When she was very young, growing up in Madagascar at the edge of the Makira Rainforest Park, Augustinah would watch families cut trees in the rainforest and then clear the ground with fire to make way for new crops. Later, in school, with education programs like those supported by this project, Augustinah learned about conservation, about the wealth of diverse plant and animal life in the rainforest, about how there was another way to live in harmony, sustainably with the forest.  Recently, at age 22, Augustinah, inspired and informed, became the first female forest ranger in Madagascar.

The great Makira Rainforest Park, comprising 372,470 hectares, was set aside by the government as a protected area, and this project, now with Augustinah’s capable assistance, works to educate the people of Makira about sustainable farming techniques, responsible forest management, and alternative income sources. The result: rainforest destruction has declined from 1,500 hectares per year to less than 100. ”It makes me proud,” Augustinah says of her work, “and I am feeling like a role model.”

Thousands of people in Makira, educated and enabled by this project, are saying Yes! to a better way of life and to a sustainable future. All of them, with Augustinah, say, “Thank you for your support!”