Ambalafenomby 2022
Dhe school year 2021/2022 could be carried out successfully despite the ongoing restrictions caused by the CORONA pandemic. Also in calendar year 2022, thanks to the isolated location of the school and the continued strict observance of hygiene measures, there were no COVID-19 diseases among students and teachers, and probably not in the whole village either. Lessons could be given almost permanently, with the exception of the centrally ordered closures of the schools. The results of the state final examination were slightly worse than in previous years, but still well above the national average with a pass rate of less than 33%. Of the 12 registered students, 8 passed the exam.
DThe general entry ban due to CORONA was lifted in February 2022, so that we could plan
to be back on site at the beginning of the new school year, for the work and the measures to start.
The school minister has changed three times since February and each time the start of the new school year has been set anew and differently. The scheduled date was not the beginning of November as planned, but the beginning of September. So we had to be in Antananarivo in the last week of August to be able to buy the learning and teaching materials. The interruption of imports during the pandemic months made procurement difficult. However, thanks to the connection from previous years, we managed to buy all the materials needed for the new school year for the students and for the teachers.
A120 students are registered again for the new school year 2022/2023.
The new school uniforms also had to be completed 2 months earlier than originally planned. We then gave them to the students.
DSo that he can imagine what is behind the construction of an account of the Episcopate of Fianarantsoa, in the power of attorney of a foundation in Germany, we invited the director of the bank to come with us to the school for the start of the school year. Very impressed with the equipment and functioning of our school, he now has a real picture of the use of the money passing through his bank. This helps with the otherwise complicated business relationship between bank and customer in Madagascar.
Dhe supply of the school canteen was also possible in 2022 - despite general famine. The cyclones in January and February 2022 had again destroyed a large part of the rice crop. However, the long-standing relationships with our suppliers helped, albeit at greatly increased prices, to ensure that the school canteen was supplied with all the basic foods it needed. During our stay we then made agreements with the various wholesalers for delivery in 2023.
NAfter we haven't been able to go to school in 2 CORONA years, we have now identified a considerable need for renovation and repairs.
Although the last Cyclones had left no structural damage, the weather and normal wear and tear required a great deal of work.
Our original "universal craftsman" had charged us for work that he had never carried out for the most recently commissioned repairs. We then found a new entrepreneur in 2019, but the quality of his work was to be criticized. So we called our first builder, Jean-Michel, again and told him he needed a second chance.
He was very grateful, immediately drove to the school to start the necessary work and a few days after our return we had his complete offer for the various trades.
After an examination by a specialist in the capital and his confirmation of the suitability of the way the work was carried out and the prices, we gave the order: complete painting, removal of undermining of the foundations, repair of the roof and renewal of the gutters, repair of the water supply, Restoration of the toilets, door locks and window fittings and more.
Dhe work had to be done ahead of the new Cyclone season.
By the end of December 2022, all work to preserve the substance had been completed. It was fortunate that the professional associations, which Hartmut Röhl led as president for decades, each made very substantial donations to the Röhl-Vintana Foundation at the end of his activity. In this way, the unexpected costs could be well covered in addition to the regular expenses for running the school.
uWe have continued our talks with the heads of the school and financial administration of the diocese about taking over the school and all the services we have provided if we can no longer provide them. However, apart from a lot of praise for what we do and the statement that this school is exemplary in terms of function and performance, there was no binding commitment to continue this way.
In view of the age of the people who support the foundation materially and personally, an affiliation of the Röhl-Vintana Foundation to another, active, larger foundation with a similar objective could secure the future of this humanitarian project.