Human Development League

Human Development League unleashes human potential through the power of sports, technology, education, and conservation in northwest Madagascar.

Supporting lemur conservation using sports and technology

The Human Development League is a US-based non-profit organization that unleashes human potential using sports, technology, education, and conservation.

The organization, which currently works in northwest Madagascar in the area surrounding the Ankarafantsika National Park, has a two-part mission: 1) teach life skills and character development to young and underprivileged people all over the world through amateur sports instruction and competition; and 2) promote the benefits of, and provide financial support for, education and job skills training.

Partnering with local communities

Using basketball to teach conservation

The Human Development League uses basketball to engage local Malagasy communities and and teach young people how to conserve the lemurs and natural resources for future generations while making a sustainable living. Specifically, they will be working with young people in the villages in and around Ankarafantsika National Park (northwest Madagascar) using basketball-based activities to engage the local community, teach lemur conservation, and provide opportunities for training in ecotourism and sustainable revenue-generating activities.

In this effort, the Human Development League partners with the local basketball association in Andranofasika – the town at the East entrance of Ankarafantsika National Park – to help engage the local community and give them ownership of the project and decision-making authority from planning to implementation. In addition, they plan to work closely with the local mayor’s office, the Madagascar National Parks (MNP) park director, and other stakeholders.

Finally, they will be working closely on this project with Planet Madagascar, an organization that has worked closely with and built trust with members of the community in towns and villages in and around the park over a number of years.