Theale, UK, and Dulles, USA – October 16, 2018: Sustainable development charity SEED Madagascar has unveiled a newly-renovated primary school in Manambaro, situated in the Anosy region in the south east of Madagascar, thanks to 50% funding of the £30,000 ($40,000) project by Teneo, the Work From Anywhere IT services company.
Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest nations with 92 percent of its estimated 23 million people living below the international poverty line. Poverty contributes to high drop-out rates in schools, as many families cannot afford it. Local children will now have the opportunity to receive regular teaching with the provision of new, dedicated classroom space, giving children of primary ages a better education and a higher chance of escaping poverty.
As a charity that carries out sustainable development and conservation projects to support Madagascan communities, SEED Madagascar was planning to extend school buildings in the town of Manambaro. Teneo’s financial support, together with team members James Hall and Jim Dixon assisting with construction, has helped deliver two new classrooms and sanitary facilities.
The school no longer suffers from overcrowded conditions thanks to the five-month project. Previously only the eldest children could attend school for full days, but now 100 more children have greater likelihood of attending a complete day of lessons each year. As a result of this programme, known as Project Sekoly, more children are going on to middle school, giving them greater access to job opportunities and a better chance of living in less deprived conditions.
A small charity based in London, SEED Madagascar is providing amenities for Madagascan communities, including schools and latrines, through its local office at Fort Dauphin, also in the south east of the island.
Mark Jacobs, managing director of SEED Madagascar, says: “It’s our vision to help communities and environments across Madagascar thrive to make it a sustainable place for its people as well as conserve the island’s remarkable range of animal and bird species. It’s a gradual process, and Teneo has supported us before with projects such as helping to rebuild schools. We were delighted that Teneo wanted to continue its support for a similar community project, and we’re incredibly grateful for the financial investment and hands-on support that we received.”
James Hall, operations director of Teneo, says: “It’s humbling to spend time in Madagascar when we in the developed world take so much for granted. On this particular programme, the SEED team uses a specialist building team but there’s still no machinery, so we and the builders fabricated everything from the breeze blocks to the bricks on site and by hand. My colleague Jim Dixon and I arrived at Manambaro on day two of the project and we left a couple of weeks later, having seen the new classrooms go from foundation level to the roof line.
“It was so rewarding to be able to play a part in helping the children of the town succeed. We can’t wait to see the difference the project has made in some time to come.”
For more information on the Teneo project with SEED Madagascar, please visit https://www.teneo.net/csr/school-building-project-in-madagascar-with-seed-madagascar/
For any Teneo media enquiries, please contact Alex Brown (alex.brown@skoutpr.com) for UK, France and Australia on +44 (0)1625 869418, and Lisa Langsdorf (lisalangsdorf@gmail.com) for USA on +1 347-645-0484.
About SEED Madagascar
SEED Madagascar is an award-winning British registered charity founded in 2000. Operating in the south-east of Madagascar, we manage sustainable development and conservation projects in the town of Fort Dauphin and within rural communities across the Anosy region. Our aim is to raise global awareness of Madagascar’s unique needs and to aid local development.
With an approach based on partnerships, co-management and skill-sharing by individuals, communities and local organisations, it’s our intention that our resulting programmes lead to lasting change, alleviate poverty and support environmental conservation for some of the world’s most vulnerable people in threatened and irreplaceable environments. We can proudly state that 92% of all donations we receive go directly to support our charitable aims. Find out more at https://madagascar.co.uk/
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About Teneo
Most IT Infrastructure and Operations teams are overworked and struggle to introduce new technology. At Teneo, our Work From Anywhere IT services combine leading technology with expert guidance, so they can embrace innovation with confidence. Find us at www.teneo.net
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