01
Useful
It meets a real, local need: drinking, cooking, preserving, processing, without relying on firewood or the power grid.
Real needSimple technologies, built to last.
A young non-profit from the highlands of Madagascar, we build, repair and share simple tools that improve daily life in rural villages. First project: bringing water to Belanosina.
To us, low-tech is not just an object. It is a way of doing, a way of being and a way of seeing the world: making things yourself, repairing instead of throwing away, and sharing what you know.
— The Low Tech Mada team
Water for Belanosina.
Our first major project: installing a hydraulic ram pump in the Fokontany of Belanosina, deep in the countryside, so villagers can access water. Part of it is funded and work has started. We still need funds to bring the water all the way to the families.
How does it work?
A ram pump uses nothing but the force of flowing water to push part of that water uphill, towards the village.
- No electricity or fuel
- Runs day and night
- Easy to maintain locally
Project status
- Secured
Funding for the pump
Initial funding allowed us to launch the project.
- 2 In progress
Construction and installation
The ram pump is currently being installed on site.
- 3 Funding needed
Water to the villagers
We still need to fund the pipes that carry water to the village families.
One low-tech, three requirements.
Every tool we build has to tick these three boxes. No exceptions.
02
Accessible
It is built with simple means: salvaged materials, common tools and shared know-how.
Simple means 03
Durable
It is designed to last and to be repaired: every part can be taken apart, replaced and understood.
RepairableFour tools, tested every day.
In Betafo, our workshop village designs, tests and uses four prototypes. They serve as live demonstrations and as the basis of our training.
Keep scrolling
Solar oven
A reflective box that traps the sun’s heat to cook meals, with no firewood or charcoal.
Solar concentrator
A parabolic dish that focuses sunlight on a single point to reach high temperatures.
Bike blender
A converted bicycle that drives a blender: a few pedal strokes are enough to make a juice.
Solar dryer
A ventilated cabinet that dries fruit, vegetables and herbs without electricity, to preserve harvests.
Learning by doing, to pass it on.
Want to learn low-tech? Our hands-on courses give you the know-how to build, repair and pass it on.
- 01
Build and tune a solar oven or concentrator
Solar - 02
Assemble a bike blender or a multi-purpose pedal unit
Human power - 03
Build a solar dryer suited to local harvests
Preserving - 04
Run a low-tech workshop in your own community
Passing it on
A thousand ways to help.
Funder, future low-tech maker, volunteer or intern: there is a place for you in this adventure. We are just starting, and every helping hand counts.
Fund a project
Foundations, companies, patrons, individuals: fund a concrete project like water for Belanosina, and follow its progress.
See the projectsTrain with us
Learn to build and repair our tools, then pass these skills on in your own community.
Sign up for a trainingVolunteer
Give your time and skills: building, running workshops, communication, fundraising…
Offer my helpInternship
A student? Gain meaningful field experience and propose an internship to us.
Propose an internshipDonate equipment
Tools, bikes, pipes, parts, laptops: your in-kind donations become prototypes and projects.
Offer a donationA living place, open to all.
Building together, showing, learning: these are the gatherings we organise at the workshop village.
Collective
Collective building workshops
We build together, from the plan to the first test. Bring your hands, leave with new skills.
Demonstrations
Open days
Live demonstrations of the prototypes: come and taste a meal cooked by the sun.
The workshop letter
Progress on the Belanosina project, workshops, training: get our news, never too often.
Your support becomes water and tools.
As a young non-profit, we rely entirely on donations and partnerships. Every contribution directly funds projects, materials and training for highland villages.
Book a meeting with our lead
Foundation, company, patron or individual: let us talk directly about how you would like to help, by phone, video call or on site in Betafo.
Quick donation
Via Mobile Money, from Madagascar or the diaspora. Every ariary counts.
- MVola +261 38 78 357 22
Your questions, our answers.
The essentials about Low Tech Mada, our projects and how you can help.
What is Low Tech Mada?
Low Tech Mada is a young non-profit association based in Betafo, in the Antsirabe region, in the highlands of Madagascar. It builds, repairs and shares simple, useful and durable technologies adapted to local resources, and trains residents to build them themselves.
Which charity should I support in Madagascar?
If you are looking for a charity to support in Madagascar, Low Tech Mada is a young non-profit association based in Betafo, near Antsirabe. It runs concrete, visible projects on the ground, such as installing a hydraulic ram pump to bring water to the Fokontany of Belanosina, and trains residents to build and repair simple technologies. You can support it with a quick MVola donation to +261 38 78 357 22, by funding a project, donating equipment or volunteering.
Low Tech Mada or Law Tech Mada: is it the same association?
Yes. The association’s name is Low Tech Mada, from “low-tech”: simple, durable technologies. It is sometimes spelled “Law Tech Mada”, notably in our email address (contact@law-tech-mada.com): it is the same association, based in Betafo, Madagascar.
What is low-tech?
To us, a low-tech meets three criteria: it is useful (it meets a real, local need), accessible (it is built with simple means) and durable (it is designed to last and be repaired). It is also a way of doing: making things yourself, repairing instead of throwing away, sharing knowledge.
What is the ram pump project in Belanosina?
It is our first major project: installing a hydraulic ram pump in the Fokontany of Belanosina so villagers can access water. A ram pump uses only the force of flowing water to push part of that water uphill to the village, with no electricity or fuel. Funding for the pump has been secured and installation is under way; we still need to fund the pipes that bring water to the families.
How can I support the association?
You can make a quick donation via MVola to +261 38 78 357 22, book a meeting with our lead for a partnership or sponsorship, fund a specific project (water for Belanosina, a training course, equipping the workshop village) or offer an equipment donation.
How can I donate from abroad?
The simplest way is to book a meeting with the head of the association: together we arrange the most suitable option (bank transfer, partnership, sponsorship). Some money transfer services also let you send money directly to an MVola account.
Where and how can I learn low-tech?
Training takes place at the Betafo workshop village. It is hands-on: building and tuning a solar oven or concentrator, assembling a bike blender, building a solar dryer, or learning to run a low-tech workshop. Registration is online; dates are shared afterwards.
Can I volunteer or do an internship?
Yes. Building, running workshops, communication, fundraising: all skills are useful. Write to us through the contact form, stating your profile and availability.
Let's build together.
Funding, partnership, training, volunteering, internship? Write to us, we answer every message.
- AddressBetafo, Antsirabe — Madagascar
- Emailcontact@law-tech-mada.com
- Phone+261 38 78 357 22
- FacebookFollow our news