A craft workshop with photovoltaic electrification in Idilana

In Madagascar, access to infrastructure, particularly electricity and digital services, is among the lowest in the world. It is estimated that 33.7 million people have access to electricity, compared to an average of 48.4 million for sub-Saharan Africa in 2020. More than 18 million people currently lack access to electricity, placing Madagascar 13th among the countries with the largest unelectrified population in the world. Furthermore, despite progress made in recent years, Madagascar ranks relatively low in terms of internet usage, reaching approximately 221 million people in 2021, compared to only 5.11 million in 2016.

The village of Idilana, located about 30 kilometers from the Malagasy capital Antananarivo, is a rural village of 600 inhabitants, 901 of whom are farmers and rice growers, supplementing their income with carpentry and sewing. As with most villages in Madagascar, access to Idilana is perilous, marked by the lack of public transportation and only one usable road. Furthermore, the absence of electricity within the village severely hinders the economic activities of its inhabitants. Currently, to perform specific tasks requiring electrical equipment, villagers are forced to travel to other villages 10 or 20 kilometers away to access electricity. This represents a significant loss of time and money for the residents.

Thus, in response to the villagers' request, the Mazava Vent et Soleil association of Madagascar aims to build a multi-purpose workshop equipped with photovoltaic electricity. This versatile structure, accessible to all and located in the center of the village, will include various units: carpentry, sewing, agricultural processing (rice huller), a refrigerator, a computer unit, and a meeting room. All these activities were defined in consultation with the villagers during numerous public meetings.