A resilient future: education to meet the climate challenges in south-eastern Madagascar
A resilient future: education to meet the climate challenges in south-eastern Madagascar
In the south-east of Madagascar, the daily lives of the population are being affected by the impact of climate change. The consequences of these changes are even being felt in schools, impacting on the education of young pupils in the region.
Mrs Razanantsoa Germaine Nadia, director of the low secondary scool (CEG) of Anosivelo, Farafangana, fully understand this situation. She recently took part in a training course aimed at preparing to establish DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) clubs and giving psychosocial support. Determined to share the knowledge she acquired from this training, she brought together 9 other teachers from her college to convey this valuable message.
"Today's climate is different from that of 5 or 10 years ago," Nadia explains to her colleagues. "All this affects not only the lives of the population, but also those of our 290 students as well as the way we teach." She put a stress on the importance of sharing this information quickly, so that DRR clubs could be set up and people may receive advice on how to deal with everyday stress, both in normal times and in emergencies.
The director of the low secondary school of Anosivelo was also taken aback by the importance of psychosocial support training. She admits that, previously, she didn't know how to react to children's and parents' requests concerning situations of stress or abuse, whether in their daily lives or after extreme climatic events. She realized that it was essential to listen to children, take their concerns into account and help them to improve their performance at school despite the various stresses they were facing.
Nadia and her fellow teachers were determined to set up DRR clubs in the school. They created safe spaces where students can express themselves and share their fears and concerns about climate change. The clubs also organized educational activities aimed at raising young people's awareness about environmental challenges and encouraging them to adopt sustainable behaviors.
Psychosocial support is also a priority for the educational team. They develop programmes to help pupils manage stress, build resilience and maintain emotional well-being. Active listening sessions are organized, enabling children to share their experiences and emotions in complete confidence.
