Mazava Sustainable Development Consulting

Mazava was conceived out of the imperative to create a more equitable and sustainable world. We possess a deep understanding of the many bureaucratic and administrative obstacles that hinder efficient development methods. Our methods have been meticulously honed, informed by our personal beliefs about effective development and our experiences with various organizations throughout the world, sharpened by collaboration between diverse and talented individuals.

A former Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar, Ryan Trevors had significant exposure to the issues faced by NGO’s working in developing countries. Having studied abroad with NGOs and nonprofits in Thailand and Belize, a pattern began to develop: organizations in this sector are rarely equipped to face the challenges of development. After facing a traumatic injury in-country and medically-separating from the Peace Corps, Ryan began developing Mazava, which means “Understand” in the native language of Madagascar. Initially a “DBA” name to put on freelance grantwriting invoices, Mazava slowly became infused with Ryan’s vision for a healthier, more effective NGO sector, ballooning into a full-fledged consultancy. Many organizations are very close to making an impact, while some are further away. As someone who simply wants to maximize the amount of help he can provide to those in need, the management consultancy model allows us to work with less limitations, be flexible and diverse, and help as many people as possible.

We wish to improve the strategy, messaging, efficiency and effectiveness of nonprofits in any sector, though our expertise lies in improving food security development projects both domestically and internationally. World hunger, poverty, economic inequality and environmental degradation are all extremely serious issues in today’s world, and are all contributors to long-term food security. Our experience in international development spans from Southeast Asia to Africa to the tropical Caribbean, and we have seen firsthand how ineptitude in development administration can have drastic consequences on the sustainability of social progress. We wish to help proactively avoid and creatively address issues faced by nonprofits, promote healthy and sustainable development practices, build organizational capacity, identify future leaders and contribute to a healthier and more integrated development process.