Help us Build Manambaro Lycee

News from  Manambaro Lycée: First building nearing completion and the second 1.5m  high!

Progress at Manambaro Lycée keeps going from strength to strength. The first school building is within touching distance of completion. Thanks to the tireless work of the Construction Team - led by Lomba - we are delighted to tell you that once the doors and windows are in and the roof is painted it will be finished!

Coming from Manambaro village, Lomba is particularly excited about the progress. As a child, he had to be sent to live in the regional capital away from his family in order to get the high school education that is so natural for all of us in the West. Most of the 400-500 children  turned away from the school every year aren’t as lucky as Lomba was, so he is particularly proud to be making such a great difference for his own community.

More brilliant news is that enough funding has been secured from Australian Aid to start building the second and third school buildings and construct another latrine block. Amazingly, the Construction Team and international volunteers have rolled up their sleeves and started the second building while finishing off the first building too. The second building is over a metre and half high and keeps growing gradually under the watchful eye of Serge – Head of Quality Control. Despite the good news, there is still a long way to go to make sure the buildings and latrines are fully funded so donations are needed as much as ever.

The finishing touches have also been put on the 21-metre deep well and the latrine block. The local community have added a sturdy gate to the well’s fence to deter any wandering zebu (local species of cow). The latrine doors have been painted and provided with locks and essential cleaning equipment.

Thanks must go to our international volunteers, Kathryn, George, Callum, Jack and Matteo, who have travelled from the France, the UK, Australia and Chile to put their hard work into the project. They are following in the footsteps of previous pioneers like Bethany George, who having laboured on the well and latrine, raised over £10,000 for the project upon returning to the UK. Not only have our volunteers been working like dogs in the dry heat of Manambaro - mixing cement, carrying bricks, sawing timber - they’ve also been teaching English in their time off, helping students to pass the test at the end of the year. Kathryn has been using her impressive organisational and language skills to ensure these lessons have run smoothly.

It’s important to remember that this project is not just about building a school. It is about providing the infrastructure and training necessary for hundreds of young people to reach their full potential and ultimately help break the poverty cycle. SEED Madagascar takes a holistic approach to projects, understanding that complimentary activities are needed to have a sustainable impact for future generations. With 3.5 million school days lost in Madagascar every year to diarrheal disease, building a latrine is just the start.

Leah, our highly experienced and always smiley Community Health Agent, has therefore continued to visit the school, delivering engaging and stimulating sessions that encourage students to maintain the latrines and use them effectively. Leah has made a big impact at the Lycée. Off the back of her lessons, the students have created their own latrine maintenance committee, taking on responsibility for cleaning the latrines and keeping them secure. Inspired by Leah, they have also used their initiative to create an ingenious low-cost  hand washing system, known as `tippy taps` that also save water.

This holistic project is ultimately about poverty alleviation; providing people with the vital infrastructure and training they need to help themselves. We’re immensely proud of the hard work of all our staff and volunteers so far, but they couldn’t do any of this work without the generous donations of people like you on Global Giving.