School bench building in Madagascar

SEED Madagascar is thrilled to announce the launch of Project Sekoly: Fanaka Phase II in early 2025! Building on the success of Phase I, where desk-benches transformed learning spaces in Fort Dauphin, we’re now expanding this impact to rural areas of Anosy.

During Phase II, 1,307 desk-benches will be delivered to 17 rural schools, providing over 5,400 students with the essential classroom furniture they need to learn comfortably. These benches are more than just furniture—they’re tools for better education, concentration, and a brighter future. 

Your contributions to SEED’s Christmas Appeal are making this possible. We have already raised an inspiring 83.4% of our £80,000 target! 

To offset carbon emissions from Phase I and the recent mini project, we’re planting 166 trees in the upcoming rainy season. These trees not only help our planet but also reinforce our commitment to community-driven, responsible development.

In the lead-up to Phase II, we’ve already seen tangible success! From August to October 2024, the Fanaka mini-project delivered 100 desk-benches to two rural schools in Anosy, improving the learning environment for 873 students. Seeing their joy and enthusiasm reminds us of the power of collective action—and we are excited to move forward with this phase in the new year.

We are grateful for your continued support in our efforts to ensure that every child has a place to learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you for believing in these students, their potential, and the transformative power of education. Together we are making a lasting impact. Let’s keep building a brighter future, one bench at a time!

SEED views education as a pillar to social development and has 20 years of experience in responding to educational infrastructure needs through the Sekoly Programme. While the Sekoly Programme focuses on larger infrastructure such as buildings, Project Fanaka aims to improve education in Madagascar’s Anosy region by repairing and building classroom furniture. The project has been divided into two segments: one targeting schools in the town of Fort Dauphin, and the other focusing on schools in the rural areas of Anosy. SEED first concentrated its efforts on the 15 schools in Fort Dauphin and has since completed the construction of 510 benches and repair work in May. 

At the time of the bench completion, Fort Dauphin held its annual Journée des Écoles, a celebration where local schools parade through town to celebrate both academic achievements and inter-school sports competitions winners. This year, SEED was recognised specifically for the impact of Project Fanaka. At the celebration, SEED representatives presented 20 benches to the community to showcase the project. One of SEED’s Deputy Directors received a certificate on behalf of SEED and presented awards to the children for sporting achievements. Almost all of the project’s 15 target schools were present.

During the celebration, SEED delivered all the benches to the 15 schools in Fort Dauphin. Of those 220 desk-benches went to Pôle Upper Secondary School and Tanambao Lower Secondary School. Once officially handed over, each school became responsible for maintaining their newly provisioned student desk-benches. The benches were made with high quality, sanded wood, secured using durable nails, seams sealed with wood glue, and protected with varnish. Benches were specifically designed to last long-term with minimal maintenance costs which is atypical of most furniture available for purchase in town. 

SEED has planned Phase II of Project Fanaka, which will improve the learning environment of 17 isolated schools across rural Anosy by constructing 1,307 new desk-benches. 

Thank you for your support on this impactful programme.