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Ilafitsignana

This is part of the series about the background to the regions in Anosy you can also visit: St Luce; Petriky or Ambinanibe

Ilafitsignana is located 6 kilometres to the south-west of Fort Dauphin, near to the QMM quarry that provides stone for port and road construction. The local mountain to the west of Fort Dauphin is the source of the rock and its rapid disappearance is changing the landscape beyond recognition.

Of the 1,500 people living in Ilafitsignana, at least 124 households have been displaced by the quarry and road building (PIC statistics) and many others have lost their lands. These people are known as ‘Personnes Affecteés par le Projet’ (Persons Affected by the Project) or ‘PAPs’.

In 2005/6, QMM began a compensation programme to PAPs for loss of land. They were offered a choice of land or money but, as villagers perceived the new land offered to be sandy and not good for cultivation, they opted for money. Reported amounts for compensation to villagers who lost land vary according to whether it was fallow, cultivated or titled, but range from 100 MGA/square metre to 400 MGA/square metre.

The compensation process is currently under review as World Bank guidelines are closer to 2,000 MGA/square metre for untitled cultivated land.

In addition to land compensation, villagers also received new housing. The first house was built by QMM and the model largely accepted, but subsequent building contracts were given to local enterprises, which made houses of lower quality with walls that leak when it rains.

The greatest challenge for the community is the lack of livelihoods. The construction phase of the mine – which gave employment to approximately 36 people in the quarry – is now over. Ten people from Ilafitsignana are currently hired as forest guards in the QMM eucalyptus plantation.

QMM has undertaken to fund a variety of social programmes for PAPs through local agencies to help promote vegetable cultivation and livestock projects, sewing, weaving, artisanal products, nets for fishermen, and other income-generating projects, as well as literacy for children excluded from public primary school.

The nearest health centre is Lohalovoky (in Ambinanibe) although it is currently without a doctor. Drinking water is available through seven hand pumps and five taps but these are frequently broken and awaiting the construction of shelters.

Education is available from a public school, built by QMM in 2005, which educates approximately 300 students under five government-paid teachers.

Getting hold of up to date reports and statistics is difficult in Madagascar. The information presented here is up to date as of 15th September 2009 and was the most accurate and current information available at that time.

Project

Ilafitsignana is a key theme of the Pushed to the edge oral testimony project.

Testimonies

Constand: middlemen control everything

Olina: money talks

Fanja: forest is forbidden

Sorahy: education is crucial

Kazy: rains aren’t coming

Zanaboatsy: needing the forest

Sambo: life goes on

Jean-Claude: we are not livestock

Rosette: story of change

Bruno: hotter and hotter

Say Louise: when hardships started

Sirily: working for foreigners

Key themes

Background to the region

The project and partners

Rivers and the sea

Forests

Land and compensation

Farming and food security

Environmental change

Livelihoods

Economic conditions

Health

Cultural and social change

Communications and power relations

Local development

The future