Madagascar: Going to great lengths to build classrooms in remote areas

This story was written in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education of Madagascar and the World Bank.

Sunlight streams in through the windows of the Ecole Publique Primaire de Fiadanana in a remote town in eastern Madagascar, 370 kilometers from the capital city of Antananarivo. Before the school day begins, a group of children peak inside a classroom to admire the tables, benches and blackboards, while others play outside. There are many smiles, and it’s not hard to understand why.

Prior to the new school, students were studying in unsafe, makeshift classrooms or outside under trees, making learning almost impossible during the rainy season. Some children never enroll in school or dropout due to the inadequate conditions.

Insufficient school infrastructure is a big challenge in Madagascar, especially in hard-to-reach areas where construction projects are an immense undertaking. The Ministry of National Education estimates that 83,000 new classrooms are needed to accommodate all students.

A GPE grant of US$66.4 million, administered by the World Bank, and an International Development Association credit of US$55 million, have helped Madagascar construct 800 classrooms in remote areas with insufficient school infrastructure, benefiting 400 communities. To improve the school environment, 40,000 school desks with benches, 400 water points and 400 latrines have also been financed.

Classroom construction is one of several grant activities designed to increase access to education and improve retention and completion rates in primary education. Only about 30% of students starting grade 1 persist until the end of primary school (grade 5).

In Madagascar, the majority of children live in rural areas. Many of the new classrooms reduce the distance students must travel to get to school, which makes it easier for them to attend. The classrooms also help improve teaching and learning time by limiting climate-related interruptions.

Additionally, as of 2021, only 50% of all schools had drinking water and 8% had a functional toilet. The construction of new water points and latrines are critical to boosting access and retention, especially for girls.

Building the classrooms: A community effort

While building was done by local construction companies, the new classrooms would not have been possible without the help of community members.

The Ministry of National Education delegated significant project responsibility to the FEFFI – Farimbon’Ezaka ho an’ny Fampandrosoana ny Fanabeazana Ifotony – a participatory school management committee made up of parents and others representing the wider school community.

The FEFFI was involved from the planning stage of classroom construction. Over 5,000 FEFFI members received training in grassroots project administration to manage finances, procure and manage contracts for work and technical supervision, monitor progress, and organize community members for human hauling of construction materials.

Transporting construction materials

The district of Antanambao Manampotsy is home to 20 locations where classrooms were built, three of which are featured in this story: Ambalanirana, Ambatsy and Fiadanana.

The nearest easily accessible town is Fokotoany Ilaka Est. Certain construction materials were available locally, while others had to be transported from Antananarivo or the coastal city of Toamasina, over 200 kilometers away.

A pickup truck was loaded with all the materials needed to build at the three locations, and a team of three men made the delivery to Antanambao Manampotsy.

Even driving with great caution, they got stuck in mud and had to make repairs when the vehicle broke down.

But that part of the journey was easy compared to what came next. On arriving in the main town of the Antanambao Manampotsy district, the materials needed to be transported further on foot to three construction sites, one of which is 90 kilometers away.

A long and arduous journey

FEFFI members made their way from near and far to the materials delivery site and attended a logistics meeting led by the FEFFI president.

The head of construction then distributed all materials to the FEFFI members. Some items were too heavy for individuals to carry – such as bags of dry cement, which were separated into lighter loads.

With the materials loaded onto their backs, the FEFFI members began their long journeys to the construction sites. Rough paths traversed on foot, uphill, downhill, crossing makeshift bridges, walking knee-deep through water… the conditions are difficult to imagine.

The construction companies were required by the Ministry of National Education to create contracts with the participating FEFFI members to compensate them for their work.

Remuneration was calculated based on the weight of the material carried, the distance walked and the time needed to make the journey.

Participating in classroom construction is important for the parents; they are collaborating for the future of their children.