Environmental education for school children, Madagascar

Who's involved:
Project leader: Ari Ramilimanitra

Main partner: Mpanazava eto Madagasikara

Other organisations:
- SAMPATI
- FJKM Ambohitrandriamanjaka
- EPP

- ONE, PNUD, WWF, CCEE, Tany Meva, projet BMC

Timeframe:
February - October 2007

Theme:
My Island Home

Background:
The youth lack awareness and responsibility towards their environment

Objectives:
Change school childrens' attitudes vis-à-vis the environment and instil a sense of responsibility for protecting the environment  by involving them in beautifying the school landscape and increasing their awareness of the ecological value of their surroundings

Activities:
- Plan and organise games and drawing competitions based on the environment;

- Initiate a film session to sensitize the participants on the environmental issues they face. Distribute educational documents and discuss and debate the issues;

- Run a 'Beautiful gardens' competition on the school grounds and a clean-up of the class-rooms and school;

- Organise an educational visit to the zoo and Tsimbazaza botanical gardens;

Progress Reports:
13 September 2007
"In total there were 110 school children for the cleanup and in addition, their parents and the mpanazava (girls' scout) gave us a hand.

To begin, the parents cut the branches which were overhanging the fence of the school.

The children were given the necessary material for the cleanup such as brooms, rags and other items. They cleaned the tables, benches, swept the classrooms and waxed the floors. The mpanazava helped supervise the cleanup of each classroom with the teachers.

Before starting the drawing competition, we first refreshed the minds of the pupils by organizing a film session and environmental activities. Each pupil thought up their ideas on the basis of what they saw and/or heard during these activities. The school children were very enthusiastic about drawing and we, Mpanazava, were equally pleased because through the drawings, we saw that the children had been very attentive during the film and that the messages we had tried to transmit were absorbed. In fact, their drawings reflected this."

"Being school children and liking to play games, we ran them with an aim of getting the best out of the children. They were more attentive during the games and we received a better response from them."

- Ari Ramilimanitra

Downloads:
Project Proposal
Workplan

For more information contact:
Ari Ramilimanitra:ariramili@yahoo.fr
Helinoro Rakotomalala (project supervisor): mpanazava_mdg@yahoo.fr