Final: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) provided 50,000 preschool children, primary and secondary school students a meal of corn-soy blend porridge with Non Fat Dry Milk (NFDM) and iodized salt in three school district in central Madagascar. Dry rations were distributed to another 40,000 pre and primary school students for three months.

Midterm: The school feeding program began in Madagascar in March 2002 in one of the two targeted regions. The donated corn-soy blend and nonfat dry milk would have enabled the Global Food for Education (GFE) school feeding project to distribute an estimated nine million meals for 50,000 schoolchildren in 178 public primary schools over the ten school months (September–June). As of February 2002, 49 metric tons of NFDM powder and 98 tons of corn-soy blend had been distributed to these schools. The program was halted in Antsirabe region and never got started in Antanyfotsy region because of political and economic instability in Madagascar. However, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Madagascar is scheduled to resume the GFE program in both regions as soon as the political and economic situation allows. The program will continue through the 2003 school year.

Midterm: Madagascar, an island nation of predominantly mixed Asian and African origin, has a population of about 15.5 million people. The gross domestic product (GDP) is about $3.8 billion, with agriculture accounting for 29% of GDP. Annual capita income is about $269, making Madagascar one of the poorest countries in the world. In fiscal year 2000, Madagascar’s exports were valued at $1.06 billion, mainly made up of apparel, shrimp, vanilla, coffee, sugar, cloves, graphite, essential oils, industrial stones, and gemstones. Imports were $1.5 billion, including consumer goods, foodstuffs, crude oil, machinery and vehicles, iron and steel, electronics, computers, and accessories.

In December 2000, the boards of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank concurred that the country is eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. On March 1, 2001, the IMF board granted the country $103 million for 2001-03 under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Resources freed up under HIPC were to be directed toward improving health, education, rural roads, water, and direct support to communities. In addition, on March 7, 2001, the Paris Club approved a debt cancellation of $161 million. On Feb. 28, 2001, the African Development Bank (ADB) approved under the HIPC a debt cancellation of $71.46 million and granted in June 2001 an additional credit of $20 million to fight AIDS and poverty.

Partly as a result of these credits but also as a result of previous reforms, average GDP growth exceeded the population growth rate. Madagascar’s appeal to investors’ stemmed from its competitive, trainable work force. However, the country then plunged into civil unrest as a result of disputed elections held in December 2001.

Chronic malnutrition is as high as 51% in Madagascar among children less than five years old. As many as 52% of rural children show signs of stunted growth by the age of 24 months. Severe malnutrition affects about 5% of rural children under five and about 3% of urban children.

The province of Antananarivo, in which the two selected school districts are located, has some of the highest levels of malnutrition. The ratio of caloric intake from proteins is less than 10% for this region and is as low as 8.5% in rural areas. The recommended ratio is 10-12%. The majority of the caloric intake (about 60%) is from rice, with another 25% from roots and tubers such as sweet potatoes and manioc. The population of this region also suffers from an acute shortage of iodine, despite efforts to promote iodized salt through commercial channels.

The two districts are located in the central high plateau of Madagascar, which is bisected from north to south by the main roadway from the capital city of Antananarivo to the second largest non-port city of Fianarantsoa. This access to transportation, along with the pleasant highland tropical climate, made this region one of the most densely populated rural agrarian areas of Madagascar. The poor quality of the iron-rich red soils, along with nutritive depletion, results in comparatively low crop productivity relative to many other parts of the region. Rice production is the primary agricultural activity. The total rice production in the province of Antananarivo provides less than half of the consumption demand for the area.

The selected districts had these characteristics:

Given high poverty rates in these two districts, even by Madagascar standards, ADRA chose to implement the GFE program in these two districts.

Final: Monetization of the NFDM commodities in country was difficult due to shipments being blocked in ports. In the unstable political and economic climate, it was impossible to make any monetization of the NFDM that was planned to enable the commencement and implementation of the Antsirable GFE project. Not only was there no money left in the banks, most of the major businesses had no cash flow and have run out of credit. Additionally, there was the ongoing problem of economic barricades on the national roads, so that no goods can be transported from any of the ports to either Antsirable, or to any buyer’s warehouse. Understandably, no business was willing to take the risks of paying for something when they have no idea when it can ever be delivered. Therefore, USDA suggested that ADRA distribute the commodities originally planned for monetization.

Midterm: ADRA/Madagascar requested and received 4,900 tons of various commodities—corn, corn-soy blend, and non-fat dry milk.

Of the donated commodities, ADRA had planned to monetize 3,550 tons, including 3,400 tons of corn and 150 tons of non-fat dry milk, and directly distribute the remaining 1,350 tons. As of March 2002, 1,350 tons consisting 900 tons of corn-soy blend and 450 tons of non-fat dry milk had been shipped to Madagascar.

The first shipment of 450 tons of corn-soy blend arrived in the port of Tamatave on Dec. 30, 2001, and was transported to Antsirabe warehouses for distribution in the school feeding program. ADRA received 150 tons of nonfat dry milk powder on Jan. 9, 2001, which has also been transported to Antsirabe for distribution in the school feeding project. ADRA received another 450 tons of corn-soy blend, which has been sitting at the port since Feb. 4, 2002. This product is also destined for distribution in the Antsirabe school feeding program. Another shipment of 300 tons (18 containers) of non-fat dry milk arrived in the port of Tamatave around March 10, 2002. This shipment is partly for monetization (9 containers) and partly for distribution (9 containers).

Due to the civil strife, the commodities remain in warehouses. Organizations such as the Peace Corps, USAID, and all non-essential U.S. Embassy personnel have been evacuated from the country.

Goals and objectives: ADRA’s primary goal is to provide a meal of corn-soy blend porridge prepared with iodized salt every school day during two school years for up to 90,000 primary school students in two rural school districts of Antsirabe II and Antanyfotsy.

These districts are located in the central highlands of Madagascar within the province of Antananarivo. The program is geared to school children in both public and private schools within the district. It calls for students to receive a ration of 125 grams of cooked corn-soy blend per day. A pilot group of about 9,000 students are to receive a similar ration of instant breakfast cereal, a locally processed product of precooked, flaked, corn-soy blend with vitamins, minerals, and sugar added. The cost of this value-added product is to be partially paid through exchange for corn-soy blend, which will be transformed into the same instant breakfast cereal with different packaging for commercial sale near where the product is being tested in the schools. This is intended to enhance the chances of sustainability of the program by getting consumers used to the taste and value of the vitamin-enriched product.

As a secondary objective, ADRA planned to monetize the corn to collaborate with the local government husbandry services and commercial veterinary services to stimulate commercial chicken and egg production in Madagascar and particularly in the target region of the school feeding project. Specific goals for the program are as follows:

Implementation status: As of March 2002, ADRA/Madagascar’s GFE program operated in 178 public primary schools in the Antsirabe region. The imported corn-soy blend and non-fat dry milk powder would have enabled the GFE school feeding project to distribute an estimated nine million meals for 50,000 school children in these 178 public primary schools over the next 10 school months. As of February 2002, 49 tons of non-fat dry milk powder and 98 tons of corn-soy blend flour had been distributed to these schools. The program was halted in Antsirabe region and never got started in the Antanyfotsy region.

Sustainability: The ADRA agreement makes sustainability a major goal for the GFE program in Madagascar.

Monitoring and evaluation: ADRA has developed a monitoring and evaluation system under the agreement, the objectives which are to:

ADRA also planned to conduct a final evaluation survey through a random cluster sample of households in the target area to assess project impacts. ADRA also set up a monitoring system with full-time monitoring staff to visit each implementing school to collect the necessary data for evaluation. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to set up infrastructure in Madagascar to hire a local monitor to collect data on a sample of 20 schools participating in the GFE program. Because of the political and economic instability in Madagascar, these plans have been postponed.

Final: Due to the late start and economic and political situation it is difficult to measure the impact of this project. The results of ADRA’s data collection have not yet been received.

Midterm: Until political and economic instability returns, implementation of the GFE program in Madagascar will be severely hampered, making it impossible for ADRA to accomplish its objectives.

Clearly, ADRA did not anticipate the political and economic instability that has engulfed Madagascar since GFE program began, resulting in the following unanticipated outcomes: