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Programme Sekoly

Insufficient educational infrastructure is a symptom of Madagascar’s severe underdevelopment; there are simply not enough classrooms in Madagascar to provide education for all children. In total, 27% of students aged 6-10 and 40% of those aged 11-14 are not enrolled in school. Furthermore, 58% of youth aged 15-24 in Madagascar have not completed their primary education, with 15% having no formal education at all1. These low attendance rates along with falling investment in school infrastructure mean that Madagascar’s education system is facing a crisis. Yet, with the population growing at a rate of 2.6% a year2, education is vital for unlocking a prosperous future for the most vulnerable children.

School attendance is further prevented by the prevalence of illnesses stemming from poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions. Diarrheal diseases are estimated to kill 6,900 Malagasy children annually3, though in some instances this figure can be almost double4. Whilst school WASH services have been proven to improve education5, the insufficient, or even non-existent, WASH infrastructure in Madagascar’s schools contributes to disease transmission and deteriorating learning outcomes6. For female students in particular, the lack of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) facilities and latrine privacy prevents the safe and dignified management of menstruation at school.

These challenges are amplified in Madagascar’s southeast Anosy region, an isolated and impoverished region where half of 6-10-year olds have never attended school7. The girl-to-boy attendance ratio of 0.77 is one of the lowest in the country, with fewer girls moving on to secondary school education8. With a staggering 97% of Anosy’s population lacking access to basic sanitation9, both at home and in school, children’s right to high-quality education is greatly compromised. 

Through the Sekoly Programme, SEED Madagascar tackles this shortfall by building new schools, repairing existing buildings, providing furniture and WASH facilities – including latrines, clean water sources, and menstrual hygiene/health management amenities – and supporting teachers to deliver WASH education. SEED also delivers MHM education sessions and reusable pad-making workshops with students in order to address challenges around female absenteeism in education. To ensure that our projects have a lasting impact on education and health in Madagascar, SEED trains teachers to deliver five key lessons on good WASH practice to students and establishes local committees responsible for managing and maintaining new infrastructure. 

To address the impact of low teacher retention rates and pupil absenteeism on the quality and quantity of the education that children receive, SEED supports teacher livelihoods through the provision of housing facilities, and fosters parental engagement with schools and their children’s education. SEED seeks to engage communities as far as possible in school-build projects through extensive consultations with local groups during project planning and by employing locally-based casual construction staff, with whom SEED is working to develop a formalised training structure that will accredit the skills learned on site by workers. In addition, in school sites where Sekoly Maintso has developed community managed tree plantations, SEED will provide fruit and moringa trees which will serve as a source of nutrition to the school and local community.

Madagascar has the world’s fifth highest number of out-of-school children

UNICEF, 2018
SDG 4: Quality Education
Sustainable Development Goals Find out how Sekoly contributes to SDG 4 and others
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Excited children during a lesson in a classroom built by SEED Madagascar

Recent Sekoly projects

To date, we've worked on more than 30 different building and repair projects at various school sites, with over 10,000 direct beneficiaries.

Beraketa EPP (Completed 2023)

  • Construction of one school building with three fully furnished classrooms.
  • Construction of on-site teacher accommodation.
  • Installation of a groundwater well.
  • Provision of a 1,000-litre water storage tank.
  • Construction of four latrines, complete with handwashing stations and a menstrual hygiene management facility.
  • Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges.’
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers and students.
  • Establishment and training of a WASH infrastructure management and maintenance committee.

Final Report (December 2023)

Sarisambo EPP and CEG (Completed 2023)

  • Repaired and furnished an existing school building.
  • Construction of one two classroom school building and one three classroom school building, both fully furnished.
  • Construction of on-site teacher accommodation.
  • Provision of two 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting systems, one for each school.
  • Construction of 10 latrines complete with handwashing stations and two menstrual hygiene management facilities, and repairs to five existing latrines.
  • Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges.’
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers and students.
  • Establishment and training of a WASH infrastructure management and maintenance committee.

Final Report (January 2024)

Sainte Luce EPP (Completed 2022)

  • Reparation and furnishment of two two-classroom school buildings.
  • Construction of six latrines and reparation of two existing latrines, complete with handwashing stations and a menstrual health/hygiene management facility.
  • Provision of a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting system.
  • Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges.’
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers and students.
  • Establishment and training of a WASH infrastructure management and maintenance committee.

Final report (January 2023)

Esohihy EPP (Completed 2022)

  • Construction of one school building with three fully furnished classrooms.
  • Construction of on-site teacher accommodation.
  • Provision of a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting system.
  • Construction of six latrines, complete with handwashing stations and a menstrual health/hygiene management facility.
  • Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges.’
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers and students.
  • Establishment and training of a WASH infrastructure management and maintenance committee.

Esohihy EPP (Completed 2022)

WASH in Schools: Vatambe EPP & Mahatalaky CEG (Completed 2021)

  • Construction of a two-classroom and repairs made to a one-classroom school building, both fully-furnished 
  • Construction and reparation of thirteen latrines, complete with four handwashing stations and two menstrual hygiene management facilities.
  • Provision of two 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting systems.
  • Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges’.
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers. Establishment and training of WASH infrastructure management committees.

Final report (July 2021)

Tsagnoriha EPP (Completed 2021)

  • Construction of a two-classroom school building and repairs made to one existing classroom, both fully-furnished.
  • Construction of a four-cubicle latrine block, complete with two handwashing stations and one menstrual hygiene management facility.
  • Construction of a three-room teachers' accommodation.
  • Provision of a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting system. 
  • Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges’.
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers. Establishment and training of WASH infrastructure management committee.

Final report (October 2021)

Emagnevy EPP & Mandiso CEG (Completed 2022)

  • Construction of a two-classroom school building, a three-classroom school building, and repairs made to an existing school building, all fully furnished.
  • ​​​Construction of seven latrines and reparation of one existing latrine, complete with two handwashing stations and menstrual hygiene management facilities at each school. 
  • Construction of a three-room and a two-room teachers’ house. Provision of a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting system at each school. Installation of WASH murals and behavioural ‘nudges’. 
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers. Establishment and training of WASH infrastructure management committees. 

Final report (1) (October 2022
Final report(2) (October 2022)

Mananara II EPP (Completed 2020)

  • Construction of a three-classroom school building, fully-furnished.
  • Construction of two three-cubicle latrine blocks, complete with menstrual hygiene management facilities.
  • Provision of a rainwater harvesting system.
  • WASH nudges.
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers.
  • Establishment and training of WASH infrastructure management committee.

Final Report (November 2020)

Ranomafana Lycée (Completed 2020)

  • Construction of a three-classroom school building, fully-furnished.
  • Construction of an administrative office for the Head Teacher.
  • Construction of two three-cubicle latrine blocks, complete with menstrual hygiene management facilities.
  • Provision of a water pipe with three taps, providing access to running water.
  • WASH nudges.
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers.
  • Establishment and training of WASH infrastructure management committee.

Final report (July 2020)

Andramanaka EPP (Completed 2019)

  • Construction of a three-classroom school building, fully-furnished.
  • Construction of a latrine block, complete with menstrual hygiene management facilities.
  • Provision of a rainwater harvesting system.
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers.

Final report (December 2019)

Lanirano EPP (Completed 2019)

  • Construction of a two-classroom school building, fully furnished.
  • Construction of a three-cubicle latrine block.
  • WASH education training delivered to teachers.
  • Interactive WASH triggering and sensitisation session held for parents and teachers.
  • WASH nudges pilot.

Final report (January 2019)

Manambaro EPP (Completed 2018)

  • Construction of a two-classroom school building, fully furnished.
  • Construction of a three-cubicle latrine block. WASH education training delivered to teachers.

Final report (January 2019)

Upcoming Sekoly projects

  • Beandry EPP
  • Esinda EPP
  • Mahatalaky Lycée
  • Antahovary EPP
  • Amboavola EPP

Donors

The Aeonian Foundation; Association Diritto al Futuro; Australian Aid; Axian Foundation; Bobasch-Joel Foundation; Bower Trust; Cumber Family Charitable Trust; Flamingo Foundation; Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa; Fresh Leaf Charitable Foundation; George Family; German Embassy in Madagascar; Hazel’s Footprints Trust; JP Morgan; Kulczyk Foundation; Leopardess Foundation; Lifeplus Foundation; Nando Peretti Foundation; Noble Caledonia; Paul Schatteles; RanTek; Reid Burns Foundation; Renzo Piano Building Workshop; Richard Daly and the Panther Ltd Group; Roger Vere Foundation; Silverado; Southall Trust; States of Guernsey Overseas Aid & Development Commission; Supreme Master Ching Hai Intl. Association; Teneo Ltd; Trade Aid UK; True Volunteer Foundation (formerly Lifecycle); and many others.

Green Schools

Find out about our first carbon-neutral school build at Emagnevy EPP
Want to know more?

Read our blog on the cross-section between climate and education.
What are WASH nudges?

Read our blog about the inclusion of WASH 'nudges' at recent schools we've built
Contact us

Interested in becoming the next Project Sekoly donor?

Citations

  1. World Bank, (2018). National education profile 2018 update. https://www.epdc.org/sites/default/files/documents/EPDC_NEP_2018_Madagascar.pdf

  2. World Bank, (2021). Population growth (annual %) – Madagascar. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=MG

  3. UNICEF & Government of Madagascar: Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, (2016). Investing in water, sanitation and hygiene in Madagascar: The business case. [online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/esa/sites/unicef.org.esa/files/2019-04/Investment-Case-for-WASH-in-Madagascar-Summary-%282016%29.pdf 

  4. Our World in Data, (2019). More than half a million children die from diarrhea each year. How do we prevent this? Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/childhood-diarrheal-diseases 

  5. UNICEF & WHO, (2018). Drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: Global baseline report 2018. [online] Available at: https://data.unicef.org/resources/wash-in-schools/

  6. UNICEF & WHO, (2015). 25 years progress on sanitation and drinking water: 2015 update and MDG assessment. [online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/media/50806/file/Progress_on_Sanitation_and_Drinking_Water_2015_Update-ENG.pdf

  7. World Bank, (2018). The Deep South. Available at: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/587761530803052116/The-Deep-South 

  8. Ibid​​​​​​

  9. INSTAT & UNICEF, (2018). Multiple indicator cluster survey, Madagascar 2018: Eau de boisson, assainissement et hygiène. [online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/madagascar/media/2381/file/MICS6-Madagascar-2018-WASH.pdf