Improving children's health and education

The work to improve child education and healthcare in southern Madagascar continues apace, with several new construction projects announced as others near completion.

The construction of Esinda Primary School is nearly finished: the three-classroom building has been erected, along with two latrine blocks, menstrual hygiene management facilities, and teacher accommodation. The construction and installation of the roof for the school should be finished this summer. Training sessions provided to teachers and parents for best practices in sanitation and hygiene had begun earlier this year.

Beandry School is similarly nearing completion and is awaiting the installation of its roof. As well as hygiene facilities, the Beandry site has also benefited from a thorough cleaning of its groundwater well and the pump mechanisms replaced. Menstrual hygiene management information sessions have started in nearby Mahatalaky village, with 37 students participating in the first two of three reusable pad-making sessions.

With Beandry and Esinda Schools on track to be finished as planned this summer, the Programme Sekoly team were delighted to confirm that funding was now in place for the construction of six new classrooms across the Fort Dauphin region. The sites have been selected, and planning has already begun with construction at the first sites scheduled to begin in October. More news on these projects will follow in the next update.

All school construction projects delivered by SEED are designed to improve both long-term education and health. A project is never just a classroom: gender-segregated hygiene facilities, accessible clean drinking water stations, and teacher accommodation if needed – along with the provision of all the necessary training to make the best use of these resources – are included in project plans. 

A huge thank you from all of the SEED team goes out to our generous donors and partners. Your support has been invaluable in making all of this happen.