The Saint Francisco Marto secondary school in Ambinanindrano
The school has been supported by Esperanza since 2006. The site is difficult to access (5 to 6 hours by motorbike from the end of the track towards Imady), but accessible in real time via the internet and the links established with the local leaders (notably via WhatsApp).
In 2015 Esperanza rebuilt the precarious canteen devastated by a cyclone to cyclone-proof standards. In 2016 the association built the dispensary, houses for the long-suffering patients, and a house for the medical staff.
Initially taken over by the Madagascan congregation of the sisters of Notre-Dame de Fatima, the whole site has been entrusted since February 2021 to a young priest from the diocese of Ambositra, Father Seraphin, assisted by two seminarians.
The school currently has 389 pupils and the school canteen feeds 274 of them. A school library has been installed. In 2021, the IGA (income-generating activities) programme was deployed, enabling families to pay for their children’s school fees independently.
Working together to go further
From the very first year of cooperation with Esperanza, Father Seraphin has demonstrated exemplary commitment and great efficiency, notably with an exceptional success rate in exams (82% in the Brevet) and a 100% reimbursement rate for the IGA. He was also able to quickly surround himself with lay people who took on various responsibilities.
The mission carried out in January 2022 by Esperanza’s office on site confirmed all the exchanges before the visit.
The support of Quebracho will allow for an additional 100 students to be accommodated in the school canteen, which will hire a third cook for this purpose. It is planned that, as is the case today, the teachers and cooks will also benefit from the meals.