Ariry - Madagascar

Building the future of Andavakimena in the face of cyclones

This project is vital because of the village's geographical vulnerability to devastating cyclones. The Andavakimena public school, which used to have four classrooms, now has just one. This severely limits access to education, with only 50 of the village's 150 children attending school.

The others have to walk fifteen kilometres to another school in order to study. Despite the distance, almost 90% of the village's children attend school, showing just how important education is to the villagers. The project to build a cyclone-resistant building and modern classrooms is therefore crucial to ensure equitable access to education in this vulnerable and isolated region.

Improving access and quality of education for students in Andavakimena

The expected outcomes include a reduction in the number of children needing to commute to school, an increase in the number of students attending school, better organised classes, lower drop-out and failure rates, and improved hygiene thanks to the construction of toilets close to the school. This project aims to bring about a positive change in access to education and quality of life in the community.

A sustainable construction project for the Andavakimena school

The main goal is to restore and extend the existing school into a permanent building that complies with anti-cyclone standards. This four-classroom building will be used not only for primary education, but also as a versatile space that can be used for training, community meetings or as a hurricane emergency shelter.

A qualified engineer will be recruited to ensure the robustness and quality of the building. He or she will be responsible for planning, materials management and site supervision, and for ensuring that the project meets anti-cyclone standards. For the construction, the recruitment of local labour will help to create jobs for local residents. Local materials will be used, thus strengthening links with the community and reducing costs.

To prepare for the rest of the project, the association will recruit and train local and regional teachers for the 4th and 5th grade classes, to make sure that education meets national standards.

What is the Air Liquide Foundation doing?

The Air Liquide Foundation's donation will be used to fund the materials used to restore and extend the Andavakimena public primary and secondary schools in the Brickaville district.

Rija Andriananjanirina, QHSSE Manager, Air Liquide Madagascar