Since 1998, CARE's Urban Household Food and Livelihood Security Program has helped the population of 30 fokontany (the lowest administrative structure) in Antananarivo to analyze their situation and plan for their development. Now called Mahavita, the program has moved from community activities to capacity building and strengthening, in which CARE plays the role of facilitator between municipal government and the communities.
Mahavita expands to 50 more fokontany with the following key activities: 1) design and implement community
development plans, primarily focusing on safe water and social infrastructure. For this purpose, CARE develops
necessary tools and guidelines and provides training to facilitate community organization and the creation (or
strengthening) of local structures representative of these communities. 2) provide technical assistance and training
to the municipality of Antananarivo to incorporate long-range strategic planning within municipal structures. 3)
develop health surveillance and response systems to monitor community health and improve urban environments.
CARE provides training to key municipality staff in health surveillance and information use.
