We are working to renovate four dilapidated and dangerous classrooms at a remote primary school in rural Madagascar, creating clean, safe conditions for 281 children to learn in.
In the remote Anosy region in south-east Madagascar, over a third of children never complete primary school. Hit hard by 2009's political crisis, where national investment in education plummeted by almost 90%, Anosy is one of the poorest areas in the country. At this school in Mahatalaky, a rural farming community, 281 children must study in overcrowded, dangerous classrooms. A lack of space means only half can learn at any one time, robbing them of the chance for education every child deserves.
We plan to renovate four classrooms at the school, using our highly experienced, local construction team. We will strengthen the crumbling foundations and walls, replace the rusting roofs, and build 30 benches for each classroom plus a desk and chair for the teacher and a stationery cupboard.
Making these classrooms usable again means children will be able to study for a full day each, giving them the chance to continue their education to the secondary level and beyond. An investment in education won't just benefit these children in the short term - it will give the whole community the skills and resources they need to escape the chronic poverty they live in now.
