The local context
Bordering Ambalakalanoro, the village of Besatra benefits from biodiversity similar to that of the site, notably due to the presence of Coquerel’s leaf monkey. A teacher is responsible for the education of the 32 pupils from the village and the surrounding area.
Project objectives
The school is losing pupils every year. The journey to get there can be long and perilous (rivers, crocodiles, etc.). The school lacks basic equipment – such as desks, school supplies and textbooks – as well as teachers. Educating the children is vital for the preservation of the area. There is also a strong need to educate parents so that they support their children’s education and encourage them to continue their studies.
Alfredine, a teacher from the village
Issues
The area is home to Coquerel’s leaf monkey ( Propithecus coquereli), a critically endangered lemur. Crocodile nests also bear witness to the local biodiversity.
Already completed
Humy covers the teacher’s salary, and following a visit in 2026 was able to increase it. However, there is still a shortage of one teacher to take on the lessons for the pupils, who number just over 30 but whose numbers are expected to rise in the coming years.
Furthermore, there was a strong call for a teacher specialising in adult education.
Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)
The village of Besatra
Building a secondary school could also encourage people to raise educational standards a little further. The village is situated on a strip of sand by the sea. There are very few shaded areas. Plans are being considered to look into planting trees in the centre of the village.