“…The night is darkest just before the dawn…”

Dear “Aina Madagascar” friends,

…Without a doubt, we are now the result from years of hardworking, efforts, made together with the brave children of Beravina, villagers, the AINA MADAGASCAR team, the AINA MADAGASCAR travelers, the AINA MADAGASCAR friends all around the world, and our generous donors. All of us, we have made the school year 2012-2013 a success…

Madagascar actually

A political crisis has started in Madagascar since 2009. As a consequence, bad effects have occurred to the Malagasy population. The economy has suffered, the World Bank reported that more than 92 % of Malagasy population is living under $ 2 a day, that makes Madagascar one of the poorest countries in the world, and unfortunately, Beravina village can’t be spared. Apparently, Madagascar will not be able to reach the most of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015.

Beravina School year 2012-2013

Despite the challenges to overcome and the political turmoil that Madagascar has to face, we acknowledge the Beravina children’s motivation and their attitudes.  We remind you that only 25% of pupils succeeded last year but now we are so proud to announce that 83, 07% of them pass to the next grade

School year result 2012-2013

 

Grade	Attending	Succeed	Failed	Quit
1st Grade	18	15	02	01
2nd Grade	25	20	04	01
3rd Grade	11	10	00	01
4th Grade	11	09	00	02
Total	65	54	06	05
	rate %	83,07%	09 ,23%	07,69%

 

 

The Beravina pupils 2012-2013

We are so amazed by the Beravina children’s mental toughness. Malagasy people have to face tough due to the political uproar. However, we noticed Beravina children understand that only two choices are available. On one hand, they can hide from that harsh conditions, by wallowing in sorrow and cloud their mind as quitting is the simple solution to ignore those challenges or on the other hand, they can step up and make the commitment to change even if at the first time things don’t look easy. And the 83% of them have taken the second option.

The next school year 2013-2014

For the third year of Beravina School, we would like to maintain their level and always seek for improvement.

A new classroom will be opened for the 5^th grade. Teachers training will be reinforced, practices will be intensified. We will emphasize on responsible leadership, community service, creativity, analysis sprit. We have decided that practices and homework should be done at school; we noticed that children prefer to study at school even if they have to stay late than getting home soon.

 

Reading will be a must in three languages: Malagasy, French and English. We will give access to our pupils, books, text, and they have to report what they have read periodically. We focus on community involvement such as Beravina villagers, Teachers, the AINA MADAGASCAR team, AINA MADAGASCAR travelers. Supply of materials should be maintained through our travelers and friends all around the world. We will work with Beravina villagers to identify the adversities to education for their children. And finally, girls should be encouraged to join the school.

Beravina Community School 2012-2013

The Beravina community school is managed by AINA MADAGASCAR and the Beravina villagers. The school construction and its managing are not possible without the solidarity contributions from our solidarity trips, donations and support from our friends all around the world.

Due to the political skirmish in Madagascar and the current global financial crisis, the number of our travelers is in decline so as a consequence Aina Madagascar has a little trouble to finance the school functioning and to cover the school operating costs. However, Beravina villagers and the AINA MADAGASCAR team feel acknowledge for those who contribute, give us support and interest. All of their commitment was incredibly helpful and allowed us to make that school year 2012-2013 with success. They were so appreciated and their generosity will make an immediate difference to improve the basic education of Beravina children.

Let’s take part in Beravina Community School

Beravina community school is built by AINA MADAGASCAR; it is a non-traditional school with a different curriculum and methods from the formal one. The main goal is to achieve widespread primary education for free, with high standards level in quality and efficiency as well as stimulate creativity, in that case give the Beravina kids to believe again in their dreams and make them into reality. In the school year 2012-2013, 65 children attended the school for free. Positive impacts are obvious, increase of attending students each year, and improvement of children’s level literacy, mathematics, Madagascar and worldwide History & geography, Science, Art …

For the next school year 2013-2014, a new classroom will be opened for the 5^th grade. We will be able to add more 20 Students making 85 pupils in total. Many ways to take part and get involved are possible: Traveling and discovering the Great Island with AINA MADAGASCAR, volunteering program, and finally, for those who share out our values, ideas and goals although cannot travel to Madagascar and want to act and contribute morally or financially to AINA MADAGASCAR’s solidarity projects.

 

“Inspire, teach, and empower Beravina children for their future”. That is our vision; actually, Madagascar is at its dark side of its History, as a saying reported: “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming”. Despite the recession and trouble Madagascar has got actually, our project stands firm in the face of adversities. Hardships and tough times are part of life. Since we have started our project, the Beravina villagers, the AINA MADAGASCAR team, the AINA MADAGASCAR travelers and the AINA MADAGASCAR friends all around the world have agreed that in spite of diversities we have all come together as one and working on contributing universal primary education. Altogether, we would like to make our solidarity trips with AINA MADAGASCAR a way where all of us can act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood in order to get rewards of joy and meaning.

AINA MADAGASCAR

+1(704) 451 1524 (USA) / 00 46 733 107 2 88 ( SWEDEN ) /

web: www.aina-madagascar.org/en  / email: contactainamada@gmail.com /

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/assoainamadagascar

skype: aina.madagascar

Do not wish for less problems wish for more skills

” Don’t wish it was easier wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge wish for more wisdom” – Jim Rohn

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

Our Solidarity project in Beravina Village

Education systems in remote and rural communities of Madagascar have suffered from changing government priorities over time. It was observed in 1980s that school was qualified as means for citizen brainwashing. However improvement was made in 2000s (after 20 years) both in access and quality of formal education. Unfortunately, the political crisis in Madagascar in 2009 affected recession to the progress that had been made. As a result, a vast majority of poorer population has a tiny choice to send their children in disadvantaged public school. And most of parents do not trust the benefits of education and prefer to put their kids to work in the rice fields for agriculture tasks.

Aina Madagascar shares the ideas of “Millennium Goals” including the “Education for all” and decides to focus their solidarity projects on that way. From 2008 to 2010, we gave scholarship to 14 children from Beravina to a private school in the north of Antananarivo (Fees, school catering, equipment are sponsored by Aina Madagascar).

Since 2011, we would like to go beyond our hope and has made a challenge to build a community school not only for the 14 children but also for all Kids from Beravina and its surroundings. It is a non-traditional school with a different curriculum and methods from the formal one.

The main goal is to achieve widespread primary education for all Beravina children for free and without financial charge from parents, with high standards level in quality and efficiency as well as stimulate creativity, analysis in that case give the Beravina kids to believe again in their dreams and make them into reality.

The school building started in March 2011. For 09 months of building the school opened its doors in October 2011.

They received 65 children for 04 grades in elementary level: 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade.

School resolutions:

*100 children each year
*Opening a library room: Reading room, where kids can study and reinforce their knowledge when they go to college and high school
*Make the electricity available to the school: Use of computer, Internet, IT, Lab work …
*Upgrade the level of the kids: reading comprehension, practice …
*Use of creativity in practical way
*Open the mind of the kids to new world, thinking outside the box

The Aina Madagascar team  http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

Solidarity trips with AINA MADAGASCAR

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

Tourism Businness in Madagascar has already developed since ages. Indeed, Big firms in tourism industry left their footprints not always as good as expected such as overexploitation of natural resources, folklorization, loss of identity of local population, rising of the cost of living in high spot of tourism area, prostitution …
Tourism could not lead in that way, it should build relationships to local and worldwide population, empower people, exchange culture in equitable way; Local population should get benefits directly from tourists’ activities not only materially speaking but above all human level. Tourism should offer a better future to poor regions thanks to the human and expertise exchange. Those are what Tourism should be and what Aina Madagascar is all about.

AINA MADAGASCAR is committed to a substitute to mass Tourism. “Solidarity Tourism” could be defined as activities or organizations working on making low impact on the natural environment and local culture. Besides, it could help to generate equitable income and employments for locals and finally, make environmental integrity, social justice and economic development.

The trip with AINA MADAGASCAR is always divided in two parts :

The first part of the stay, travelers will spend few days in an isolated village (Ankarefo or Beravina); they will share their everyday life, exchange their knowledge with locals, they may usually get involve in health giving hands in health care center in the village or reinforce kids’ education from the village by teaching them at the primary public school of the village

The second part of the stay will be on the road trip around Madagascar, discovering its scenery, its culture, its fauna and flora, the accommodation will be with the host families network all around the island ( Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Manakara, Sainte Marie…) or hotels with our escort tour guide,

Our volunteers

“Volunteers do not get paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”

www.aina-madagascar.org/en

2012 What a year!!!!

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

Before leaving this year, we would like to give thanks to all travelers and friends all around the world, Beravina and Ankarefo villagers, host families in Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Manakara, Sainte Marie this 2012 who have shared unforgettable moments with us

Misaotra

The Aina Madagascar team

Start of school year 2012-2013, Beravina Community school

Dearest Aina Madagascar friends

We have already been in the start of school year in our life as pupils, students, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers …We all remember those moments. Each first day of the school is an opportunity to bring change, and new optimism for the school year.

Beravina villagers, Children from Beravina, Aina Madagascar travelers and friends all around the world who take part in the project “Aina Madagascar Beravina community school” share that moment on Monday 17 September 2012.

Aina Madagascar will be extremely pleased through this report to inform you how the school year 2011-2012 was, the result and impact of the project to the Beravina children and our visions for this new school year 2012-2013.

Aims of community school of Beravina

We should remain that 2011, Beravina villagers, Aina Madagascar team, Aina Madagascar travelers, Aina Madagascar friends all around the world decided to work hands in hands to build not only a primary school infrastructure but also give a new hope and future to the poorest Malagasy children thanks to the Education.

The school that we build  is a non-governmental and secular school, free access for all poorest children from Beravina village located in an isolated area in the north of Antananarivo. Curriculum elements often focus on creativity, improving children self-esteem, fostering growth of individuality and enhancing social skills. Beravina community school is more flexible in its organization and administration, which allows for more variety in educational programs.

The year 2011, the school received 65 children from Beravina village.

The school year 2011-2012

The school year for Beravina students, teachers, villagers, has not been too much affected by two tough cyclones on February 2012. Aina Madagascar team, Aina Madagascar travelers, Aina Madagascar friends all around the world have had school supply drives to help replenish the schools  equipment. We all overcome this tough challenge as the word “Fihavanana” described (word encompassing the Malagasyconcept of kinship, friendship, goodwill between beings, belief that we are all one blood and that how we treat others will eventually be reflected back to us)

On the other hand Villagers from Beravina keep on encouraging their children to get to school, they trust in our new way of managing the community school in alternative way. They strongly believe that this will bring change to Beravina children destiny and improve their future.

  In that way, Aina Madagascar swears this high  level objective will be reached. And we will never deceive Beravina villagers, Beravina children, Aina Madagascar friends who share our vision. We have to notice that on 2011 we received 65 Children and many of them had never been in school before and diverse background. So the year 2011-2012 was made to make the kids at the same level, teach them how to write, read, and understand. Due to our expectation and to get high level, only 25% of them pass to the next grade, this is not a failure but to prepare them properly.

Beravina children must improve their reading comprehension, writing, grammar in Malagasy, French and English. Basic rules of Mathematics are almost good, social behavior, hygiene needs more attention.

Grades	Students	Failed	Succeed
First Grade	25	14	11
Second Grade	16	14	02
Third Grade	10	07	03
Fourth Grade	14	14	00
Total	65	49	16

The school year 2012-2013

At first sight, it seems that 2011-2012 was a total failure with the cyclone and the result with 25% who succeed. We have to notice that that was our first year and most of the children have never attended school before .It is obvious then that result was normal for the first year of our community school.

We have set the level high and that what we need to reach improvement and growing. Despite of the sad events happened in Madagascar 2011-2012 (Cyclone, political turmoil …) Beravina children keep on going, stay motivated and never think of giving up studying.

We were, are and always will be dedicated to bring out the best to the Beravina children, the dark side of 2011 is over, this new school year 2012-2013 comes hope, optimism, excitement and the promise of growth and accomplishment.

Our teachers are reinforced with more training. We acquire new equipment from our friends around the world to Beravina children. Schedules become flexible, practice are increased. We willensure that all pupils successfully complete and understand every course with an aligned and articulated curriculum, we will eliminate gaps in student achievement, We will provide challenging learning experiences for every student every day thanks to effective instructional practices; strong instructional leadership and caring

The school year start anew, one thing that remains unchanged is our commitment Beravina Village, which keeps us focused on why we are here and what we’re all about: “Inspire, teach, and empower Beravina children for their future”.

AINA MADAGASCAR

Tel: +261 33 12 173 44 (Madagascar)

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

www.facebook.com/assoainamadagascar/

email: aina.madagascar@yahoo.fr

skype: aina.madagascar

Traveling Gypsy with Aina Madagascar

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

For being always supportive and understanding our projects, for sharing our dreams and vision; Please accept our heartfelt thanks & deep appreciation TRAVELING GYPSY

Wish you all the best to the next step of your trip. Veloma ( See you soon)

…And this too shall pass…

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en

Dear Aina Madagascar’s friend

Our sincerest thanks for your calls, emails, financial & moral support through the tough times we had during the two cyclones in February 2012.

All of you have demonstrated your deep commitment to our project

Once again thank you, we really appreciate

The Aina Madagascar team

Aina Madagascar year review 2011

http://www.aina-madagascar.org/en