EQUITE -
EDUCATION
DE QUALITÉ POUR
L'INCLUSION
ET L'ÉGALITE

GENERAL INFORMATION:
- minors and vulnerable families: 4,853 minors from 3,273 families
- socio-educational centres: 21 schools with 392 operators.


PROJECT BACKGROUND
The intervention stems from the experience gained with the project “Together for vulnerable minors of Antananarivo”, launched in 2016 with the support of Fondation Assistance International (FAI). The activities carried out to prevent and address the problem of early dropout were aimed at improving the quality of education and life of children and young people on the margins of society. Namely, the project sought to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of 26 private schools with a social vocation, recognised by the state.
Over time, the partner schools have urged RTM to relaunch the existing intervention to consolidate the important results achieved and to seek answers to those socio-educational needs that have emerged along the way. Thus was born the project “EQUITE – Education de QUalité pour l’Inclusion et l’égaliTE”, which RTM successfully presented to the EU Delegation in Madagascar.
EQUITE continues to support the education of minors as this issue remains a social emergency in the country.
Context
Malagasy families live in very precarious conditions: it is estimated that 70% of the population lives below the poverty line and that more than 92% lives on less than $2 a day. Most people do not have a stable job and any extraordinary event, even just an illness, risks being economically unsustainable for the delicate family balance. The situation is even more difficult for single-parent families, i.e. those where there is only one adult in the house, who is almost always a woman. In this context, school dropout and child labour are increasing concerns, especially with regard to girls.
Given the scarce possibilities of support from social services to families, schools operate as socio-educational centres and play a crucial role for these children.
For these reasons the project addresses three main issues:
- the limited resources of socio-educational centres;
- the growing socio-economic vulnerability of families;
- the weakness and lack of coordination of public social services.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
- minors and vulnerable families: 4,853 minors from 3,273 families
- socio-educational centres: 21 schools with 392 operators.


GOAL
The project aimed to improve the living conditions of struggling families with school-age children. To this end, EQUITE ensured access to quality school, supported social inclusion and gender equality, fostered the resilience of families.
In concrete terms, EQUITE has strengthened the capacities of the socio-educational centres involved, improved the quality of their educational services, empowered parents with respect to the education of their children and the community to which they belong, supported women heads of the household, and strengthens collaboration between public and private actors for the fight against poverty.
ACTIVITIES
The main activities are divided into three groups based on the critical issues to be solved.
1. Identification and improvement of the conditions of the most vulnerable families by 21 socio-educational centres.
Training, support, and technical support for centres and staff. Definition of criteria and drafting of operating manuals for the identification of critical or potential cases. Strengthening of the “Parents’ school” and creation of school gardens by parents to improve the nutritional intake provided to children by the centres.
2. Ensure access to education and basic healthcare for children in situations of vulnerability.
- School inclusion
Small works to overcome architectural barriers, supply of educational tools suitable for different types of disabilities, and specific training for teachers. - Financial support
Distribution of school kits to children, subsidies for school fees, and medical visits for the most struggling families. - Schooling of girls
Communication campaigns through radio spots in order to avoid their increasingly frequent school dropout.
3. Adoption of resilience practices by families.
Creation of a listening centre within schools and support for struggling families; training and financial support for parents to carry out income-generating activities; creation of after-school activities for children in each centre.
PARTNERS
- Institut Supérieur de Travail Social (ISTS)
- Association National Commerce Equitable et Solidaire à Madagascar (ANCESM)
- Office de l’Education de Masse et de Civisme (OEMC)
- Office Régionale de la Nutrition (ORN)
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
