For this second phase of the “Agir pour la conservation de la nature” project led in partnership with the Fondation Audemars-Watkins and Play for Nature, the NGO IMPACT Madagascar continued its environmental education work across three Malagasy schools. Convinced that lasting behavioral change starts young, the organization built on the results of Phase 1 by strengthening teachers’ role as the primary facilitators of environmental activities, backed by technical support from local educators.
Three Schools, Three Approaches to Environmental Education
At the Mahajeby public primary school, in Fenoarivobe district, the focus was on climate change and reforestation. At the Anosibe community school, in Madiromirafy, students explored local biodiversity through forest field trips. At the Ankirihitra public primary school, a school vegetable garden connected sustainable agriculture, climate change, and food security. Three complementary themes, one shared method: alternating classroom sessions with hands-on field activities.
Mahajeby School: Understanding Climate Change by Planting Trees
Students in Mahajeby focused on three concrete actions: waste sorting, composting, and tree planting. After an initial training for their four teachers, they moved into action on the school grounds. The results exceeded expectations: 442 fruit and native trees planted, against a target of 150, across 2 ares of reforested land during the rainy season. Students themselves now maintain the young trees — composting, mulching, watering, and monitoring growth.
Madiromirafy School: Discovering Local Biodiversity
At the Anosibe community school, the two trained teachers led students into nearby forest areas to observe firsthand the role of vegetation in protecting soil from erosion and regulating the water cycle, as well as the importance of pollinating insects. These field trips gave real meaning to classroom discussions on the threats facing forest ecosystems, such as deforestation.
Ankirihitra School: Growing Food to Understand Food Security
The four teachers at Ankirihitra guided their students through the full cycle of a school vegetable garden, from planting to harvest. Across 5 ares of cultivated plots featuring both short- and long-cycle crops, children harvested 116 kg of vegetables — leafy greens, zucchini, and cucumber — used for a final shared meal. A tangible way to connect farming practices, climate resilience, and food.
Teachers Trained to Sustain the Impact
In all three schools, teacher training preceded any activity with students. This approach, carried over from lessons learned in Phase 1, aimed to make teachers genuine pedagogical relays for the project rather than passive participants. The result: the 10 teachers mobilized now lead sessions largely independently, with lighter support from local educators than during Phase 1.
Results That Exceeded Targets
In total, 675 students actively took part in awareness activities — surpassing projections in several schools. Teachers report student engagement beyond expectations, driven by the variety of teaching materials used, including posters and videos translated into Malagasy, educational games, and field trips, as well as the interest already sparked during Phase 1.
Reaching Beyond the Classroom: Families and Social Media
Students played an active role as messengers to their families, sharing at home what they learned in class and in the garden. In parallel, IMPACT Madagascar kept up its social media presence (Facebook, Instagram), now reaching around 6,267 followers, with close to 102 interactions generated by posts related to this second phase.
Challenges Overcome with Resilience
The project was not without obstacles: Cyclone Fytia damaged school infrastructure in Anosibe, while rising student enrollment required rescheduling in several schools. In both cases, teams adapted — using alternative spaces, mobile teaching materials, and rotating schedules — to keep activities on track.
Toward Lasting Impact
The progressive empowerment of teachers, the integration of environmental themes into everyday school life, and students carrying learned practices home are the main sustainability drivers identified by IMPACT Madagascar. The tools developed and tested across the three schools now form a reusable knowledge base, with strong potential for replication in other schools across the region.
If you want to know more about Impact Mada, you can contact thel directly via Facebook.
