Update on the

Les Pecheurs Madagascar Micro-Enterprise Training Program

and the

Andriampamaky Village Project

November – December 2014

Project J782N Les Pêcheurs Development Projects - Madagascar

Overview In November 2014 the Chairman of Les Pêcheurs Internationale, Mr Kevin Fuller, visited Madagascar to meet with the staff of Les Pêcheurs Madagascar in the organisation’s office and training centre in Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar.

Les Pêcheurs Madagascar has two projects in progress.

The first is the Micro-Enterprise Training Program which is conducted in the Antananarivo training centre.

The second is the Andriampamaky Village Project which involves Les Pêcheurs working with the Village community to make Andriampamaky a ‘model village’ for Madagascar.

The following pictures and brief comments are designed to give the readers of this Status Report a sense of what is being done by Les Pêcheurs in each of these projects and what is being achieved.

The Underlying Philosophy of Les Pêcheurs Internationale

Les Pêcheurs was formed as a vehicle to provide “assistance” to people in under-developed countries. Madagascar was chosen as the first country for the implementation of the Les Pêcheurs Humanitarian Aid Projects.

The “assistance” takes the form of advice, mentoring, counselling and guidance to suitably capable people in these countries who wish to establish and/or develop a new or existing business. The assistance provided by Les Pêcheurs is free of charge to the recipients.

Les Pêcheurs is registered as a Not-for-Profit organisation in Australia and Madagascar.

Costs of the support infrastructure such as office facilities, equipment, staffing, travel costs etc incurred in Madagascar are borne by the founders of Les Pêcheurs.

The types of organisations Les Pêcheurs is seeking to assist are existing or start-up “micro-enterprises” owned and operated by the Candidates undertaking the Les Pêcheurs Micro-Enterprise Training Program.

The fundamental concept behind Les Pêcheurs is to “teach people how to fish” rather than “giving them a fish”. Expressed another way, it is intended to be a “hand-up” rather than a “hand-out”.

By teaching them “how to fish” they will be equipped to provide for themselves and their families and in time hopefully to assist other families by providing them with employment opportunities.

Sponsors Urgently Required There is a very strict assessment made of the suitability and capability of potential Candidates to complete the Les Pêcheurs Micro-Enterprise Training Program. They are evaluated on their potential to set up and operate a successful business based on the Business Plan they have developed during the course of the Training Program.

Once a Candidate has successfully completed the course and has a viable Business Plan then they are provided with “sponsorship funding” between USD $1,000 and USD $3,000 depending on the circumstances. This sponsorship funding comes from external sponsors of the Program and is sufficient for each Candidate to set up and operate their business.

Each Candidate is required to repay the sponsorship over a maximum of three years and if their business is successful then this money is reinvested in their business to allow them to develop it to the next stage. LPM staff check the progress of each business against the Business Plan on a quarterly basis and a report is sent to the sponsor who provided the funding for the candidate.

We urgently NEED sponsors for the current group of 23 people who are in the third intake of our program.

Australian sponsors receive a 100% tax deduction from the Federal Government for funds contributed to this Program.

For further information please contact: ajf@les-pecheurs.com or call (+61) 3 5258 3691

Les Pecheurs Madagascar Micro-Enterprise Training Program

Training of Candidates in the Second Intake

Candidates attend the Training Program one day per week for 6 months

Candidates are taught how to present themselves and their business to others.

Understanding business financial concepts is important but difficult and takes time.

Some of the Candidates are shy and have never had to make a presentation to others.

The Program is open to young and old.

Les Pecheurs Madagascar Micro-Enterprise Training Program

Graduation Function for Candidates in the Second Intake

A very happy Group of Candidates – all wearing silk scarves made by the lady on the left.

Graduands enjoying some refreshments.

We also invited the families of the graduates and they were all extremely proud.

Party Time !!!!

Party Time !!!