Meet Soamanjary
Soamanjary Andrianina has lived her entire life in Antintorona, a small coastal community in Madagascar where the land quietly determines what is possible. She was born here, raised here, and now raises her own children on the same soil that sustained her childhood.
She grew up in a household led by her mother, Rasoa, after her father left when she was still young. From that moment on, survival depended largely on what the land could provide. Rasoa farmed small plots, grew vegetables, and did what she could to keep food on the table. As the eldest daughter, Soamanjary learned early that helping was not optional.
Her childhood memories are filled with early mornings. Fetching water before school. Helping her mother prepare meals. Working the fields alongside her younger brother, Tiana, who often followed her lead. Farming was never described as work. It was simply life.
When her father left, the land became the family’s safety net and its greatest uncertainty.
By the time she was a teenager, Soamanjary knew how to prepare soil, plant crops, and recognize when something was wrong. She also learned how fragile farming could be. A missed rain. A weak harvest. A season that ended too soon.
Today, Soamanjary is a mother herself. She lives with her children and her mother, Rasoa, in a modest home near their fields. Her brother Tiana still plays an important role, helping transport produce and selling what surplus they can at nearby markets when the harvest allows.
Their daily routine has changed little over the years. Soamanjary wakes before sunrise to check the fields while the air is still cool. Rasoa prepares food for the household. The children help when they can, learning the same lessons Soamanjary once did. When there is enough to sell, Tiana takes crops to market. When there is not, the family adjusts.
Everything depends on the harvest.
In recent years, farming has become harder. Rainfall no longer follows familiar patterns. Some seasons bring too little water. Others bring heavy rains that wash away fragile soil. Water sources dry up at critical moments, forcing difficult decisions about what to plant and what to abandon.
“Our lives depend on what the land gives us,” Soamanjary says. “When the rain changes and the harvest is poor, it affects everything at home.”
A poor season does not only mean less food. It means postponing school expenses. Selling fewer goods at the market. Living with constant uncertainty about the months ahead.
Despite this, Soamanjary continues to farm. Like many women in Antintorona, she carries the responsibility of both food production and family care. Her knowledge of the land is deep, shaped by years of observation and experience. What she lacks are tools designed for the realities she now faces.
This is why TEL is preparing to launch Seeds of Tomorrow.
Seeds of Tomorrow is an agroforestry initiative designed to support farmers like Soamanjary with practical, climate forward solutions. Solar powered pumps and drip irrigation systems can help families use scarce water more efficiently. Agroforestry practices can improve soil health, reduce erosion, and support crops through dry periods.
For Soamanjary, access to these tools would mean more than improved harvests. It would mean fewer impossible choices. More stability for her children. And the ability to plan beyond the next season.
Her story is deeply personal, but it is not unique. It reflects the lives of many families in Antintorona whose resilience shows up quietly, day after day.
As we look ahead, Soamanjary’s life reminds us that resilience is built slowly. It grows through family, knowledge, and the right support at the right time. And it begins when people are given the tools to care for their land and their families with dignity.
Support our crowdfunding campaign for Seeds of Tomorrow: https://chuffed.org/project/seeds-of-tomorrow
