AKIBA

Which factors make the way to school difficult?

The way to school is difficult for the children due to the remoteness of the villages on the Nosy Komba’s mountain. There are no roads, only trails followed by foot. AKIBA is one hour walking from the coast and twenty minutes from the top of the mountain.

Where do your funds to run the school come from?

Subventions come from: donation, membership, AKIBA’s Farm’s products, tourism (with the lodge and the table d’hôte), and volunteers’ financial participation.

Do you benefit from any external help (volunteering, pedagogic materials)?

Each year we receive volunteers mostly from France and Belgium for 2 weeks to 1 year. We are able to receive 5 volunteers at the time. Among those volunteers, teachers bring European’s pedagogies inspirations. School materials, educational materials, and board games are send either by post or brought by people in suitcases.

How do you hire teachers?

Most of the time we create a post on social medias to touch maximum of people. Also we hire through word of mouth. When selecting teachers, we make sure that they have teaching skills but also they should be comfortable living in nature. 

Which curriculum do you follow?

We follow a mix of the French’s and the Malagasy’s curriculum.

What are the skills acquired by children when leaving AKIBA?

The three classes should cover three levels that correspond to the primary and secondary school. The children are from 3 to 10 years old. At the end of the curriculum they should be able, to write and read in French and Sakalava (the local language). They have skills in English, and know how to count (multiplication, addition, subtraction), but also they love to learn about cooking, and tinkering. Sport is part of their education, this help them to explore their bodies. Living in the middle of nature and having knowledge about it allows them to understand well their environment and its preservation.

You say that 45 children will be impact by th project, but there will be only 15 news students in this classroom. In what way the 30 others will be impacted?

The welcoming of the 15 new primary children and of their new teacher will allow the student already scolarised to follow their curriculum and to pass to the next level. The present teachers will keep their current students.