360 days of access to improved schools and learning opportunities in Madagascar

Impact Level

Project managed by: Money for Madagascar

Country: Madagascar

Project Description

In Madagascar, children dream of an education but for most the obstacles are too great. Remote rural schools lack everything from classrooms, water and toilets to trained teachers. The children also are often too hungry or sick to study and parents can barely afford the fees. Improve the lives of these forgotten children through: new classrooms, clean water and toilets, books, teacher training, environmental education, health, sanitation and nutrition training, kitchen gardens, school canteens, and even income generating opportunities for parents.

More About This Project

30 years of working with grass-roots organisations has convinced MFM that access to a decent education is vital if Madagascar is to make the journey from poverty to prosperity. Decades of under-investment exacerbated by recent political instability have left the nation unable to provide even basic education. With households becoming poorer (80% of the population live on less than $1/day) and spending an increasing proportion of their income on food, enrolment has significantly decreased, falling as low as 55% in some areas. Of every 100 who start primary school only 33 make it to secondary school.
Research shows that even with infrastructure in place, five major obstacles are blocking Malagasy students from succeeding at school:

• Absence from school due to illness;
• Inability to pay school fees;
• Poor teaching from under-skilled and under-motivated teachers
• Lack of teaching materials and resources;
• Hunger and consequent inability to concentrate or learn.