The FAHITA association or Fikambanana Anovozana Haivao Iombonan’ny Tanora eny Ambanivohitra, a branch of the Global Youth Innovation Network in Madagascar, has the vision of contributing to poverty reduction among rural youth. The mission is to create opportunities to become “Agents of Change” in the field of innovation, agribusiness, entrepreneurship, leadership and job creation. The association was created as a result of the participation of young Malagasy people in international events organized by IFAD and its partners for the inclusion of rural youth.
 
To this end, the FAHITA association supports the emergence of young entrepreneurs and young leaders living in rural areas. The association mainly works to raise awareness among young people about entrepreneurship and leadership, thanks to the dissemination of good practices by the various actors involved in youth training. It also contributes to improving training strategies for young people in rural areas. The approach is based on exchanges between young people and between generations, such as youth camps and apprenticeship routes. Over the years, FAHITA has also forged strong partnerships, particularly with projects financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development -IFAD– , and is positioned as a key partner in the mobilisation and networking of young people in rural areas.
 
This study aims at analysing the experiences and innovations carried out by FAHITA in collaboration with its partners, the beneficiaries in the field and the stakeholders, technicians and managers involved. The FAHITA association was chosen as the framework for the study, being the first and only association that aims at networking young rural entrepreneurs in Madagascar. This capitalisation work seeks to highlight the models implemented for:
 
Developing the culture of entrepreneurship
 
Structuring support for young people
 
Promote the networking of young people to share experiences