As Cyclone GEZANI approached several regions of Madagascar, YMCA teams in Moramanga and Antsirabe chose to act early focusing on reducing risks rather than reacting in emergency conditions.
Through the use of an early warning system, combined with the mobilization of trained young volunteers and close coordination with local Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) committees and municipal authorities, they carried out field interventions both before and after the cyclone.
The objective? to raise awareness and equip communities with practical safety measures to adopt before, during, and after a disaster.
Before the cyclone made landfall, key risks were identified, including flooding in low-lying areas, strong winds, fragile housing, and potential disruptions to essential services. In response, large-scale awareness efforts were deployed through direct engagement, door-to-door outreach, community networks, and social media.
Over 610 people were reached across vulnerable areas in the Vakinankaratra and Alaotra Mangoro regions. But beyond the numbers, the real impact lies in what changed:
households were better prepared to anticipate risks, secure their homes, and identify safe shelter options when needed.
Following the cyclone, preliminary field checks indicated that the situation remained largely under control, with no major damage reported in the targeted areas.
This result reflects not only the cyclone’s trajectory, but also the level of preparedness within the communities.
The actions carried out in advance helped to:
- increase community awareness
- deepen understanding of risks
- enable faster and more effective responses
This experience highlights a key lesson: information only makes a difference when people can turn it into action.
