For the fifth-largest island in the world, Madagascar is home to approximately 30.3 million people. Here, charities are improving and support education in Madagascar for vulnerable communities. Despite limited resources and persistent inequality, local organizations are spearheading innovative projects that expand access to quality education and empower the most marginalized groups.

Poverty and Hunger in Madagascar

In 2017, low productivity, reliance on agriculture and limited jobs drove Madagascar’s national poverty rate to 70.7%. By 2022, the rate climbed to 75.2%, with rural poverty reaching 79.9% and urban poverty increasing by 13.3% between 2012 and 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic is mostly responsible for this jump. Statistics from May 2025 show that more than 90% of Madagascan’s live on less than $3.10 a day.

Food insecurity compounds these challenges. Madagascar depends heavily on rain-fed agriculture, making it vulnerable to droughts in the south and cyclones in the southeast. Today, 1.31 million people face acute food insecurity. For children, 67.6% experience material deprivation in two or more dimensions of well-being, with 23.7% suffering from 4 or more in 2020. Nearly 40% of children suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Challenges in Madagascan Education

Education faces equally tough hurdles. Around 94% of children experienced learning poverty at the age of 10 (unable to read and understand), with the completion rate for primary school being 62% for girls and 57% for boys in 2022. As for secondary school, there was a big drop of around 25% for both genders. Still, there is momentum to improve education in Madagascar, and several charities are improving lives through education in Madagascar.

Learn Achieve Become (L.A.B): Nosy Be

L.A.B, a U.K.-registered charity, started out as an idea in 2017 by three education and development professionals who intended to support individuals through free education and support projects globally. Their slogan, “education without boundaries,” reflects a firm commitment to serving everyone regardless of their age, race, gender, religion, ability or social status. L.A.B targets areas where people are more vulnerable and left behind by providing activities like:

• Offering free educational facilities and programs (formal/informal).
• Providing free educational equipment and resources.
• Running sports events and creating new clubs.
• Partnering with other non-profit organizations as well as universities.

L.A.B in Madagascar

The Sunrise Centre in Nosy Be, Madagascar, is one of many projects L.A.B runs. L.A.B officially opened the center in 2023, and it now supports individuals (adults and children) with physical and intellectual disabilities by educating, upskilling and empowering them.

When people graduate from the Sunrise Centre, L.A.B.’s “TSAREE” focuses on creating jobs, especially for people with disabilities. Even with improved skills and experience, society continued to hold prejudices against them. Therefore, TSAREE has proven to be essential.

L.A.B also launched Ny Fianarantsika (Our Education) in Nosy Be. Bringing 100% free education to children’s doorsteps, this project aims to improve children’s literacy and numeracy skills.

Together, L.A.B is paving the way out of poverty for one individual at a time through education in Madagascar, as well as experience.

Madagascar Development Fund (MFD)

Between July 2008, when MDF officially started, and May 2025, MDF created or renovated nearly 200 state primary schools. From April to June 2025, MDF completed four school projects, along with Ifalimanjaka Basic Health Centre and Ambohitrakely Water System. Thanks to MDF, more than 36,000 children now have access to education in Madagascar. Improving education, water and health in Madagascar, MDF improves education in Madagascar with every successful project.

Education For Madagascar (EDU4MADA)

Founded in 2015, EDU4MADA is a U.K.-registered charity and Malagasy non-governmental organization (NGO). The organization aligns its work with Sustainable Development Goal 4, quality education for all, with the goal of improving education in Madagascar by paving the way out of poverty for the country’s most vulnerable children and youth.

EDU4MADA operates six educational projects, including the AKKA Montessori School, SCOLA youth scholarship program, KANTO cultural workshops, CARE Coding and Robotics, VIM volunteer outreach, and Career Day Awareness. These offer early childhood learning, creative after-school activities, technology and environmental education as well as professional insights.

By equipping learners with these tools and skills, EDU4MADA invests in both individual futures and the broader social progress of Malagasy communities.

Conclusion

Education in Madagascar faces significant challenges, but grassroots organizations are changing the story. L.A.B., MDF and EDU4MADA prove that education can empower individuals, reduce poverty and build resilience. By opening classrooms, reaching marginalized children and creating inclusive opportunities, these charities are improving education in Madagascar, whilst also paving the way out of poverty for the most vulnerable communities.

– Rebecca Lamb-Busby

Rebecca is based in Hull, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr