Ankililoaka is a city in southern Madagascar, a rural outpost mainly made up of farmers and breeders. The different ethnic groups – Masikoro, Vezo, Atandroy, Antanosy, Betsileo and Merina – live together in an area afflicted by long periods of severe drought that in recent years have seriously endangered the survival of the inhabitants: harvests, in fact, have decreased, poverty has increased and this has caused serious difficulties in the social life of families, which are increasingly poor. As a result, the development conditions of the youngest have also worsened, already in great difficulty due to the low level of general education and the high school dropout rate.
The Salesians of Don Bosco have been in Ankililoaka since 1982, and since the early years they have been involved in the construction of new schools and churches, as well as a youth centre dedicated to the most disadvantaged.
One of the most valuable works established by the Salesian community is the Victoire Rasoamanarivo high school, an educational institution which understands the local context and the difficulties it brings with it. In addition to guaranteeing a quality education, it is also committed to leaving no student behind: it offers tools and support to overcome learning difficulties and opens up new possibilities for growth and job opportunity. That is why the Salesians have decided to start a project to support the teaching of French and English for students with greater difficulties in these subjects. The goal of the project is to improve the language level of students and provide them with the fundamental skills in Malagasy society for future employment.
The project is aimed at 60 students between the ages of 11 and 17 and provides for the care of several aspects: the recruitment of qualified teachers, who must also have experience in teaching students with language difficulties and who will be selected for their pedagogical skills; support classes – 4 hours a week for 10 weeks – in small groups, to personalize learning and promote written and oral communication skills; the provision of appropriate teaching materials, with textbooks and exercises, but also audio and video tracks to promote well-rounded language skills; and of course also constant monitoring and final evaluation, through regular tests and educational accompaniment procedures to measure the effectiveness of the program.
Thanks to the support of many small benefactors, the Salesians hope to give the less fortunate young people of Ankililoaka the chance to build a more promising tomorrow.
For more information, visit: www.missionidonbosco.org
