MAG/09/046 - Improving education for children in Akamasoa

Country Madagascar
Total project budget ($USD) $8,000
Requested funding ($USD) $8,000
Project development type Education and Training
Name of Requesting Association Associazione Amici di Padre Pedro Onlus
Objective: The objective of this project is to provide children and teachers with the school supplies and material required to fully support education in Akamasoa.
Background: In Madagascar, approximately 75% of people live below the poverty line. The economic situation is still extremely low, insecurity, trafficking, prostitution, begging, alcoholism are increasing significantly. Akamasoa is a humanitarian association founded by Father Pedro OPEKA. He arrived in Antananarivo in May 1989 and saw the landfill in Antananarivo with people living among the garbage trying to survive by eating whatever they could find, and collecting all sorts of things to sell. He could not leave parents and children in this state of poverty. He wanted to help them and change their living conditions giving them a new roof, work, care and education. Since 1989, Akamasoa has assembled a team of volunteers to listen and find a solution to the human misery of the newcomers. The Visitors’ Center has received 8532 families, 28,330 persons during the year 2008. 74 families, 330 people were housed permanently in Akamasoa villages. The objective of Akamasoa is to give dignity and hope to poor and homeless people, who have been deprived of everything, by helping them to become the protagonists of their recovery. For this reason, the families sheltered in the villages of the association have to commit themselves to daily work and send their children to school. In exchange, Akamasoa provides them services which will help them to integrate into society. One of the activities of Akamasoa is therefore compulsory schooling for children and teenagers from primary through high school. The schools and higher education institutes of Akamasoa are recognized by the State of Madagascar. The school cafeterias, which are open all year round, provide a meal for all school children who go to the school. However, most families cannot afford to pay for their children’s school supplies (textbooks, educational supplies, admissions fees, etc.) and Akamasoa does not have enough funds to pay for all the material needed for teachers. FAO Staff members who are referees and can vouch for this project: Anne Aubert and Tina Farmer More information about Akamasoa can be found at: http://www.amicipadrepedro.org/
Use of Funds: The funds will be used to purchase school supplies to provide education for 9000 children from 6 to 18 years old. The outputs of the project will be to cover the costs of the following items: • notebooks, pens and pencils for children from the poorest families (in particular single-mother households with many children); • school books for each level (primary, middle, secondary) for French, English, science, mathematics, physics, Malagasy; • test and exam booklets for each level (primary, middle, secondary); • school supplies for teachers: reams of paper, register, report cards, correspondence pads, chalk and erasers for blackboards, etc.; • a multifunctional photocopier to help teachers prepare lessons and share material with children.
Beneficiaries: 9000