LOHARANO Programme

The LOHARANO programme is a volunteering initiative for young people from the Malagasy diaspora. Its first edition was launched as a pilot programme in February 2019 by the MFA in collaboration with the IOM, aiming to strengthen the engagement and valorisation of the diaspora, as well as to create a space for exchange and interaction between the diaspora and the Malagasy population. As part of this pilot phase, nine young Malagasies living abroad were selected to spend three months in rural communities in Madagascar to share their knowledge and support community work in sectors such as education, IT, health, or handicrafts.

Building on the success of the first edition, LOHARANO II was launched in 2024 under the AFD-funded TADY project, implemented by the MFA in partnership with the IOM, Expertise France and the Institut de recherche pour le Développement. This second edition aims to sustain connection between the diaspora and their homeland through meaningful engagement in local development projects. Over a four-year period, it plans to mobilise 40 diaspora youth volunteers to engage in community development projects in Madagascar for four to six months and ultimately contribute to socio-economic growth in different regions.