Habitat for Humanity Madagascar

Contact information HFH Madagascar PO Box 12133 Antananarivo 101 Madagascar Phone: +261 202337353 Fax: +261 202231258 E-mail: info@hfhmadagascar.org         Web site habitat-madagascar.org				Habitat's work in Madagascar Number of families served this year*: 630 Full house sponsorship cost: US$2,050 Incremental house sponsorship cost: US$960         Madagascar News and Stories Habitat for Humanity Madagascar improves their online presence Nadia’s new pride
Country profile

The housing need in Madagascar
Madagascar is prone to tropical cyclones and the accompanying torrential rains, which in recent years have left thousands of people homeless. Madagascar’s decent housing deficit is estimated at more than 2 million.

Madagascar is the 147th poorest country out of 177 countries. 75 percent of its population lives in rural areas as farmers. However the rate of urbanization is 29 percent which is very high, meaning that there are increasing slum areas with poor housing conditions in the urban areas. More than half of its population does not have access to safe drinking water, and 87 percent do not have adequate sanitation facilities. This is an increasing problem in urban areas as the population is increasing so rapidly.

Families earn what they can through domestic farming, carpentry, craft and embroidery. However, with their low incomes, most do not own land or have access to credit from traditional lending institutions. Their houses are usually little more than shacks made from compacted mud and poorly attached thatched roofs, which provide little or no protection from diseases, robbery and cyclones.

Habitat for Humanity in Madagascar
Habitat Madagascar is currently building houses in the East, Central Highland, West, South Highland and Northwest regions. Most of the projects underway are in rural or sub-urban areas but urban slum upgrading has started to be a key component of the program. The first urban project started in the municipality of Moramanga in 2008 and in 2009 an urban renewal project started in the city of Toliara in the South of the country.

Houses are built in stages, generally starting from a core house of one or two rooms to keep it affordable and to serve more families in need. House faoundations are made of stone or fired clay bricks and then covered with concrete floors, while the walls are made of clay brick and mortar. When local climate permits, clay tiles are used for the roofs and windows and doors are made of eucalyptus. These materials are locally produced and come from renewable sources. The program is sustainable and keeps housing costs affordable for families in need.