Textile silk has a long history in Madagascar. The moth Borocera cajani is endemic to Madagascar and primarily found in the Tapia woodland of the central highlands. It is one of three silk moths found within the region but only B. cajani is exploited in the silk industry. The woodland is dominated by the Tapia tree (Uapaca bojeri) and has been highly disturbed in recent years due to frequent fires and land clearing resulting in habitat fragmentation. Ny Tanintsika has worked actively with local communities to protect the remaining woodland, reduce habitat degradation and engage in restoration activities. Training and support was provided to establish community nurseries to produce Tapia seedlings, fruit trees and Eucalypts for construction and fuel wood. Ny Tanintsika and Feedback Madagascar also provided resources to establish a centre for breeding the silk moth. The centre concentrates efforts to increase the wild population of silk moths in the Tapia woodland.
This project works with a womens’ silk weaving cooperative, which was developed by Ny Tanintsika. It provides support to women’s groups and households to find alternative income streams compared with traditional methods that relied solely on woodland resources. The project trains women weavers on all stages of silk production; from raising the silkworms, to spinning, weaving and increasing the commercial value of their silk products such as scarves and cloth. They also train households in the conservation and forest management of the Tapia woodland. This dynamic program helps to increase and protect the amount of silk that the women can sell allowing them to earn a good living. The end result is greater levels of education, health and well-being in the communities; especially the children.
It was heartening to see how this business has transformed a community. For further information, or if you would like to donate, please see http://www.treemad.org/wild-silk-forest-appeal/
