Open Classroom

Picturing is becoming a real obsession for kids nowadays. That “love of picturing” allowed us to give more chance to save wild species. During our trip to Nosy Manga be, which is an island in the Antongil Bay, we took part in the Photo Ark Challenge, a program with the National Geographic. All along our trip, the kids were picturing any kinds of animals that they saw and tried to learn more about them. All the students enjoyed the trip because not only it was the first time for them to see the island but they also enriched their knowledge about the biodiversity of Mamabaie. Photo: Miora.M Photo: Miora.M Photo: Miora.M

According to researchers, one third of the rosewood in Madagascar is originated from the Marojejy National Park and the two third are found in the Masoala National Park. After having seen a small video concerning the traffic of rosewood in Madagascar, the kids realized that a big part of the Madagascar natural ressources is highly endangered. Once they realize the impact of the destruction of those trees, they were eager to know more about the importance. So, we also introduce a nursery activity at the Open Classroom. Photo: Miora.M Photo: Miora.M

Outdoor activities allow children to feel different from what they do at school. In some places in Madagascar, vegetables are quite expensive and many people cannot afford them. However, around the landscape of Mamabaie, growing vegetables is doable because of the weather which is rainy and warm at the same time. Indeed, that is why we offer courses for kids about gardening. We help them to plant and show them how beautiful it is to crop their own efforts. Gardening is fun! Photo: Miora.M Photo: Johnnah.R

It is important for kids to know that protecting the environment requires good behaviors; but first of all, they surely need to know what to protect and how to do so. During our trip to the Masoala National Park, the kids were very lucky to meet the red ruffed lemur which is an endemic animal in Madagascar. Students learnt that even if lemurs are small comparing to the huge forest, they’re doing big work for the nature. The students also evoke that killing them is unfair. Lemurs should be well-protected since that they take part to help human to live in better conditions. The students realized that lemurs plant trees through the seeds that they eat. “Trees!!! which are source of life… Lemurs plant trees, trees give water and water ensures life ” Photo: Miora.M Photo: Miora.M

Photo: Jean.D Photo: Jean.D Photo: Jean.D During the stay of the students in Connecting Classroom in Antsahabe, (a touristic place of MAKIRA where a lot of biodiversity is seen), they have done a super job.  Before going to the eco-touristic site, they had inquired about the existing plants in the place. So, they collected some pretty stones and then, they identified the plants in which they wrote their vernacular and scientific names on the stones. That activity has shown us that they love to preserve the nature and they also enjoy sharing their knowledge to the others.They are now more connecting with the nature because, not only they were too happy to enrich their knowledge there but they want to continue that work at the Open Classroom. They identify some of the plants in the education center and set the stones around. Photo: Johnnah.R

Photo: Miora Photo: Miora Photo: Miora A part of the Open Classroom used to be a dustbin for people who live around. Just after the setting of the center, some young conservationist of the center were willing to embelish the place by building some fishponds around the center. At the moment, a group of children, trained in agro-ecology are taking care of these fish ponds. In addition, we have noticed that some people are beginning to imitate the fishponds in their villages (pictures: later). Now we're planning to insert duck husbandry in the center. An integrated system with fish. We hope that our ideas will be helpful for the community. The Open Classroom is also a place where we help people to develop their imagination and create their own livelihoods.

" Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man". - Stewart Udall In this video, you will see how much we need to protect our environment. Also, have a look of some of activities that we do at the Open Classroom. Enjoy!

Cette vidéo parle de la grenouille tomate de Madagascar. Pour enrichir notre connaissance, laissons place à nos oreilles! Bonne écoute :-)

Children, learning about the value of water and forest The picture above shows the members of our conservation club. They are taught about different topics. Here, Zakaria, a staff from "Maison des Jeunes in Maroantsetra" is teaching about the value of water and forest. Indeed, he sensitises the children not to pollute water because water is the vitality of life; and also, not to cut trees. Sometimes, they all are learning together but there are also some topics that only the older team can take part of, such as the "SRA" which stands for "Santé de la Reproduction des Adolescents". Teaching these young people allows us to have a better planet because they will become the representative of a better generation later on..

Bloggers from "Connecting Classroom" The question that you may ask first is: what do these people do? Well, in fact, they are among the "Connecting Classroom" in Mamabay. These young people are developping their knowledge about environnent through the use of computer . They work in team  and here, they are creating their own blog. Some of them are talking about coffee, the ones are more interested in Ravinala, and the  others make their research about the youth in Mamabay. These topics are of course related to environnment and they conduct their survey around the city of Maroantsetra before posting their work on the internet . We hope to have a look at their blog once they have finished!!!

Drawer's team  of Saturday School Nowadays, the quality of education in developping countries, such as Madagascar becomes worse. In that case, that quality evokes the ignorance of natural resources in the place which may cause destructions later on. Indeed, the open classroom centered in the landscape of Mamabay (Masoala, Makira, Antongil Bay) is helping young people in these area to recognise the value of the environement. In the picture above, we can see a group of children, showing their pictures about their view on the environnement.