Todiveloniaina Rasolondraibe, could you please present yourself?
I’m married and have a daughter. I live in a Student’s Hall of University of Antananarivo as a student of Literature. As far as studies is concerned, I’ve got my master’s degree in English Linguistics and now I’m still specializing in Languages and Societies and I’m now in my first year of doctorate or Deepened Studies Diploma (DEA) as it is called in Francophone countries. I like animals and trees and I’m interested in their conservation, that’s why I’ve been joining the association called “Madagascar Wildlife Conservation”. I’ve also been teaching in some private schools here in Antananarivo. I love to work with kids and young people. That is why I become coordinator of a program called “Roots & Shoots Madagascar”. With this program, I’ve founded several clubs of young people and kids, one of which is in the capital Antananarivo and the others are spread throughout the province of Tamatave. But more clubs will follow soon.

What kind of program is Roots & Shoots?
Roots & Shoots is Dr. Jane Goodall’s environmental and humanitarian program for children and young people. The aims of Roots & Shoots are manifold: To make the world a better place to live, for us humans, but also for all animals and plants. This is the main goal. Roots & Shoots tries to achieve this by encourage the youth to show care and concern for the environment, the human community and animals through action-oriented projects. By helping young people to develop their respect, their self-esteem and the hope for their own future, Roots & Shoots involves those kids and young people to actively design and perform their own projects to reach these goals. Roots & Shoots further wants to promote the understanding between various cultures and nations, ethnic groups, religions, which can be facilitated through our network of Roots & Shoots programs worldwide.

Why is Roots & Shoots  focusing on children and young people?
Roots & Shoots is focusing mainly on children because children still have a ‘fresh mind’. Children and young people are still interested in many aspects of life, they still have to explore their social and natural environment, and therefore children are very eager to know more about how life works and want to learn as much as possible - whereas with adults this is obviously not the case anymore. Besides what Jane Goodall wanted to address with the name “Roots & Shoots” is “young people”. Children will remember what they learnt in their childhood when they grow up. Since children are keen to share whatever they learn and whatever makes fun, they can also function as models for other children in other communities.

What are the potential of Roots & Shoots in terms of conservation efforts in Madagascar?
Roots & Shoots is stressing on three key factors: animals, plants and human communities. The club members learn a lot by doing projects, which embraces one, two or all three of these key aspects. This can be planting trees and learning about the ecological importance of a forest, or another project can be a honey-bee project, where kids learn about the benefit of honey to the human body and of alternative harvesting methods to the smoking harvesting which causes many bushfires. We always try to create projects where kids can do their own action, but where they also have to understand, why they are doing what they are doing. So in terms of conservation potential, I would say that Roots & Shoots is an active form of school, where children can have fun in what they are doing. In adding bits and pieces together, the Roots & Shoots children learn to understand a whole lot about the three aspects, which in the end, if we make the sum of every kid who participates in this program, can cover a good part of our island. Another advantage of the Roots & Shoots approach is the creativity of its club key members. The kids have an outstanding fantasy, which allows them to organize project at a very low budget level. As you may know, money matters everywhere, Madagascar is no exception.

Why do you think children want to be member of a Roots & Shoots Club?
In my opinion, children like to be in Roots & Shoots clubs because they can learn a lot of new things, by doing it and especially and very important, by having fun. Furthermore, they can also make new friends with different children they normally would never meet, since every Roots & Shoots club is automatically part of the global Roots & Shoots network.

What is your most important message you would like the children of Madagascar to take home?
My first important message to the children is “Young people planting trees will have shelters when they are old”. What I mean by this expression is, if young children start to care for the environment from the early days on, their future life will be secured, since we can only start to build and think about our own future by living within a healthy environment. It is possible that Madagascar becomes a desert if the massive destruction and non-careing for the environment goes on. We should know that the climate in Madagascar is now changing very rapidly. That is to say there is, for example rain in periods at which there shouldn’t be any, or the dry period is extending more and more.

To finish, what do you wish for Madagascar?
For Madagascar, I wish that it will be set back to its ‘greenness’. I wish also that all inhabitants of Madagascar are aware of the many potential dangers which are threatening their future life. I wish that the climatic conditions in Madagascar will be set back to its stability. I wish that the pollution in Madagascar will be reduced to the least possible. I hope that Madagascar will be amongst the top countries dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and environment, and that Madagascar will also function as a model for the other fellow African countries, first, and then for the world. I know, these are many wishes, but I believe in the vigor and enthusiasm of our children.

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