RMI in MADAGASCAR
establish a FAIR, responsible and sustainable
mica supply chain that is free
of child labor
In Madagascar, mica is mined in Southern provinces of Anosy, Ihorombe and Androy, among the poorest in the island. The situation is very similar to the one in Bihar and Jharkhand: communities struggle with isolation, insecurity, illiteracy and extreme poverty. The lack of clarity of legal framework create an unstable environment for the sector. As in India, these underlying conditions have led to significant social and economic problems, including:
In July 2020, the US Department of Labor (USDoL) announced the availability of 4.5 M$ for one cooperative agreement to fund a technical assistance project in Madagascar to reduce child labor in mica producing communities, over 4.5 years.
Together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Terre des Hommes Netherland (TdH-NL), RMI submitted a proposal last September 2020. Following pre-award exchanges and a thorough review by USDoL, the consortium was awarded the grant and informed on December, 2020.
On top of joint efforts to increase awareness and commitments for support, each consortium partner has its own roles and responsibilities, associated with a share of the overall budget.
The Responsible Mica Initiative will:
To support its new activities in Madagascar, as well as the global Consortium’s project, the Responsible Mica Initiative will shortly look for external expert support. In particular, RMI will seek expertise to conduct the 3 following exercises:
Mapping of mica supply chain and related stakeholders
Socio-political economy analysis
Economic study into supply chain and fair economic model
Keep an eye on this page, the 3 corresponding Terms of Reference will be published here soon!
