SEMAFI Expansion

The Fianarantsoa School for the Deaf (SEMAFI) is the only school for the deaf in the lower third of Madagascar, a region with approximately 10 million people. Despite serving such a large area, the school has a maximum enrollment of just 70 students and currently offers academic instruction only through fifth grade.

As our sponsorship program grows, so does SEMAFI’s student body. Already, space is tight. With just six classrooms for eight grade levels — three of which are preschool — students from different grades are often taught together in the same classroom. This makes it difficult for SEMAFI teachers to provide the individual instruction students need to succeed. With no other space available, a chalkboard was installed in the dining hall this year so it could double as a classroom for the technical training program.

We are working with SEMAFI to enroll more children in need and help existing students progress academically. Currently, most SEMAFI graduates are unable to continue their education beyond elementary school. The nearest middle school for the deaf is in Antsirabe, eight hours north of Fianarantsoa. For most SEMAFI families, it’s too far and too expensive to be an option. As a result, many students who could otherwise continue their studies drop out after fifth grade.

Beginning next year, we plan to add one grade per year at SEMAFI until deaf students in the Fianarantsoa region can graduate from high school, just like their hearing peers.

To make this vision a reality, SEMAFI must expand. Additional classrooms are urgently needed to enroll new students and begin offering middle school instruction next year. We are currently raising funds to begin constructing three new classrooms in July, with a minimum goal of $15,000. Your support can help us reach more children in need and offer them the opportunity to continue their education beyond the elementary level.