V.O.I.M.M.A Reserve, Madagascar

On some of our tours in Madagascar, we visit the private reserve called the V.O.I.M.M.A Reserve.

The reserve is located adjacent to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in eastern Madagascar but, unlike the national park, it is owned and operated by the local community.

The abbreviation V.O.I.M.M.A stands for Vondron’olona miaro mitia ala, which in Malagasy roughly translates to ‘the local people love the forest.’

In 2012, a group of local residents from the village of Andasibe banded together with the aim of retaining control over a piece of land while helping to preserve and expand the forest areas around the village. For many years, the land was designated as agricultural, but as Madagascar gained more national parks, they wanted to participate in conservation efforts without losing land rights or converting it into a national park.

The reserve is small – but fortunately, the lemurs are unaware of whether they are in the national park or the reserve, so the chances of spotting wildlife here are just as high as in the actual national park.

Revenues from guided tours in the reserve, and perhaps a visit to the little souvenir shop, benefit the village community. They have contributed to providing running water and a small hospital for the village. Additionally, the reserve creates jobs and offers locals a greater insight into the environment and the importance of preserving it. Thus, the reserve not only enlarges the habitat area for the endangered lemurs but also supports the survival of the village community.

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