Madagascar has one of the world’s most valued ecosystems, but one of the most threatened. Madagascar is also among the world’s poorest countries: of 17 million Malagasy people, 13 million live on less than 1$ a day. This poverty costs the people and the country. It drives farmers to practice slash and burn techniques that destroy one third of the forest each year, and is the cause of the loss of 90% of Madagascar’s forests. When asked, the people of Madagascar say they need roads, schools, and health care; health care being the biggest necessity as population growth leads to a decline in health conditions. The Malagasy population, one of the fastest growing in the world, is one that has doubles since 1980. About half of this population is under 15 and will be entering the reproductive age, further compounding the population growth issue. Contraceptives are now on the list of the country’s essential drugs, and have been slowly gaining approval as the national rate of women using family planning methods has risen from 5 to 18 percent. With crucial partnerships and strong national support small do-able actions are introduced to mothers, fathers, children, and farmers that can encourage support in family planning and foster an understanding for environmental conservation.