will support one another and be able to combine our production and send it to the same place.”
For Cynthia, this collective approach represents a new way of looking at economic empowerment: women can support one another, share opportunities, and collectively strengthen their access to markets.
The support provided through the FIARY Project goes beyond economic empowerment. It also includes awareness-raising activities on women’s rights and the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV).
During the training sessions, Cynthia learned to recognize different forms of violence and became aware that some practices considered “normal” within the community may actually constitute violence.
“Sometimes, certain things that happen normally in our community are actually forms of violence. We learned to recognize these different types of violence and to know whom to approach to report a case.”
This new knowledge has also strengthened her ability to take action within her community. She now knows that she can report a situation of violence even when the victim is not a member of her own family, and that local support and referral mechanisms are available.
For Cynthia, the most important impact of the FIARY Project cannot be measured only by the seeds she received or the agricultural techniques she learned. The real change lies in the way she thinks and in the confidence she has developed.
“The first thing I noticed was a major change in the way I think. What I learned has transformed me. I have become more active in farming and livestock activities, and more motivated in everything I undertake. It has really made me want to develop myself further.”
Cynthia’s story demonstrates that meaningful change begins with confidence, knowledge, and opportunity. When women are equipped with the skills, resources, and support to realize their potential, the benefits extend far beyond individual households. They strengthen families, create economic opportunities, support one another, and contribute to more resilient communities.
With the support of the French Embassy, the FIARY project is supporting 120 women across 12 fokontany in the districts of Manjakandriana and Avaradrano. Like Cynthia, these women are gaining the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities needed to build stronger livelihoods, advance their rights, and create lasting change within their communities.