Achievements Gabatcha
Different actions are carried out for this purpose.
- The first is the construction and renovation of school buildings. How is it possible to learn safely if there is no school building? In recent years, Helping Hands contributed to Gabatcha’s building work.
- Once this stage is over, they still need teachers and equipment. Once again Gabatcha and Helping Hands considered the needs of the schools and they bought materials for teachers and students. They have also provided the salary of additional teachers in some schools.
After having done some good work in schools, colleges and high schools, Gabatcha set up scholarships to make university accessible to more young people. Helping Hands gave some computers to enable them to pursue a university course.
During the year 2024, Gabatcha distributed hundreds of school kits to various schools in Sainte-Marie.
Hundreds of children were able to receive a trouser filled with pens and pencils, as well as writing notebooks.
A budget was also allocated to these different schools for the purchase of chalk (for writing on the board) and materials for the teachers (notebooks, balloon,..) . We had a school renovation project planned, but the country’s political conflicts in 2025 postponed this project.
For all these wonderful actions carried out and to come, Gabatcha warmly thanks Helping Hands and all the people who make this possible.
Gabatcha will continue its actions to help the youth of Sainte-Marie. Future actions will be decided by the priorities observed on the ground in Sainte-Marie.
Our stories with the association
I’m Vannessa, and my link to Association Gabatcha is both personal and long‑standing. The association was founded in 2005 by Jean‑Louis Felt, and I became involved around 2007—so about 18 years ago.
Gabatcha’s mission is straightforward: give a fair chance at school to children and students in Sainte Marie, a little island in Madagascar. In practice, that means building and refurbishing primary and secondary school facilities on Sainte‑Marie Island and supplying classrooms.
I’ve been lucky to visit Madagascar twice, meeting teachers, students, and families and actively participating to projects locally. Those trips made the impact even more tangible — seeing new classrooms open and supplies arrive turns “helping” from an idea into a relationship.
Vannessa