On 30 July and 02 August 2024, the Investing in Early Childhood Education and Protection (IEPPE) project team opened three (3) Preschool Activity Centres (CAP) in two (2) school districts (CISCO), Ambohidratrimo and Antsirabe II. The IEPPE project is being implemented in Madagascar and Burkina Faso from 2022 to 2025 with the aim of promoting the enrolment of children aged 3 to 8 and improving the transition from pre-school to primary school.
To improve children's immediate environment, Action Education, the Axian Foundation and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have joined forces with the Ministry of Education to set up standard-compliant CAPs.
Each public primary school has benefited from the construction of CAP buildings, the design of gender-specific latrines, the creation of a playground and the refurbishment of the EPP's paintwork.
The two public primary school CAPs in Ampandrotrarana and Anjanamanjaka, in the CISCO of Antsirabe, were inaugurated on 30 July after 94 days of construction, which was completed in June 2024. At a cost of 90,013,191.90 Ariary each, the construction of these facilities was co-financed by the Axian Foundation and Action Education.
The inauguration of the Diankazo public primary school CAP took place on 2 August after 97 days of construction, which was completed in December 2023. The infrastructure cost 75,713,634.61 Ariary, and was co-financed by the Agence Française de Développement and Action Education.
A total of 255,740,019 Ariary was spent on the work at these two CISCOs. In addition to construction, the IEPPE project also aims to improve children's learning experiences in order to foster their socio-emotional and cognitive development. With this in mind, the project supports those involved in early childhood, such as teachers, parents, civil society organisations and decentralised and devolved governance bodies. The project encourages exchanges of experience at all levels and advocacy on the pre-school-primary continuum.
These inaugurations do not mark the end of the IEPPE project. The training of all those involved in early childhood education and protection will continue until 2025, and the other public primary schools benefiting from the project will also be equipped with new facilities. Finally, Action Education Madagascar will continue to support early childhood through a new project called "ANJARA".
