About SEMAFI - one of the only schools in Madagascar for deaf chlidren

Established in 1998, The Fianarantsoa School for the Deaf (SEMAFI) is the only school in the lower third of Madagascar that specializes in educating deaf children. The school enrolls both day and boarding students in preschool to fifth grade from across the south. Malagasy Sign Language is the primary mode of communication at the school, however students are also encouraged to practice lip-reading and speaking. 

The need for specialized deaf education has never been greater. With only nine such schools in Madagascar—a country of more than 30 million people—over 99% of deaf children never receive a formal education, leaving them unable to read, write, or communicate meaningfully. SEMAFI is actively working to reverse this trend with the goal of making their programs accessible to all deaf children in need. When students graduate from SEMAFI, they leave with the skills necessary to communicate with the people around them and succeed at the middle school level.

Project goals

This project will help SEMAFI complete critical upgrades to their classrooms and boarding facilities in addition to purchasing new educational equipment for students and staff. These upgrades will improve the quality of life for boarding students living far from home and provide teachers with new tools to advance learning outcomes. In no particular order, we aim to:

• Start a Malagasy-language children’s book collection to boost student literacy

• Purchase one shared laptop for teachers to create worksheets

• Upgrade the school’s rainwater catchment system to improve water quality and increase storage capacity

• Replace broken doors and windows in the student dormitory for security purposes

• Purchase a projector and speaker system to be used for classroom activities, community trainings and movie nights

• Enlarge three classroom chalkboards to give teachers more space to write

• Replace the school’s old rusted sign with one containing updated information

• Purchase a TV and DVD player for the boys’ and girls’ dormitories to help students learn more about the world

• Complete other various facility repairs and upgrades to improve the student experience and promote school pride

Each of these components have been requested by school administrators and staff. When possible, we will utilize expertise within the school community to encourage family engagement and conserve funds. By assisting SEMAFI with these upgrades and advancements, school administrators will be able to focus more time and financial resources on improving educational programming and increasing extracurricular opportunities for students.