From 21-23 November 2018 the ILO organized a training of trainers (‘ToT’) in Sambava, Madagascar. This activity was carried out in the framework of ILO’s four year project entitled “Supporting Sustainable and Child Labour Free Vanilla Growing Communities in Sava” (‘SAVABE’). Funded by the US department of Labour, the project aims at supporting Madagascar in promoting a sustainable vanilla sector, in particular through advancing decent work and fighting against child labour in the vanilla sector in the Sava region. Since the strategy aims to improve the livelihoods of vanilla producing communities, given their member-based nature, cooperatives have been identified as means of implementation of the project’s objectives.

The ToT brought together eight trainers from the two main service providers operating in the Sava region. During the first day, participants were familiarized with basics of cooperatives (definition, values and principles), adult education methods as well as the role of cooperatives in the vanilla value chain. The second and third days provided them with an opportunity to further assimilate, among others, reasons behind the formation of a cooperative, issues related to its governance, and the process leading to its establishment. Through practical sessions and participatory methods used throughout the workshop participants became familiar with ILO’s tools such as My.Coop, Think.Coop and Start.Coop. On the last day, trainers developed action plans detailing specific objectives in terms of outreach, and how they intended to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills.

This event constitutes the first in a series of capacity building activities on cooperative development in the vanilla sector. Another ToT is expected to take place in 2019 to assess progress made and build the capacity of trainers in additional areas.