Ambatovy Project and education: invigoration of children’s schooling

One of the social commitments of the Ambatovy Project is to bring its contribution to the invigoration of schooling in the area surrounding the Project’s site. Actually, the Ambatovy Project inaugurated last week a brand new school called “Soamahatsinjo” in Tanandava, a Commune inside the District of Toamasina II. The construction of such school is the compensation given to the people who had to move away from their home due to the project’s occupation of their lands.

It is to be noted that after their relocation, the people whose lands have become Ambatovy’s mineral stocking site had to adapt to their new environment and had to change their habits which eventually brought negative effects on every aspect of their social life, namely the schooling of their children. Indeed, since their relocation, the schooling rate among the relocated community has largely decreased. Such decrease can be explained by the fact that, often, the place, where the relocated community lives, does not have any school at all, or if there is one, the school, due to the lack of space and teachers, can not afford to teach all the children of the community. In order to address such problem, the Ambatovy Project has built the Soamahatsinjo School for the Commune of Tanandava.

Built in a site of 3 hectares, the Soamahatsinjo School has 2 classrooms, 2 teacher lodges and a toilet block. The school has 2 teachers for the CE to the CM2 classes. As for the school furnitures, 45 school benches, 3 tables and 3 chairs were being donated by the association of villagers, the CISCO and the Commune’s administration. Besides, in order to improve the educational environment in this school, other projects like drinking water conveyance and a construction of a school canteen are underway.