My name is Cindy Burleson and I'm chairman of the International Sibling Society.
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Well, in this season of SDGs Explained, we're exploring incredible projects currently underway
under the leadership of Mandela Washington Fellowship recipients across the African continent.
I'm your host, Cindy Berlison, Chairman of the International Sibling Society.
Today, we sit in the studio of the Innovation Center in Reno, Nevada.
Our guest comes all the way from Magadascar.
Please welcome Henry Studio Sulufulnina, the founder of Magadascar Island Tours, MIT for short.
Henry, it's a pleasure to sit across from you here in the studio and have you on the show.
Thank you, Cindy.
I'm delighted to be here and share my experiences and what I do back home with your audience.
Well, Henry, your work in promoting tourism in Magadascar is truly inspiring.
Can we just pause for a minute and just set me straight on my pronunciation of both your name, your country?
I want to get everything just perfect. So say your name for me.
Okay, sure. Sulufulnina, Henry Studio.
I think the last part is easy because it's similar to American name like Henry Studio.
But the first one is Sulufulnina.
Sulufulnina.
Close. Sulufulnina.
Sulufulnina.
Perfect.
All right. Okay.
Henry Studio.
Magadascar.
Madagascar.
Magadascar.
Madagascar.
Perfect. Awesome. Okay.
I tell you, is that in your friends up here in the Washington, in the Mandela Washington Fellowship, they're calling you Henry.
Yeah, they call me Henry because that's an easy one.
Okay. You can call me Henry.
Okay. Well, Henry, your work in promoting tourism in Magadascar is truly inspiring.
And we're excited to have you here today. Before we dive into details, let's discuss your efforts and how they align with the sustainable development goals.
From what I gather, your work has a positive impact on several sustainable development goals, which are SDGs for short.
Could you collaborate a little bit on those connections for us?
Absolutely, Cindy.
Through Madagascar Island Tours, we actively contribute to several sustainable development goals.
First, goal eight, decent work and economic growth.
By promoting tourism, we create employment opportunities for local communities, improving their livelihoods and fostering economic growth.
Secondly, goal 14, life below water. Our sustainable approach to tourism ensures the conservation of marine resources and the protection of coastal ecosystems.
We actively educate tourists on the importance of preserving marine life.
Lastly, goal 15, life on land. Madagascar is, as you know, renowned for its unique biodiversity.
And through our tours, we raise awareness about the need to protect and conserve the island's diverse ecosystems.
Well, that's fantastic, Henry. It's great to see how your work is aligned with these important goals.
Now let's dive deeper into your initiative. Could you share some of the projects Madagascar Island Tours, or MIT for short, has undertaken to promote sustainable tourism in Madagascar?
Certainly, Cindy. One of our key initiatives is community empowerment.
We collaborate with local communities and empower them by providing training programs in hospitality, tour guiding, and environmental conservation.
This not only creates empowerment opportunities, but also enhances the capacity of communities to protect their natural resources.
Additionally, we actively promote responsible tour practices, such as minimizing waste, supporting eco-friendly accommodations,
and encouraging tourists to engage in conservation activities like the tree planting and the wildlife monitoring.
Hey, fantastic. That's impressive, Henry. I can imagine the positive impacts these initiatives have on both the communities and the environment.
Speaking of communities, could you share a specific story or example that highlights the transformation brought about by your work?
Sure. One example that comes to mind is a small fishing village on the southern coast of Madagascar.
Historically, the community relied solely on fishing for their lovely hoods, which had a negative impact on the marine ecosystem.
Through our partnership with the village, we introduced sustainable fishing practices and educated the community about the importance of preserving marine resources.
Today, the village has transitioned into a thriving ecosystem destination, providing employment opportunities for the locals and protecting their marine environment.
Well, I tell you, Henry, in just simple terms, I know you're excited about promoting tourism in your country.
What is the best way to promote tourism in Madagascar?
Well, I think the best way to promote tourism in Madagascar is to adopt a comprehensive and sustainable approach
that takes into account the country's unique natural and cultural assets.
Here are some key strategies for promoting tourism effectively in Madagascar.
Preserving and showcase biodiversity. Madagascar is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity, including unique fauna and flora.
It's crucial to prioritize the preservation of natural habitats such as rainforests, mangroves, and coral reefs.
Develop sustainable tourism activities that allow visitors to experience and appreciate this biodiversity while minimizing negative impacts.
Develop community-based tourism.
Engage local communities and empower them to actively participate in tourism initiatives.
Involve community members in decision-making processes, train them in hospitality and guiding skills, and encourage the development of community-owned accommodations and services.
This approach, Cindy, ensures that the benefits of tourism reach local populations, fostering economic growth and preserving cultural heritage.
Promote responsible tourism practices. Educate both visitors and local stakeholders about responsible tourism practices.
Encourage visitors to respect the environment, support local businesses, and engage in conservation activities.
Provide guidelines and information on sustainable behavior, waste management, and the importance of cultural sensitivity.
Enhance infrastructure and services. Invest in improving transportation, accommodations, and tourist facilities.
So, Cindy, this includes developing eco-friendly loading options, ensuring reliable transportation networks within the country, and enhancing visitor experiences through quality services and amenities.
So, upgrading infrastructure helps facilitate tourism and attract a wider range of visitors.
Strengthen marketing and promotion efforts is also very important in this.
So, develop targeted marketing campaigns that highlight Madagascar's unique attractions, such as its diverse wildlife, pristine beaches, and vibrant culture.
So, leverage digital platforms, social media, and partnerships with travel agencies and tour operators to reach potential tourists globally.
Emphasizing the sustainable and responsible aspects of tourism in Madagascar to attract consensus travelers.
And what's also important is that collaborate with stakeholders. Establish partnerships and collaboration with local communities, government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations.
Work together to develop sustainable tourism policies, regulations, and guidelines. Engaging in capacity building initiatives, share best practices, and promote knowledge exchange to ensure a coordinated, sustainable approach to tourism development.
Focusing on these tourism markets is also very important, like identifying and targeting these tourism markets that align with Madagascar's unique offerings.
So, this, Cindy, can include ecotourism, adventure tourism, wildlife watching, and cultural tourism.
By catering to specific interests and preferences, Madagascar can attract a diverse range of visitors and ensure sustainable growth, sustainable tourism growth.
So, it's important to note that Madagascar, I mean, it's important to note that sustainable tourism practices must be incorporated into all aspects of tourism development, including planning, planning infrastructure, and visitor experiences.
By adopting a holistic approach and involving various stakeholders, Madagascar can promote tourism in a way that maximizes economic benefits, preserves the environment, and respects local cultures and communities.
Cindy? That's truly remarkable, Henry. It's incredible to witness the transformation and positive change that can occur through sustainable tourism initiatives.
And thank you for that explanation. Is there any message, if there was any message that you could share with our listeners regarding the importance of sustainable tourism and its connection to the sustainable development goals, what would your message be?
Sure. Thank you, Cindy. My message to the listeners is that sustainable tourism is not just about visiting beautiful parks, places, bases, but it's also about leaving a positive impact on the communities and environments we explore.
By choosing responsible and sustainable tourism options, we can contribute to economic growth, protect natural resources, and empower local communities.
Remember, every journey can make a difference.
Well, that's a powerful message, Henry. Thank you for sharing your insight and experiences with us today. Your work in promoting sustainable tourism in Magadascar is truly inspiring, and I'm sure our listeners will be inspired, too.
I'm thrilled to be here, Cindy, and share my experience and inspiring work happening in Madagascar.
Well, that's fantastic, Henry. Let's dive a little bit deeper and continue to build on what you've said here. Is there anything that you haven't already said that could add to – tell us more about your project, what you're doing with your tourism project, and how it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
Sure. Well, my project is a tour company. So, it focuses on improving the lives of local population, local people, by providing them jobs and other opportunities, especially young people, because there are so many young people who are jobless in my country, unfortunately, as it is the same case in most developing countries.
What we do is organize excursions, tours, and sea holidays for tourists throughout Madagascar. And with that, we hire or we employ local tour guides to help us guide tourists to visit different destinations, different tourist sites.
We also work with local restaurants, and they help us to – they help us taste and try local foods for tourists.
Apart from that, we also collaborate with local cultural associations, and they entertain tourists with local cultures. So, the bottom line here – the bottom line here, Cindy, is that our project is really a community-based company, and we've – we've everybody – everybody benefits, and tourists enjoy the beauty of our culture.
That's truly commendable work, Henry. Well, let's take a moment to talk about your country. Tell us more about who lives in Madagascar.
Madagascar.
Yeah, Madagascar. Well, the country is Madagascar, and the population is called Malagasy. You know, I really want to clarify this because some people are just confused about it. You know, they say Madagascarians – what they want to say is Malagasy.
They say Malagasy. No. The country is Madagascar, and the people is Malagasy. Malagasy people. So, I think that's fine. So, well –
It's got French origins, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we use Malagasy language, our mother tongue, but in the public administration or school or the language of business, we use French language because we have a long tradition with France and – yeah.
Madagascar was colonized by France, and this is, I think, the reason why we still use the French language as a language of administration, school, and businesses. So, Malagasy people are very friendly, and we have our unique value that we hold dear, which is fi hava na na. Can you pronounce that a little bit? Fi hava na na.
Fi hava na.
Fi hava na na.
Perfect. So, it's very difficult to translate it in English, but the idea behind fi hava na na is togetherness, care of one another, friendship, family members coming together.
So, that's the idea of fi hava na na, and this value, it makes us unique to the rest of the world.
Well, that amazing accent, we were talking a little bit about accents earlier. So, your accent is a French accent.
Oh, thank you.
Is that right? I mean, that's why it sounds wonderful.
Okay. I didn't notice that.
Well, you speak French back home.
I do.
So, French accent.
I do speak French back home.
Okay. Yeah. And my accent is a southern accent, a U.S. southern accent. And I've traveled around the world a couple of times and lived in different places, not just the South and the United States.
I'm out here in the West now, in Reno, but that southern accent will never go away. It's always there.
Yeah, but it's very clear. You know, it's nice to listen to you.
Yeah.
Very clear.
And I enjoy your accent too.
Oh, thank you.
So, well, I'm glad to hear that you're actively involved in achieving several sustainable development goals through your efforts in Magadascar.
But let's take a look at closer or take a little bit closer look at the SDGs that you mentioned.
You talked about goal eight, which is decent work and economic growth, promoting tourism in Magadascar contributes to economic growth by creating employment opportunities like you had explained.
The tourism industry generates jobs for local communities, ranging from hospitality and tour guides to craftsmen and artisans.
This leads to improved livelihoods, poverty reduction and economic diversification, both in Magadascar and in other countries where tourists originate.
You also mentioned goal 14, or well, let's say life below water.
Magadascar is home to a vast coastline and rich marine biodiversity, of which you mentioned.
So that was involved in life below water, which is sustainable development goal number 14, by promoting sustainable tourism practices, such as educating tourists about marine conservation and supporting responsible fishing practices.
Magadascar Island Tours, MIT for short, helps protect the marine ecosystem, preserving coral reefs, mangroves and marine wildlife.
It not only contributes to the resilience of these ecosystems, but also ensures the stability or sustainability of fishing industries and overall health in the oceans.
You also talked about life on land, which is sustainable development goal number 15.
Magadascar is known for its unique and diverse ecosystems, including rainforest, dry forest and spiny forest. Sustainable tourism initiatives like those undertaken by your company, Magadascar Island Tours, helps raise awareness about the importance of conserving and protecting these natural habitats.
By promoting responsible visitor behavior, supporting conservation projects and engaging local communities in conservation efforts, your company helps safeguard the rich biodiversity found on the island.
And in a global context, these connections hold significance as well.
The sustainable tourism industry contributes to economic growth and job creation worldwide, benefiting both developed and developing countries.
By promoting responsible tourism practices, countries can mitigate the negative environmental impacts, often associated with mass tourism.
Encouraging sustainable tourism aligns with the global commitment to protect the world's oceans and marine sources, as well as preservation of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.
Overall, the efforts of Magadascar Island Tours exemplifies how sustainable tourism can contribute to the achievement of these three sustainable development goals, both in Magadascar and globally.
As you work on each of these goals in Magadascar, you move us all closer to achieving the sustainable development goals.
We're all in this together, regardless of what country we're in, and I can only encourage you to keep up your excellent work, Henry, and we're all cheering for you.
Thank you, Cindy, and I'm more than happy to welcome you to come to Madagascar and your listeners as well.
Oh, fantastic. Well, how did you come up with this idea of this project? What motivated you to pursue it?
Oh, sure. I studied tourism at university. I have a bachelor's degree in tourism and a master's degree in international business management, so I've always been driven to tourism industry.
And in my region of the northern part of Madagascar, Anseranana, or we call it also Diego Suarez, that's far north of Madagascar, there are so many opportunities to promote the eco-tourism industry there.
Like, for instance, my town, Anseranana, is surrounded by many beautiful parks and attractive places for tourists, such as Amber Mountain, we call it Montagne d'Ambres, Amber Mountain National Park,
Ancarana National Park, Cinque-Rose, Free Bay, and so many other natural wonders. So these ecosystems, Cindy, could promote education about and preservation of beautiful landscapes in my region.
So my region also can greatly benefit from new perspectives and new ideas that I can bring and based on my degree related to sustainable tourism and development.
So access to this new economic sector of revenue would open opportunities for Malagasy people in my region and in the whole country. So that's where the idea came from.
Your dedication is inspiring, Henry. Could you walk us through the project as far as implementation goes? Can you break it down for us step by step? What steps have you taken to ensure the success of your company?
Well, we are still working on the project as of now. There are still many things to do, but we've already established partnerships and collaborations with local restaurants, hotels, car renting companies,
since we still do not have our cars yet. So we have to rent cars to drive our tourists to different parts of Madagascar, to different parts, destinations like, as I mentioned, Amber Mountain National Park, Cinque-Rose, Free Bay, and the others.
But in the future, we plan to have our own car and then we can extend our business in this as well.
So also part of the thing that we are still working on is creating our website to make it really work.
And we are still in the process of doing that now as we speak. And my team, Bakum, is working very, very hard on that.
And we are going to produce contents in our YouTube channels to show people in the other parts of the world the beauty of our country, Madagascar.
Well, that's fantastic. Henry, it's wonderful to see projects addressing such critical issues. Can you share some of the specific activities or initiatives that your project undertakes to achieve its goals?
In our project, we want to demonstrate that Madagascar is a great country and has the potential to out-develop its reputation as one of the poorest countries in the world, which is very sad, Cindy,
because Madagascar has lots of natural resources, lots of biodiversity and wild animals, wild lives, nature.
But yeah, it's still one of the poorest countries in the world, which is very sad. So we want to change this.
And we want to educate tourists or anyone visiting my beautiful country, Madagascar, so that even though it faces many challenges like poverty, insecurity, other political problems sometimes, it has a great potential for growth.
You are indeed a wonderful spokesperson for your country. Thank you. You promote Madagascar very, very well. I love the comprehensive approach that you're taking.
Henry, it's essential to address all aspects of sustainable tourism, and you've done a really good job with explaining that to us today. Thank you.
Could you share any success stories or memorable moments from your project?
Sure. I've been working as a tour guide over the past eight years now. I have talked to many people from all walks of life, from backgrounds, many backgrounds.
And what I've noticed is that despite our differences in terms of nationalities, tribes, religion, sexual orientation, we can work together, Cindy, peacefully and respectfully.
We as human beings know that our differences should not be our weaknesses, but instead they should be our strengths. Yeah, that's what I have seen as a tour guide.
Well, that's truly inspiring. Henry, it's incredible to see all the impact that your project is making on individual lives.
Looking ahead, what are your future plans and aspirations for your project?
We look forward to a project, we look forward to welcoming tourists, as I said, to welcoming tourists from all around the world and to visit and come and visit Madagascar, including your listeners, our listeners now, Cindy.
Absolutely. It's impressive how comprehensive your approach is. Henry, could you share some of the positive impact your project has had on the communities that you've worked with?
You know, Cindy, I volunteer at an orphanage in my town, Antsaranan, or Diego Suarez. It is a foster care center that helps children who are orphans or whose parents are otherwise incapable of caring for them.
So I teach at the center, providing the children with extra lessons in English, French, Spanish, mathematics, and among others. I also serve as a mentor, providing them with a positive role model and helping them to have a better future.
Aside from this, I support the administration, work as a coordinator, and I'm the head of fundraising. I've been able to give jobs to some of the young people in this center, young people above 18 years old in this orphanage as a tour guide.
So I am very happy about that because they can practice their languages with tourists, and they can also learn from other cultures and make money at the same time.
That's fantastic. And you know, you mentioned that you volunteer in orphanages. That just is such a soft spot for me personally.
The history of the International Siblings Society, we go back to 1998, and in 1999 we commissioned a big international study and visited 10 different countries and worked with children that lived in different orphanages around the world.
And the experience was, you know, it wasn't this sad violin song that you might imagine and all this depressing scene.
There was some of that, but we painted with the children and brought out paints and just it was a very exciting, energetic experience, energetic environments.
And the children just painted and painted and painted with us and later, about 10 years later, those paintings were exhibited at the United Nations in New York City as the painting of voice exhibition.
So working with children in orphanages, it's just, it's a real privilege. It really is. I'm glad you brought that up.
And Henry, your dedication and vision are commendable. Before we wrap it up, is there anything else you'd like to share or any message you'd like to convey to our listeners?
Well, my message to our listeners will be our world is beautiful. It is not just what we see on TV, headlines on TV, conflicts, war, that our world is.
Our world is nature, beautiful parks and beaches and many other beautiful things.
So my advice is let's explore the world. And I encourage all of you to visit Madagascar once again because it's a beautiful country and it's safe also.
So come and visit and I'm more than happy to welcome you there. I can't wait for you to visit and see my beautiful country, Madagascar.
And we will see when you will come to Madagascar. Tunga sua. That's a translation of welcome. Tunga sua.
Fantastic. That is fantastic. Well, tell us once again how we can find you both on the planet and online. How can our listeners reach out to you? How can they contact you?
Sure. My WhatsApp is plus 261-3202-809-57. Again, plus 261-3202-809-57. That's my WhatsApp.
My email is shenrstudio92.gmail.com.
Repeat that email for us one more time.
S-H-E-N-R-E-I-S-T-U-D-I-O.
Or you can simply visit our website, Madagascar Island Tours. Our Facebook page is Madagascar Island Tours.
And our website is www.3w.madagascailentours23.com.
Fantastic. You've given us your WhatsApp ID or WhatsApp number to reach you. You've given us your email.
And you know, likely just as a techie sitting back, probably the best way to reach you of all those ways that you've mentioned is on Facebook with the Madagascar Island Tours.
And in parentheses you have MIT for short. Madagascar Island Tours on Facebook. Well, thank you, Henry, for sharing your incredible project with us today.
It's been a pleasure to highlight your work and the impact you're making in Madagascar.
We wish you all the success in your future endeavors.
And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to the International Siblings Society SDG Explained podcast.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Remember, together we can make a difference. Henry, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the show today and learning about your impactful work in Madagascar.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Thank you, Cindy. It's been a pleasure sharing my journey with you and your listeners. Bye.
To our listeners, thank you for tuning in to the SDG's Explained podcast today.
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