Samuel Tomatis

In order to respond to the problem of the proliferation of the invasive algae Ulva reticulata, identified by a study carried out in 2019 by the Madagascan association Cétamada with the University of Antananarivo, Ndao Hanavao has joined forces with Cétamada to develop, with French designer Samuel Tomatis, a project for the collection and processing of invasive algae in Madagascar, to be deployed between Sainte-Marie and Antananarivo.

The first phase of the project has been set up between 2022 and 2023 according to a process established by Samuel Tomatis, together with the Ndao Hanavao and Cétamada teams: stranded invasive seaweed is collected on the beaches of Sainte-Marie and then sorted on site before being transported to the Cétamada association’s Anjanaray centre to be rinsed, dried and crushed before being sent to the Ndao Hanavao laboratory in Antananarivo.
The second phase involves transforming the seaweed into marketable objects and materials, using processes and techniques developed by the designer in the laboratory.

Samuel Tomatis is currently developing two seaweed transformation techniques:
– Paper: using a recipe and a traditional process developed by the designer with Ndao Hanavao, the seaweed collected is transformed into sheets of paper that can also be used to create objects;
– Moulding: using the paper pulp created from the seaweed and moulds and dies, the designer uses the laboratory to develop shapes suitable for packaging.

This project trains young Madagascans in the Ndao Hanavao laboratory in the various processes implemented by the designer, enabling them to build a sustainable ecological business around these techniques. In 2023, twelve new beneficiaries joined the Ndao Hanavao project to receive training in seaweed processing.