Learn Achieve Become (L.A.B) - UK registered charity no.1174514
The Sunrise Centre
As of March 2023, we officially opened Nosy Be's first centre for the education & support of people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Having worked to create this since the founding of L.A.B in 2017, the opening of the centre became our largest achievement to date.
In the Sunrise Centre, we seek to bring a new lease of life for people with disabilities in Nosy Be - Our unique curriculum, designed to meet all the needs of our students and their families, focuses on 5 key areas:
- Basic Education
- Socialisation & Communication
- Sports, Movement, Play & arts
- Life Skills
- Personal Objectives
The Sunrise Centre is a facility for all people with disabilities in Nosy Be - Both adults and children alike. Currently, we have more than 40 individuals enrolled in the Sunrise Centre, aged 5+.
Prior to the existence of the Sunrise Centre, people with disabilities in Nosy Be received no support or opportunities, and were regularly discriminated against. With the creation of the Sunrise Centre, not only are we helping to educate, up-skill and support people with disabilities, but we are also working to improve the overall outlook of the Malagasy people towards people with disabilities. We host exhibitions, excursions and community programs to display the capabilities of people with disabilities.
A huge thank you to
Madagascar Research & Conservation institute for supporting us in the renovation of the Sunrise Centre!
Free Public Education - Ny Fianarantsika
It is estimated that only 35% of children in Madagascar complete their primary education. In the majority of cases, this is due to schooling fees being too expensive.
In a pursuit to ensure that nobody misses out on their right to obtain an education, we launched our 'Ny Fianarantsika' (Translation: Our Education) project, where we work across Nosy Be, targeting children who are out of school and bringing the school to their doorsteps. In close collaboration with local teachers, we curated a learning program, designed to help children learn the essential skills that they would otherwise learn in school.
Currently, we're bringing our
Ny Fianarantsika program to 3 locations, with plans to work further afield in the future:
- The gravel mines of Dar es Salaam / Ambatoloaka
- The rural community of Mahatsinjo, where the Sunrise Centre is located
- The rural communities of Djabala & Djabalahonko
- The gravel mines of Ampasindava.
Sports for all
The people of Nosy Be are extremely sportive - When walking around the island, it is not difficult to find impromptu games of football or basketball being played in the streets or on the beaches. In addition to this, there is a growing interest in individual sports, such as roller-skating, skateboarding and athletics.
We believe that the impact & benefits of sports extend far beyond improved fitness & health - Sports have the potential to bring people together & challenge themselves to be better. To ensure that the people of Nosy Be all have the opportunity to access sports, we implement the following programs across Nosy Be:
- Beach sports events & competitions
- Football / Extreme sports clubs
- Inclusive sports sessions
In early 2024, we're creating Nosy Be's first ongoing sports club, where we will be providing weekly open sports sessions for local children to attend. All equipment & materials will be provided, and sessions will be delivered under the guidance of a local coach.
English Education
With an ever-growing tourism industry, the need to learn English as a foreign language is becoming increasingly-important in Nosy Be & nearby islands. To date, L.A.B is the only non-profit organisation on Nosy Be providing free, locally-accredited English qualifications for the people of Nosy Be - Which has been extremely well received by our students.
In our first EFL course of 2023, we hosted a range of beginner-level sessions, following our own English program, where we welcomed an average of over 80 students per session, of whom roughly 55% were female and 58% were under 18 years old.
Upon delivering an exam across reading, writing, speaking and listening, over 50% attained a combined score of <60%. For the 15 most advanced students, they moved into our advanced learners group, where, through ongoing English education, they learn a range of other skills related to environmentalism, sustainability and being an entrepreneur.
Our eventual aim for advanced English learners is to gain official IELTS qualifications, giving them a huge advantage in the employment market.
Our Social Enterprise: Tsareee!
At the Sunrise Centre, our students aim to graduate by transitioning into paid employment. In July 2023, we had a handful of students ready to graduate, but we soon realised that finding employment opportunities for students was harder than we had anticipated. This wasn't due to the in-capabilities of the students, but more due to certain prejudices been held against them.
This gave us the inspiration to create 'TSAREEE!' - A for-profit social enterprise which focuses uniquely on creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities across Madagascar.
Through this enterprise, we assess each individual based on their interests, abilities and desires for employment. Then, we create a unique small business, managed entirely by TSAREEE, and staffed by local people with disabilities.
Although this idea is still very young, we are full of optimism that we will be able to change thousands of lives for people with disabilities across Madagascar.
Please note: All profits made from TSAREEE will be used to benefit the Sunrise Project, specifically, the Sunrise Centre.