Repair a Madagascar School to Educate 281 Children

Update

Azafady’s search for funding for the four dilapidated and dangerous classrooms at Mahatalaky primary school has been progressing well. In fact, thanks to an incredibly generous £10,000 anonymous donation, we now have enough money to complete the first module of the project; renovating the first damaged and dangerous school building. This is fantastic news for the 120 children who will be able to study in two safe and dry classrooms when the next school year starts in October, improving their chances of staying in school and getting the skills that will enable them to reach their full potential.

On top of this exciting news, the persistence of the highly motivated parents association has paid off. A rare grant of approximately £180 was awarded to the school, enabling it to temporarily fix the collapsed roof. The repair work has been carried out, bringing the previously unused classroom back to life. The newly resurrected classroom is now being used by the children full-time.

Despite this fantastic progress, the grant did not come close to covering all the repair work that needs to be done on the first school building. The work on the roof is both insufficient and temporary. The walls remain cracked, the foundations are still crumbling, and the roof continues to leak, damaging classroom furniture. Worst of all, visits from Azafady’s expert construction team have revealed that the roof does not only leak but it is structurally unsound, putting students studying in the classroom in danger.

Azafady has therefore adapted its renovation plans to ensure that the work of the dedicated parents association is not lost. When the construction team starts work in June, they will dismantle the roofing structure and rebuild it in stronger and safer than before, preserving as much of the materials as possible. The plan for the completely unusable second school building remains the same, so long as the funding can be found.

 Case Studies

Christian

Christian started teaching in 2003 and became Mahatalaky’s Vice Headmaster four years ago. Teaching children in the 5^th year, he enjoys sharing his experiences and passing on his knowledge. Christian finds his job particularly rewarding because he feels education improves lives in a permanent way. He likens education to an inheritance; it can be both kept and shared.

Christian is hopeful that Azafady can repair the four remaining dilapidated classrooms in Mahatalaky. He is especially excited by the prospect of providing children from the area with the opportunity to study full-time and increasing the school’s reputation in neighbouring hamlets.

Brillant

Brillant is a 15 year old boy in his last year of primary school, and by all accounts is a brilliant young mathematician. Brilliant puts a high value on education, saying that without it he would worry about getting a job. When he finishes school he wants to be a teacher and help other people get the education they deserve.