University student Alice is majoring in geology with support from Anjiro Initiative. Only 6 percent of female students in Madagascar advance beyond the high school level. Since 2014, Anjiro Initiative has supported hundreds of scholarships for students like Alice to attend school and achieve their dreams.

Our Head of Programs in Madagascar, Franka Rasolomanantsoa, sat down for a Q&A with Alice to learn more about her education experience. This interview has been edited for clarity and translated from Malagasy.

What’s your current grade and where do you go to school?

I’m in my third year at Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique d'Antananarivo (the Higher Polytechnic School of Antananarivo), located in the city of Antananarivo. I have two years left until I finish my studies.

My personal experience is that at the beginning, when I arrived here on campus, I felt homesick since I was far from my family. I wanted to go home, but now I am used to living far from my family and living on my own.

How did you decide on geology and what made you want to go to college?

Since high school, geology has been my favorite subject. I know I’ll need to master this major for my future. My dream is to create and become an entrepreneur.

How long has the Anjiro Initiative been supporting your studies?

I have been supported by Anjiro Initiative since 2015, or almost 10 years, since I was a 5th grader at the secondary school in Anjiro, which a small farming community in Eastern Madagascar.

How has being a part of the Anjiro Initiative impacted you?

It has helped me because without Anjiro initiative’s grant, I may not be able to continue my studies. Also, the Anjiro Initiative’s grant has alleviated my parents’ financial support for my education.

I would like to thank and appreciate the Anjiro Initiative’s donors for their support.

What are some challenges that students in Madagascar generally face?

University students in Madagascar are facing financial issues, including a lack of materials needed for our studies.

What has been a challenge you’ve had to overcome while pursuing school? How did you work through it?

My main problems are financial because we have to take field trips and we sometimes have to work in the field studying geology, and those activities cost money.

Also, I am having difficulty obtaining materials such as a computer, which we need during our studies.

I dealt with those challenges by borrowing a computer from my fellow classmates or friends. My classmates and I also collected funds from our class in order to organize a field trip. We search for income-generating activities, including making and selling tickets for baked goods.

What advice would you give to other students who are considering advanced/college degrees?

Here at the campus, you are free to do anything you want because no one from your family is watching over you here. My advice for my fellow students is to set objectives and practice self-discipline.

Q&A with University Student Alice

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